CO-ORDINATED
NIGHTHAWK WATCH NARRATIVES:
1. from CHRIS
ELLISON/BARRE FALLS DAM. A copy of his submitted X-cel sheet. Chris began
testing locations WEST of The Corridor for next year’s count.
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BLACKSTONE
NATIONAL CORRIDOR NIGHTHAWK SURVEY 2006 |
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DATE: (circle
one) SAT AUG 26 SUN AUG 27 |
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LOCATION: |
Barre
Falls Dam parking lot, 5:00-7:45 PM |
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PARTICIPANTS: |
Chris
Ellison |
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SPECIES: |
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TIME: |
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5-5:30 |
5:30-6 |
6-6:30 |
6:30-7 |
7-7:30 |
7:30-end |
TOTALS: |
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14 |
32 |
18 |
42 |
21 |
10 |
137 |
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COMMON
NIGHTHAWK |
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CHIMNEY
SWIFT |
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1 |
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TREE
SWALLOW |
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3 |
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BARN
SWALLOW |
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100% |
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AMERICAN
ROBIN |
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183 |
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CEDAR
WAXWING |
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43 |
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BOBOLINK |
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RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRD |
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COMMON
GRACKLE |
2 |
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OTHER
SPECIES: |
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American
Goldfinch |
4 |
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Baltimore
Oriole |
1 |
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Blue Jay |
1 |
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Common
Flicker |
4 |
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Common
Raven |
1 |
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Eastern
Towhee |
1 |
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Gray
Catbird |
1 |
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Great
Horned Owl |
1 |
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Hairy
Woodpecker |
3 |
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Mourning
Dove |
1 |
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Ruby-throated
Hummingbird |
1 |
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Sharp-shinned
Hawk |
2 |
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Wood Duck |
1 |
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WEATHER: |
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CLOUD
COVER: |
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Substantial
towering cumulus and cirrus cloud formations. Partial clearing from 6:15 to
6:53 PM. |
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TEMPERATURE: |
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64F |
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WIND
(SPEED AND DIRECTION): |
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10MPH,
Northeast |
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OTHER: |
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MAIN
DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT: |
Primarily
southwest, with some birds shifting south and a meager handful flying northwest(!) |
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BEHAVIOR:
(ex: directly flying/feeding/drifting back and forth): |
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Flying
was direct, with occasional "doubling back" for extensive feeding. |
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PRESENCE/ABSENCE
OF FLYING ANY SWARMS: YES NO |
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YES. One
modest swarm of Black Carpenter Ants appeared at approximately 6:55 PM. |
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OTHER
INFORMATION: |
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////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
2.
from
MARK LYNCH/RT. 56 OVERLOOK, LEICESTER: message sent down Massbird.
Tonite was Day#1 of the Blackstone
Corridor and western Worcester County co-ordinated Nighthawk watch. Teams were
in many locations all counting during the same time period: We were joined by
Bart Kamp; Oona Aldrich and Jean McLarty:
Double-crested Cormorant (27
migrating SW)
Great Blue Heron (4)
Sharp-shinned Hawk (2)
Cooper's Hawk (1)
Red-tailed Hawk (1)
American Kestrel (1)
Wild Turkey (7ad+9yg)
Killdeer (4)
COMMON NIGHTHAWK (563 a
conservative, careful count: This was a really interesting night to watch, with
lots of first flying one way, then another and you really had to try to keep
close watch of where birds went so as not to double count. This is why having
multiple obervers at a site like this really helps. We got to watch three (at least) substantial kettles. These
soared very high and then would quickly dissolve as birds suddenly peeled off
and soared much lower, often out of sight. We watched birds fly in from the
south to join these kettles and a best guess is that they form around swarms of
flying insects.
Chimney Swift (37)
Pileated Woodpecker (1)
Tree Swallow (5)
Barn Swallow (79)
American Robin (245)
Bobolink (88)
Common Grackle (427)
Baltimore Oriole (1)
Plus: White-tailed Deer (3)
Mark Lynch/Sheila Carroll
moa.lynch@verizon.net
/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
3. from JOHN
LILLER/GRAFTON HS. , GRAFTON MA
LOCATION: Grafton High
School
DATE: 8/26/06
TIME: 5:00-7:50
OBSERVERS: John Liller, Kim Kastler, Colin Bacchiocchi, Sharon Williams,
Bob Williams
WEATHER: Mostly Cloudy (sun made appearance at end), 70 to 64, light ENE
winds
COMMON NIGHTHAWK - 60
5:00-5:30 1
(moving WSW from Grafton Center to Quinsigamond River)
5:35-6:00 9
(heading south along Quinsigamond River)
6:00-6:30 0
6:30-7:00 28
(27 were heading SE over Grafton Center, 1 heading SW over Quinsigamond River)
7:00-7:30 10
(3 heading south along Quinsigamond River, 7 heading NE over Lake Ripple)
7:30-7:50 12
(3 heading south along Quinsigamond River, 9 feeding over Lake Ripple at end)
Note: Many of the birds
were feeding on route, so their movements were not always direct.
CHIMNEY SWIFT - 116 (feeding mainly to west and north of High School)
Wood Duck - 1 (flying NE to Lake Ripple)
DC Cormorant - 13 (heading north towards Lake Quinsigamond)
Great Blue Heron - 1 (heading south)
Killdeer - 36 (feeding in athletic fields)
Belted Kingfisher - 1
Barn Swallow - 29 (most heading north)
Eastern Bluebird - 1
American Robin - 3 (heading south)
Cedar Waxwing - 9 (feeding in trees)
BOBOLINK - 12 (one flock heading south)
RW Blackbird - 50 (all heading north, as they always do)
Common Grackle - 44 (ditto)
Baltimore Oriole - 1
Also: Mallard, Ring-billed Gull, Mourning Dove, Blue Jay, European
Starling, American Goldfinch, House Sparrow
==================
John Liller
Worcester Academy
Worcester MA 01604
==================
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4. from PAUL AND BETH MILKE/WEST HILL DAM, UXBRIDGE MA, with notes on Sunday too.
DATE: Sat. August 26, 2006
SITE: West Hill Dam, Uxbridge (S. Worc. Co.)
OBSERVERS: Paul and Beth Milke
WEATHER: Overcast, cool, light wind
TIME: 7-8PM (could not arrive until then)
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS: ~40 (conservative)
MOVEMENT: Appearing from the north
in small groups (4-7), feeding as they
circled the marsh , crossed the dam,
circled low over the West River near
Hartford Ave., then moved
southward. Numbers fairly evenly spaced
between
7 and 8PM. Some flew low enough over the dam that the white wing bars and
throat patches could be seen without
binoculars.
A vantage point at the middle of the
Dam afforded the best view of the
overall movement of nighthawks. Several swarms of mosquitoes were seen at
this location.
OTHER SPECIES: Chimney swifts (~35) feeding, cedar waxwings
(6), wood
ducks (2), great blue herons (2
together flying).
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Sunday, 8/27/06
Rain became heavy as we were about
to leave the house--conditions not
suitable for watching the marsh from
the road.
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5. from EUGENIA MARKS OF THE AUDUBON SOCIETY OF RHODE ISLAND, for Saturday and Sunday. E-mail sent to me.
Foster/Lincoln/Smithfield, RI
Nighthawk Weekend Report
8/25, 7 - 7:45 p.m. Central
Pike at Barden Reservoir, Foster, RI
Wind E 5mph Temp. ~ 60 F.
Mist; clouds/fog 500 ft.
No nighthawks observed. 1 Mute Swan on water. Heard catbird; heard
black-billed cuckoo.
8/26/06, 7 - 8 p.m. Central Pike at Barden Reservoir, Foster,
RI
Wind SSE 7 Temp. 58 F.
Broken clouds at ~ 1500 ft.
8 Nighthawks flying in groups of 2s
and one group of 4; flying across north
end of reservoir and trending south
along western shore at tree-top level