Mendota Fire Tower
Mendota, VA, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2019
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 0 0 0
Northern Harrier 0 0 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 3 3
Cooper's Hawk 1 1 1
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 300 300 300
Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 0
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 0 0
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 305 305 305
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Ron Harrington
Observers: Sam Evans
Visitors:
None
Weather:
It was a hot day at the tower with temperature ranging from the low sixties
when we arrived to the upper eighties by afternoon. The sky was high and
clear in the morning then it became mostly cloudy by late afternoon.
Visibility was good with some haze building up with the heat. Winds were
light and variable.
Raptor Observations:
The first Broad-winged hawks were seen at 9:30, flying low on the east
side. Most could be seen with unaided vision but, as usual, they got higher
and higher as the morning progressed, and by 1300 hours they could only be
seen with binoculars, and they were flying on the northwest side of the
mountain. A Peregrine Falcon was seen during the 10:00 hour, along with 2
Sharp-shined hawks. We watched a Sharpie harassing a Raven. Two local
Red-tails were hanging around. Only one raptor--a Cooper's hawk, was seen
after 1400 hours.
Hawk count by the hour:
0900: 39 BWH
10:00: 207 BWH, 1 PF, 2 SSH
11:00: 37 BWH, 1 SSH
12:00: Local Red-tailed hawk
1:00: 17 BWH and a local Red-tail hawk
Non-raptor Observations:
Monarch Butterflies: 2
We saw the usual array of Turkey and Black Vultures, lots of Chimney
Swifts, 3 Ravens, 2 Crows, a Blue Jay, and 1 Magnolia Warbler
Predictions:
Same. Hot and clear. The "high sky" will make it hard to see hawks. Should
be good flying conditions.
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Report submitted by Ronald Eugene Harrington (roneharrin@xxxxxxx)
More site information at hawkcount.org:
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=706