The South Livingstone Raptor Count for the fall migration of 2008 has now begun. First official day of counting began on 25th August 2008. Follow the daily movement of raptors on this blog updated daily by Peter Sherrington.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

November 1 [Day 67] (Bill Wilson) The unseasonably warm weather continued with the temperature reaching 11C from a low of 4C with W winds 20-30 gusting 40 km/h in the morning gradually diminishing in the afternoon to 5-10 km/h. Sky conditions were essentially cloudless until 1400 after which a mixture of altostratus, cirrus and cumulus cloud moved from the SW producing 70-100% cover for the rest of the day. The first Golden Eagle moved south at 0840 and migration was steady thereafter peaking between 1400 and 1800 when 8 raptors/hour moved. The last birds were 2 Bald Eagles at 1756, and there was also a late movement of Rough-legged Hawks with 4 of the day’s 5 birds moving after 1724. Bald Eagles moved strongly for the first time since October 25 with the 17 birds comprising 13 adults, 3 subadults and 1 juvenile and for the first time this season they outnumbered the 15 migrant Golden Eagles, 13 of which were adults and 2 juveniles. After a day off, Northern Goshawks continued their record setting progress with 5 more adults moving south and an adult Peregrine Falcon was the 34th of the season, just 1 behind last year’s record count. There was also a fairly varied passerine movement with 8 Red-breasted Nuthatches, 1 American Robin, 6 Bohemian Waxwings, 26 Grey-crowned Rosy-Finches, 43 Pine Grosbeaks, 3 White-winged Crossbills, 3 Common Redpolls and 6 Pine Siskins moving south, and a Pileated Woodpecker flying to the west over the ridge was only the second record of the species this season. 11.17 hours (766.15) BAEA 17 (236), NOGO 5 (227), UA 1 (58), RLHA 5 (75), GOEA 15 (4801), PEFA 1 (34) TOTAL 44 (7525)

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