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ZEISS DTI thermal imaging cameras. For more discoveries at night, and during the day.

Migration Season in Eastern Pennsylvania (2 Viewers)

Here is the update!

Unfortunately I lost my records from the midday watch, but it was impressive. A couple/few hundred Canada Geese, more Monarch butterflies, and about 15-20 raptors, including Accipiters, a late Broad-winged Hawk, American Kestrels, and falcon sp.

My afternoon watch was good, too. No raptors this time, though.

Migrants/highlights included Canada Goose (estimated 305), Snow Goose (1, first of fall!), blackbird sp (7), and warbler sp (unknown number, small groups and singles headed in all directions).

More Monarch butterflies were seen, too (22).

All in all, a solid day of migration!
 
Currently there are warm temperatures and very little wind.

While in New York yesterday, I stopped and birded for a bit in a public wooded area. It was quite pleasant, with some migrants around and a cool breeze. Migrants/highlights included Ruby-crowned Kinglet (2+), Golden-crowned Kinglet (5+), Gray Catbird (1), and Yellow-rumped Warbler (3+).

I was surprised this morning when, among 4+ Song Sparrows in two brush piles across the street, I saw a Lincoln's Sparrow. It represents only my third one ever seen, and a first for this location. Probably the highlight of today!

Fairly strong S winds are forecast through tomorrow night. However, sometime early Monday morning the wind is forecast to switch to strong NW as a cold front moves through. We'll see what it brings, but it sounds good.
 
A Big Day At Hawk Mountain

I decided to put off other things and head to Hawk Mountain for the day, as a cold front just moved through early this morning.

As predicted, songbird movement was very light (single-digit warblers, Yellow-rumped and otherwise) since the front didn't pass until after most nocturnal migrants have put down.

However, the songbirds' absence was more than made up for by the raptors' abundance! Here are the official numbers, almost all of which I saw:

Turkey Vulture (33), Osprey (5), Bald Eagle (24), Northern Harrier (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (263), Cooper's Hawk (67), Accipiter sp (19), Red-shouldered Hawk (3), Red-tailed Hawk (27), Golden Eagle (1, bird of the day for me and my first of the year!), American Kestrel (15), Merlin (8), Peregrine Falcon (1), falcon sp (3), and raptor sp (4). A fantastic day for sure!

Also of note were 104 Monarch butterflies and about 3,955 Canada Geese.
 
The sparrows are here! I looked at the two brush piles across the street this morning and there had to be close to 10 each of Song and White-throated Sparrows. Of course, there was a hidden surprise too. A Swamp Sparrow showed briefly, my first one seen from the yard and a bird I don't often see!

Other migrants included a few American Robins, several Yellow-rumped Warblers, and two Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
 
No updates in a while. I've been very busy and conditions have been sub-par.

Anyway, I made it to my local reservoir yesterday to look for ducks and others and was not disappointed. Birds were active and present on the water and in the bushes and trees!

Migrants/highlights included Snow Goose (1), Canada Goose (825+), Wood Duck (10), Northern Shoveler (about 24), Gadwall (10), Mallard (4), American Black Duck (7), Green-winged Teal (5), Common Merganser (10), duck sp (4), Double-crested Cormorant (2), Killdeer (8), shorebird sp (1 distant, likely Pectoral Sandpiper), Eastern Phoebe (1), Eastern Bluebird (4+), American Robin (80+), Yellow-rumped Warbler (3), White-crowned Sparrow (1, first-of-season for me), White-throated Sparrow (2+), Song Sparrow (6+), and Swamp Sparrow (1).
 
Ducks, Hawks, and a "Duck Hawk"

I made it up to Hawk Mountain for the day on Wednesday. I expected there would be many songbirds at the North Lookout, but it was surprisingly quiet. I did pick up some first-of-season birds on the way up, including Hermit Thrush (2), Blue-headed Vireo (2), Winter Wren (1), and Dark-eyed Junco (3).

The hawk count was better, though. Here is the official total, almost all of which I saw.

Turkey Vulture (36), Osprey (1), Bald Eagle (4), Northern Harrier (2), Sharp-shinned Hawk (84), Cooper's Hawk (4), Accipiter sp (9), Red-shouldered Hawk (5), Red-tailed Hawk (3), Buteo sp (1), Golden Eagle (2), American Kestrel (1), Merlin (2), Peregrine Falcon (1, colloquially known as "Duck Hawk"), falcon sp (1), and raptor sp (1).


Yesterday, I made it to my local reservoir again. Duck variety was very good, with 10 species noted. A flock of migrating Turkey Vultures was nice, too.

Highlights/migrants included Canada Goose (estimated 105), Wood Duck (2), Northern Shoveler (36), Gadwall (20), Mallard (2), American Black Duck (9), Green-winged Teal (7), Ring-necked Duck (5, first-of-season), Lesser Scaup (1, first-of-season), Common Merganser (3), Ruddy Duck (5), duck sp (1), Horned Grebe (3, first-of-season), Double-crested Cormorant (1), Turkey Vulture (46), Sharp-shinned/Cooper's Hawk (1), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1), American Robin (1), Gray Catbird (1), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1+), White-throated Sparrow (1+), Song Sparrow (2), Swamp Sparrow (2), and sparrow sp (2+).

I have my better digiscoping camera again! I have attached pictures of feeding Shovelers and the Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Ducks.

EDIT: Somehow the picture quality decreased when I had to resize them. I'll have to experiment with this in the future.
 

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I went on a trek yet again to my local reservoir. Always a surprise recently, it seems!

Duck variety and numbers were down from last time, but today still had good birds.

Migrants/highlights included Ross's Goose (1, continuing rarity and my second ever!), Canada Goose (estimated 900), Wood Duck (3), Northern Shoveler (19), Gadwall (9), Mallard (2), American Black Duck (5), Green-winged Teal (1), Common Merganser (10+), duck sp (4), Double-crested Cormorant (2), Ruby-crowned Kinglet (1), Eastern Bluebird (1), American Robin (1), Gray Catbird (1), Common Yellowthroat (1, late!), Yellow-rumped Warbler (5+), Savannah Sparrow (1, first-of-season and one of fewer than five records ever for me!), Song Sparrow (2), Swamp Sparrow (2), and sparrow sp (1+).

I will upload terrible pictures of the Ross's Goose and photos of Northern Shovelers and Savannah Sparrow tomorrow, hopefully.
 
I forgot to add that I saw my first ever adult Red-headed Woodpecker on Wednesday at Hawk Mountain. It was brilliantly lit up by the afternoon light!
 
A few birds moving on strong W winds from the yard this morning.

Migrants/highlights included Northern Harrier (1), raptor sp (1), loon sp (2, likely Common), and waterfowl sp (flock of 20+, looked whitish against a cloudy background, dark against the blue sky, flew like cormorants, perhaps large ducks (Northern Pintail?)).
 
I haven't posted an update in over a week. I'll have to try and prevent that from happening again, mostly by birding more!

Today I made it to Hawk Mountain for the day. The winds were light, which meant not many birds, but at least I didn't get too cold. Below is the list of raptors and non-raptor migrants/highlights, almost all of which I saw.

Turkey Vulture (14), Northern Harrier (1), Sharp-shinned Hawk (9), Red-shouldered Hawk (12), Red-tailed Hawk (37), Buteo sp (3), Golden Eagle (1, nice looks through the scope at a subadult!), Canada Goose (180+, I think), Tundra Swan (4, close flybys and first of year!), Winter Wren (1), American Pipit (8), Eastern Bluebird (7, I think), Pine Siskin (2, first of year), American Goldfinch (2), and 1,200+ blackbirds, among a few other things.

Yesterday I had a successful search for migrating raptors over my yard. Stay tuned for a quick report on that soon.
 
Thankfully, when I counted raptors over my house on Tuesday, I wrote down the totals in my notebook (paper, not a phone app!) where they will not be lost in cyberspace like the last count.

Here are the numbers of raptors and other migrants noted: Turkey Vulture (32), Red-shouldered Hawk (8), Red-tailed Hawk (4), Buteo sp (10), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1), Cooper's Hawk (1), Accipiter sp (2), and raptor sp (2, one of which I only had a brief view of but looked like a Golden Eagle), Canada Goose (591), goose sp (330, all extremely distant), blackbird sp (several hundred), and crow sp (32+).

Dark-eyed Juncos are here in full force. I saw 10+ in the yard this morning.
 
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I made it to my local reservoir today and found it very active again.

Migrants/highlights included Canada Goose (estimated 90), Gadwall (5), Mallard (5), American Black Duck (17), Green-winged Teal (2), Bufflehead (4), Common Merganser (5), duck sp (6), Ring-billed Gull (estimated 170), Herring Gull (1), Lesser Black-backed Gull (4), American Robin (estimated 30+), Gray Catbird (1, late), European Starling (estimated 1100, a highlight because of the number!), American Pipit (1), Cedar Waxwing (17), Yellow-rumped Warbler (2), Field Sparrow (1), White-throated Sparrow (2+), Song Sparrow (3), Swamp Sparrow (1), Common Grackle (estimated 65), blackbird sp (estimated 50), and Purple Finch (1, first of season, brief but decent views of a female type, a bit rare considering this is a non-irruption year for the species!).

Here's a link to a digiscoped Bufflehead picture:

https://download.ams.birds.cornell....sc=60209138.4.1510449158448&__hsfp=3488324974
 
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Another trip to my local reservoir revealed much the same birds, with a few differences.

Highlights/migrants included Canada Goose (estimated 500), Gadwall (6), American Black Duck (11), Green-winged Teal (21), Bufflehead (3), Common Merganser (4), duck sp (4), Ring-billed Gull (estimated 35), Lesser Black-backed Gull (2), American Robin (estimated 60), Cedar Waxwing (estimated 15), Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), Fox Sparrow (1, first of year!), White-throated Sparrow (1+), Song Sparrow (1), and sparrow sp (4+).
 
I made to Hawk Mountain for the afternoon yesterday.

It was a bit slow, but I had crushing views of a subadult Golden Eagle. That made my day!

I didn't keep track of the numbers (besides one Northern Harrier), but Red-tailed, Red-shouldered, Sharp-shinned, and Cooper's Hawks were recorded, as well as a few Bald Eagles. Songbird action was light, with a single flock of 12 Cedar Waxwings.
 
Not sure how many (if any) more reports I'll give. Much migration is winding down, with the exception of ducks, gulls, and a few hardy raptors. I suspect I'll only report again if I find/see something unusual.

If I don't post on this thread again, many thanks to those who followed along! It certainly is one of my favorite times of the year.
 
Waterfowl On The Move

This latest cold snap is finally bringing Arctic waterfowl down in numbers. From my house this evening, I counted 580+ Canada Geese, about 35 Snow Geese, about 50 Tundra Swans (first for the yard!), and 8 dabbling duck sp (Shovelers, perhaps?).

I was happy to enjoy it from inside the house, as the west wind is awfully bitter right now.
 
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