The 23rd consecutive season at the Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch in Oneonta came to a close on January 3 with cold temperatures and a brisk NW wind. Three birds were tallied; an adult Bald Eagle at 12:52 was the last raptor of the season.
A total of 4609 raptors were counted through the season, 14% below the 11-year average since full time counting began in 2001. Most species were likewise below average; bright spots included a new seasonal record of 238 Bald Eagles, and a modest increase in Sharp-shinned Hawks. Red-tailed Hawk numbers were 1/3 below average, which accounts for most of the total dropoff. Also notable is that for the first season in 23 years, no Rough-legged Hawks were counted.
Golden Eagles rebounded from last season's very low count. 160 Goldens were tallied, 10% down from the average of 179. The big Golden Eagle day came on October 30, when 31 were spotted. December 1 brought another good flight of 17. Interestingly, this season both October and December had more Golden Eagles than November — usually the peak month for the species.
The hawkwatch had 760 hours of coverage, beginning August 21. Steve Hall once again carried the biggest part of the coverage load. The balance was spread among Andy Cooper, Larry Dake, Fred Fries, Becky Gretton, Marilyn Leahy, Andrea Lodovice, Randy Lynch, Ralph Niederlander, Andy Mason, and Ron Milliken, with help from regular spotters Richard Hendrick, Leslie Preston, Bob Shultis, and numerous others. Many thanks to all who made this another successful season.
2011 totals are below. Complete Franklin Mountain Hawkwatch statistics are available at Hawkcount.org.
Turkey Vulture 352, Osprey 96, Bald Eagle 238, Northern Harrier 44, Sharp-shinned Hawk 593, Cooper's Hawk 87, Northern Goshawk 17, Red-shouldered Hawk 37, Broad-winged Hawk 1424, Red-tailed Hawk 1384, Rough-legged Hawk 0, Golden Eagle 160, American Kestrel 88, Merlin 27, Peregrine Falcon 19, Unidentified Raptor 44, Total 4609.
Andy Mason - January 5, 2012