ayasuda
Well-known member
It was a lovely day on top of Hawk Hill in the Marin Headlands near the Golden Gate Bridge. Visibility was phenomenal, no fog to speak of and a clear view of at least 50 miles in any direction. The slight haze across the bay did not hinder any sightings of migrating hawks across the water. A slight offshore breeze from an incoming weather system created enough thermals to make the day exciting.
The first hour on the hill produced about 74 individual sightings. I was with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory group and we ticked off about six species in that hour: Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red Tail Hawks, Sharp Shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and a Northern Harrier. Most of the raptors were just passing through, and we were not treated to any aerial combat displays that day.
The next couple of hours were spent listening to all the quadrants debating and calling in different species to the recorder. Visitors to the hill were caught up in excitement and would help us spot birds that might have been missed. A White Tailed Kite eventually replaced the excitement over an American Kestrel sighting, and the constant steady supply of Sharp-Shins, and Cooper’s Hawks flying by. What makes the Hill interesting is that the raptors gain lift using the hill slopes, and this produces lovely top, bottom, and eye level views of the passing birds. What really made the day was a shout from a birder letting us know that a Golden Eagle was coming into view. The day could not have been better until a Ferruginous Hawk flashed us its’ beautiful underbelly. Overall, the day ended with 13 different species recorded, and a total of 730 raptors counted within a 6-hour period. This doesn’t even include the passerines that were sighted that day as well.
This is my first year participating as a hawk watch volunteer and it has been a blast. There is much to learn but I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend watching the hawks fly by the Marin Headlands, near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. :t:
The first hour on the hill produced about 74 individual sightings. I was with the Golden Gate Raptor Observatory group and we ticked off about six species in that hour: Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Red Tail Hawks, Sharp Shinned Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and a Northern Harrier. Most of the raptors were just passing through, and we were not treated to any aerial combat displays that day.
The next couple of hours were spent listening to all the quadrants debating and calling in different species to the recorder. Visitors to the hill were caught up in excitement and would help us spot birds that might have been missed. A White Tailed Kite eventually replaced the excitement over an American Kestrel sighting, and the constant steady supply of Sharp-Shins, and Cooper’s Hawks flying by. What makes the Hill interesting is that the raptors gain lift using the hill slopes, and this produces lovely top, bottom, and eye level views of the passing birds. What really made the day was a shout from a birder letting us know that a Golden Eagle was coming into view. The day could not have been better until a Ferruginous Hawk flashed us its’ beautiful underbelly. Overall, the day ended with 13 different species recorded, and a total of 730 raptors counted within a 6-hour period. This doesn’t even include the passerines that were sighted that day as well.
This is my first year participating as a hawk watch volunteer and it has been a blast. There is much to learn but I can’t think of a better way to spend a weekend watching the hawks fly by the Marin Headlands, near the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. :t:
