Tuesday, 6 October, 2009 - just north of Nyack, Rockland County
Rockland County's Hook Mt. produced nice variety in the sky with 11 migrant raptor species (drat, no Swainson's Hawk moving down from Coxsackie, though! ;-), & both vulture species seen moving, especially Turkey Vultures - with 72 counted in the hours between 9 & 4. Among other sightings were 4 Ospreys, 7 migrant Bald Eagles, 8 Northern Harriers, 108 Sharp-shinned, 27 Cooper's, 2 Red-shouldered, 1 adult Broad-winged, & 10 migrant Red-tailed Hawks, along with a Merlin, 3 American Kestrels, & 4 migrant Peregrines (including an adult "tundrius"). The 4 Black Vultures seen going SW were at altitude & watched continuing far SW, as were all the TV's counted. In addition there were sightings of some non-migrating Black & Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagle (along the Hudson), Peregrine (an adult pair cavorting), & Red-tailed Hawks on their local turf.
A pair of ravens offered frequent encouragement to the raptors to keep moving S. & other non-raptors seen moving included: Atlantic Brant, Canada Geese, Double-crested Cormorants, N. Flickers, Blue Jays, Cedar Waxwings, American Robins, & at least 3 Chimney Swifts. A small selection of small birds in the bush included Eastern Phoebe, Ruby- crowned Kinglets, Myrtle/Yellow-rumped (multiple) & Black-throated Green Warblers & others. A sorrowful sighting of only 2 Monarch butterflies at what ought to be about their peak southward migrations, with 6 additional butterfly sightings noted around the summit of Hook Mountain today.
Raptor observations were notably improved by the presence of John Rodriguez atop the Hook in the morning, calling all the birds as they first appeared. A few other observant visitors later also helped with the count. The weather there had a constant NW & then W breeze, a mostly clear & then partly cloudy sky, temps from low 50's past the mid-60's F., & very good visibility. A LOT of the raptors were nice & low, & the vultures high.
The Bald Eagle show included nice interactions from some adults & younger birds, plus the occasional "mad" (if either local species is seen on a given day) raven & peregrine show. A lot of waterbird movement (for ex., over 800 Canada Geese in skeins, moving at high altitude).
- - - Some other, more notable-unusual reports from elsewhere: A Common Ground-Dove reported in southern New Jersey: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NJBC.html#1254865810 Fork-tailed Flycatcher STILL there in MASS. into MON.,10/5: http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/MASS.html#1254789762 for more wild & crazy birds that are much farther north: http://groups.google.com/group/nf.birds/topics?lnk=srg (take a Gander, pun intended, at these Newfie reports) Good birding, Tom Fiore, Manhattan _________ -- NYSbirds-L List Info: http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsWELCOME http://www.NortheastBirding.com/NYSbirdsRULES Archives: 1) http://www.mail-archive.com/nysbirds-l@cornell.edu/maillist.html 2) http://birdingonthe.net/mailinglists/NYSB.html Please submit your observations to eBird: http://ebird.org/content/ebird/ --
