Hawks All Day, Some Landbird Additions

[It may be difficult to look down when at the hawk watch platform, but it's worth it from time to time. You might find a White-crowned Sparrow, like this one photographed by Karl Lukens. Today there were two Nashville Warblers entertaining everyone at the end of the day in the bushes, and a couple Dark-eyed Juncos, too. Click to enlarge.]

The hawk flight continued throughout the day, with oohs and ahhs from triple simultaneous Bald Eagles, several adult male Northern Harriers, kettles of Broad-wingeds (Doug counted over 200), and plenty of Peregrines.

A Common Moorhen wandered out onto the pond, and the coots and Pied-billed Grebe continued. A Red-shouldered Hawk, my first of fall, showed up at the end of the day.

Rosie Widmer had a Lark Sparrow at the Magnesite Plant this morning, and there was a Connecticut Warbler at Higbee this morning in the hedge between the second and third fields.

We've got a west wind going to south tonight, not exactly the best thing for prompting overnight migration. I'd go birding anyway, in fact I am, since I'll be leading the Friday Higbee Beach walk. Another cold front is forecast for overnight Friday-Saturday, so Saturday-Sunday have potential for good migration.

Some folks have asked why hawk numbers have not been consistently updated on View from the Field on this web site, and on hawkcount.org. Hawkcount.org had some problems for a few days, and we've had internet challenges as well. Hopefully all will be cleared up in the next couple days. In the meantime, we'll be sure to provide hawk watch highlights here.