September 30 [Day 35] It was another summer-like day for the last day of September with the temperature reaching a high of 21.5C from a low of 14C. Again it was completely cloudless all day with the exception of a minute cumulus cloud that formed overhead at 1710 but disappeared within 1.5 minutes! Winds were again generally light, occasionally reaching 14 km/h, and before noon there were extensive calm periods. Winds were W until 1740 when they switched to E but remained light. Despite the calm conditions raptor movement started at 1006 and peaked between 1300 and 1500 with the passage of 112 birds and it looked as if a substantial total was in the offing, but the following hour produced only 5 migrants and although 1600-1700 saw 20 birds subsequently movement just faded away. Sharp-shinned Hawks (78) just edged Golden Eagles (77) for the day’s most common migrant, and there was a good variety of other raptors including 5 Northern Harriers (all juvenile) which is the highest count of the species since August 30 and 14 Red-tailed Hawks which equals September 16 for the highest daily count this season. Three of the Red-tails were “Harlan’s Hawks”. Passerine movement was reasonably varied but involved no large numbers, but the 19 Red-breasted Nuthatches that moved today brought the month’s total to a remarkable 2349 birds. 12 hours (402.17) BAEA 2 (38), NOHA 5 (42), SSHA 78 (933), COHA 12 (191), NOGO 3 (82), RTHA 14 (152), RLHA 2 (4), GOEA 77 (727), PEFA 1 (26), UF 1 (1) TOTAL 195 (2340)
September summary We spent 29 days in the field during the month (332.4 hours) losing only one full day (September 21) to inclement weather, the days and hours being 3.6% and 4.9% above the 2006-07 site monthly average respectively. The combined species count of 2280 was a new site monthly high and was 22.1% above average. New monthly high counts were established for Osprey (24, +109%), Sharp-shinned Hawk (907, +39.3%), Cooper’s Hawk (189, +26.8%), Northern Goshawk (81, +189%), Broad-winged Hawk (19, +90%) and Rough-legged Hawk (4, +167%). Bald Eagle (37, +19.4%) and Swainson’s Hawk (2, +33.3%) equaled previous monthly high totals, Golden Eagle (714, +8.7%), Merlin (17, +25.9%) and Peregrine Falcon (26, +36.8%) were all above average and Prairie Falcon (8) equaled the average count. Only 4 species occurred in less than average numbers during the month: Northern Harrier (35, -34.6%), Red-tailed Hawk (148, -3.9%), Ferruginous Hawk (0, -100%) and American Kestrel 13 (-52.7%).