Diario del proyecto Inland Pacific Northwest Raptor Migration 2021

Archivos de diario de octubre 2021

02 de octubre de 2021

September Summary

Top 5 Species (September):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 90 obs
Turkey Vulture -- 17 obs (+2)
American Kestrel -- 11 obs (returns to Top 5)
Northern Harrier -- 9 obs (new to Top 5)
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- 8 obs (new to Top 5)

Top 5 Species (Overall):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 174 obs
Turkey Vulture -- 50 obs (+2)
Osprey -- 49 obs (-1)
Swainson's Hawk -- 44 obs (-1)
American Kestrel -- 34 obs

Total Species Overall: 28

Top 5 Observers (Observations): birdwhisperer 170 obs, @andybridges 40 obs, @cgates326 35 obs, @jnelson 16 obs, and @uta_stansburiana 15 obs

Top 5 Observers (Species): birdwhisperer 15 species, cgates326 10 species, jnelson 9 species, andybridges 9 species, and @wyattherp 7 species

Species Still Not Observed: White-tailed Kite, Rough-legged Hawk, Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Spotted Owl, Boreal Owl, Gyrfalcon -- 7 species

New Species in September: Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk -- 2 species

Counties Needing Observations: WA -- Ferry, Columbia -- OR -- Gilliam, Morrow, Jefferson

News and What to Expect in September: As many of you are aware, each month has a different theme. July is wrapping up the breeding season of nesters. August is where we see all the local juveniles mastering flight and hunting. September is migration month and you need to watch the sky. While October... that's owl month. I don't know what makes this month so special but for some reason, this is the best time of year to go owling and be successful in hearing or seeing owls. In fact, I did a little owling last night and I got something that'll might make everyone jealous. Only problem is, I tried but could not record him... a Boreal Owl.

I only see it fitting to make the Observation of the Month be on the same species that I've been begging birders to fit, so without further adieu, @masonmaron gets the spotlight with his dark morph Broad-winged Hawk near Chelan. His report represents the second BWHA this year and the third one since I started this project in 2019. I am certain that BWHA are much more common than reported, we just need to find them and hopefully photograph them when we see them. You can see this excellent spot here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/96436858

That's all I need to say for now. Just go out, photograph some raptors, if you have a free night, try recording some owl calls during night trips. We are just under the 500 observation threshold for this project and I really want to surpass the previous year's in observations. We're halfway over, and we are on pace to break the 2020 record, but not 2019. Photograph, photograph, photograph. Good luck to you all and hope you get some good hawks and owls!

Publicado el octubre 2, 2021 04:41 TARDE por birdwhisperer birdwhisperer | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

07 de octubre de 2021

Chillin'

Looks like we're having a relapse after the great success we've had. Only 21 observations have been added and that puts us just below the 555 mark. I will go out later this week to see owls though. Maybe I'll get a Barred. Either way, I'll help keep us on track.

Observation of the week goes to @philkahler for a sleepy looking Great Horned Owl in Walla Walla. This is always an easy species to see in my opinion but it's always fun to see them because... well they're owls. It gives me more motivation to see if I can record the pair calling at house. You can see the photo here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97064424

Not much to say in the ways of news. I think I mentioned this in my last post, but I heard a Boreal Owl the other night, though unfortunately, I couldn't make an iNat-able observation. It represents the 2nd Union County record, the first was three weeks after I was born. I may try again for that owl but I don't want to stress him out. Good luck to you and see some hawks and owls!

Publicado el octubre 7, 2021 08:51 TARDE por birdwhisperer birdwhisperer | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

14 de octubre de 2021

Lucky Hawks

Sixteen new observations join our little collage. Not a lot but just remember, if we are going to break last year's observation count, we need to add at least 31 observations per week. If we want a record-breaking year, we need to add 44 observations a week to break our 2019 record.

Observation of the week goes to @teachertom for a photo a juvenile Broad-winged Hawk in Frenchglen. I initially identified this bird when Tom posted this image to ABA group on Facebook. And I'm sure you can guess my excitement when I learned today that he's an iNatter too. This observation also represents the third Broad-winged Hawk of the season! To all the doubters who said they don't occur in eastern WA and OR, take that! This is just another testament to why a project like this is so vital in understanding raptor behavior. What also impresses me about this sighting is how late this bird is. At Lucky Peak in Boise, peak Broad-winged season is the third week in September and seeing any hawks at all after October is rare. You can see this awesome photo here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/97891661

It's still owl season, though the mountains just became a little inaccessible. From coming into work this morning, the Wallowas and Blue Mountain were crispy white with the first snow of the season. I went up last Friday looking for Barred Owls. I was able to obtain an audio of a saw-whet owl that you can barely hear at the end but couldn't get the Barred. I'm going to out again this weekend looking for more saw-whets in Baker County, though the Boreal Owl I couldn't record two weeks ago is really tempting me to go back. So get out, photograph some raptors and good luck to you all!

Publicado el octubre 14, 2021 05:14 MAÑANA por birdwhisperer birdwhisperer | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario

21 de octubre de 2021

Eagles and Owls

Twenty-four observations were added during the week and there's more to come since I have a half a dozen or so that still needs uploading. Weather is not holding up in the eastern side of the state, so though birding is slow, we can still look forward to what's next.

The observation of the week goes to @chrisrohrer for a photo of a Great Gray Owl blending into the forest of the Okanogan region. As I continue to tell everybody, this region in north-central Washington is a raptor magnet and it's a shame no one really birds the area. But when you see one of the largest owls in the Americas, it's definitely a thrilling experience. You can see the image here:

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/98350113

As for the following week, you folks need to hold up the team. Starting Saturday, I start my vacation to the Oregon coast so I won't be within the project's perimeters. I'm hoping that my pelagic trip won't be cancelled but the ocean is not being very cooperative. But even if it's a no-go, I'm stilling be birding along the coast for most of the weekend. So photograph some raptors while I'm gone and make me jealous!

Publicado el octubre 21, 2021 06:44 MAÑANA por birdwhisperer birdwhisperer | 0 comentarios | Deja un comentario