November Summary
The month of November has ended. For some it comes off as a relief since we are in the last month of this wreck we call 2020, some others because it's Christmas season. Whatever it is, this is the report for the past thirty days.
Top 5 Species (November):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 56 obs
Rough-legged Hawk -- 17 obs (new to Top 5)
Bald Eagle -- 13 obs (+1)
American Kestrel -- 9 obs (-2)
Northern Harrier -- 8 obs (returns to Top 5)
Top 5 Species (Overall):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 218 obs
Swainson's Hawk -- 62 obs
Osprey -- 60 obs
American Kestrel -- 46 obs (+1)
Bald Eagle -- 39 obs (new to Top 5)
Total Species Overall: 29
Top 5 Observers (Observations): birdwhisperer 195 obs, @masonmaron 68 obs, @cgates 326 59 obs, @the-catfinch 25 obs and @uta_stansburiana 19 obs
Top 5 Observers (Species): cgates326 18 species, birdwhisperer 18 species, masonmaron 12 species, uta_stansburiana 11 species and the-catfinch 10 species
Species Still Not Observed: White-tailed Kite, Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Spotted Owl, Boreal Owl and Gyrfalcon -- 6 species
New Species in November: Short-eared Owl and Northern Saw-whet Owl
Counties Needing Observations: Washington -- Ferry and Klickitat -- Oregon -- Wheeler
News and What to Expect in December: To compare with last year's project, we are 300 hundred observations short of breaking the record. I doubt we'll break that but maybe we'll get a Christmas miracle. We are one species short of last year but I think we can get the Snowy Owl and Gyrfalcon if we try hard enough. I still need to go out and find Boreal Owls, just need to get snow tires on. This is the final month of the project so let's get a little extra oomph into finishing strong.
For the Observation of the Month, lets congratulate cgates326 for his photo of a male American Kestrel. They are the smallest North American diurnal raptor and are often found in open fields and agriculture. They are the only falcons to nest in cavities or nest boxes and they are in my opinion, the best pest control. If any of you are or know any farmers, encourage them to establish kestrel boxes to discourage the use of pesticides. You can see the photo here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/64564834
Observation of the Week goes to @nordsman for an excellent flight shot of an immature Northern Harrier. Often called Swamp Hawks, you can find the highest concentration of these aerobatic dancers around marshes, making places like McNary NWR and Ladd Marsh WMA are perfect places to see large numbers of these guys. Here's the photo: