Very good numbers of
OSPREY, COOPER'S HAWKS, & PEREGRINES
|
10/8/08 |
Summary:
Very good numbers of OS,
CH, & PG, so
far this year;
but NHs, SSs, MLs and AKs are low.
PGs are headed for a
all-time high year total.
Notable
days to date(10/7/08):
|
|
|
|
29-Sep |
30-Sep |
1-Oct |
2-Oct |
3-Oct |
4-Oct |
5-Oct |
6-Oct |
7-Oct |
YTD |
Dev fr |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
25YrAve |
|
OS |
96* |
37 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
18 |
15 |
29 |
9 |
476 |
97% |
|
BE |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
NH |
7 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
11 |
3 |
13 |
23 |
91 |
-35% |
|
SS |
6 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
15 |
0 |
4 |
109 |
167 |
-33% |
|
CH |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
14 |
52% |
|
NG |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
RS |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
BW |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
RT |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
|
RL |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
|
AK |
11 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
1 |
16 |
2 |
17 |
309 |
590 |
-57% |
|
ML |
88 |
7 |
5 |
57 |
21 |
44 |
30 |
52 |
107 |
868 |
-6% |
|
PG |
68** |
15 |
14 |
29 |
22 |
14 |
38 |
12 |
5 |
251 |
177% |
|
U |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
3 |
11 |
|
|
TOT |
276 |
64 |
23 |
96 |
48 |
120 |
90 |
133 |
567 |
2416 |
-19% |
|
(numbers are
tentative until final reports are submitted)
The last column is the deviation from our
25-year average, for the most common species.
An asterisk (*) indicates a record for the
date. A double asterisk (**) indicates
an all time record for a day.
|
| |
|
We are about halfway through the season.
The OSs, CHs, and PGs are above average.
While NHs, SSs, MLs and AKs are below average.
The AKs and SSs are well below the 25 year
average. This is not new for the SSs but the
continuation of a trend of the last 12 years.
And the AK numbers have been very depressed
for 5 years. The PG numbers are at record
high levels! Including an all time high daily
total on the very early date of 9/29.
The NH numbers continue low and I expect that
the NH totals at the end will be low this year
after their record breaking flight last year.
NHs almost always seem to crash the year after
a good flight. But we may see a good flight
of adults late in the year.
| 10/7 was an
exceptional day with winds NW
6-8 mph & gusts to 14 mph.
107 Sharpies
on one day was unusual. The last time we
had SSs in triple digits was on 10/20/05.
Before that was 183 on 10/28/01. But at
these late dates, we were getting mainly
adults. On 10/7/08 they were mainly
immatures, and a very early date for such
a good flight of SSs. |
 |
| |
Sharp-shinned Hawk at FIRE, 10/7/08 |
 |
On 10/7 we also had
309 AKs.
The last time we had more than 300 AKs
was back in 2002. And while 10/7 is
early for a big flight of SSs, it is
late for a big flight of AKs. The wind
conditions were just perfect for these
species to cross over the water and come
to the beach. |
|
American Kestrel at FIRE, 10/7/08 |
|
But what about the
PGs??? Only 5. This was preceded
by 8 days of double digit PGs, often on less
then desirable wind directions. Well I
suspect that there were lots of PGs flying
that day, but they were out over the water.
|
Hope to see you all down at the beach!
 |
|
| |
Drew |
|
They burst the door wide open on
Monday 9/29 with a new daily record -
68 PGs in one day
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|
Deviation from 25 yr average |
|
|
9/29 |
9/30 |
10/1 |
10/2 |
YTD |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
AK |
11 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
239 |
-74% |
|
ML |
88 |
7 |
5 |
57 |
613 |
-19% |
|
PG |
68** |
15* |
14 |
28 |
158 |
+182% |
The last column is the deviation
from our 25-year average, for the most
common species. An asterisk (*) indicates a record for the
date.
A double asterisk (**) indicates an all time one day
record.
|
The good news first - our 158 PGs are extraordinary. We
are just entering the PG season and we have more PGs than
we totaled in 10 of our 25 years. Currently at 182% above
average, I have to believe that we are headed for a record
total for the year. (continued)
 |
|
Peregrine Falcon at FIRE on Sep 29, 2008 |
Kestrels have been
low for 5 years....but this is a new low. We may set a
record low year for AKs. Boooo.....
The Merlin flight did not materialize in
the past 2 weeks. We slipped from +37% above average on
9/22 to 19% below average on 10/2. They could still turn
around, but I'm worried that the good ML flights we've had
since 2000 may turn around. We're already above our low
year (497 in 1984) but not doing well at all. My fondest
hope is that they've been held up and we'll have a new
daily record in the next week or so and get back on track.
Be on the lookout for the next cold front
over the weekend. It may be very good!
|
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