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The opposite of a hawk watch | this count is one where the hawk watchers are on the move and hawks -- more or less -- aren't. These "winter counts" are now conducted around Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Groundhog Day in two locations with similar open, flat terrain and of approx. the same square miles [80].|
Thanksgiving, NewYear's Eve and Goundhog Day |
One hundred and fifty plus raptors for the two counts including birds seen outside the count areas. This is our second year of employing GPS software for navigation on the Vermont route; while we current plot birds by hand, we are dangerously close to doing it with GIS software.
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Champlain Valley VT [12/22/01]: Count area -- Towns of Bridport and Addison, mostly.
There had been many inches of snow a week before the count to clear out the Harriers. Just a hint of that storm was left along the sides of the roads on count day. It was sunny with temps ranging from the high teens to high twenties. At Thanksgiving, we had nineteen Roughlegs, but it was 13:6 [light:dark].
NH 1 adult female
CH 1 adult
RT 25 [20 adults, 2 immature, 3 undetermined]*
RL 20 [18 light, 2 dark]**
AK 1 adult male
Also: Snowy Owl [image on the right] and Bobcat.
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Northern NY [12/24/01]:
Count area -- West of Watertown on Pt. Peninsula and nearby.
Overcast with light snow most of the day and temps right around freezing; lake effect snows in narrow bands cut visibilty on parts of Pt. Peninsula, but we were able to double-back onto those roads and recount after the snow had let up. Only five Roughlegs at Thanksgiving [4 light, 1 dark].
NH 13 [6 adult males, 7 immature]
NG 1 immature
RT 29 [25 adults, 3 immature, 1 undetermined]*
RL 15 [9 light, 5 dark, 1 undetermined]**
AK 7 [5 adult males, 2 undetermined]
Also: Great Horned Owl and 2 Hoary Redpolls [amongst 500+ commons].
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* Redtail field notes also include info on eastern RT plumage variations.
** Roughleg field notes also include info on age classes.
Unindicted Coconspirators: Tom Tyning [VT]; Gerry Smith [NY]