Mike Britt reports:
Started the morning along Valley Brook Ave. Two Short-eared Owls were hunting around the old ballfield area at 6:30AM. One bird was coursing, while the other was perched for a while on a telephone pole, before coursing. These birds have been present for a full week now.
At 6:45AM, a Peregrine came ripping across the construction site…a Cooper's Hawk was then seen flying toward the Turnpike.
At 6:48AM, the first Harrier emerged from the Berry's Creek roost…it made a high direct flight to Saw Mill Creek. Ultimately, nine Harriers came out of scattered roost sites…eight brown birds and one gray ghost. There are at least eleven Harriers…if the other two gray ghosts that I observed the other morning are still present. Five Harriers (totally different cohort of birds) were observed hunting Mill Creek Point later.
At 6:51AM, the first Rough-legged Hawk was observed, perched. There has been an influx…I had four light morph Roughlegs in view at once and they perched on various things such as Osprey platform, telephone pole, small trees, and a mound of earth. A fifth light morph was observed at Mill Creek Point…it mostly sat on the ice along the river's edge. Started with two light morphs on 12/29…three by 1/15…now five on 1/29. This year's flight a result of heavy snow.
Also observed was a Merlin perched on a telephone pole by old ballfield, a Sharp-shinned Hawk hunting along Valley Brook, a Kestrel perched in a tree in a grassy shoulder area by Giant's Stadium, and a 1st-year Bald Eagle hunting Mill Creek Point. And plenty of Red-tails around.
Nine Horned Larks flew by old ballfield.
