Boothe Memorial Park Stratford, Connecticut, USA Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 07, 2011 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Turkey Vulture 5 Osprey 4 Bald Eagle 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 64 Cooper's Hawk 8 NORTHERN GOSHAWK 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Broad-winged Hawk 12 Red-tailed Hawk 4 American Kestrel 1 Unknown Raptor 3 Total: 107 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:15:00 Observation end time: 11:45:00 Total observation time: 2.5 hours Official Counter: Scott Kruitbosch Observers: Bill Banks, Charlie Barnard Weather: Before the high moved over Connecticut winds continued out of the N, light but sufficient for a quick start. Temperatures went from 56 to 62 in our time there under only a bit of light cirrus cover. Just after 11 the birds slowed down dramatically as the wind went NE, and after one final burst before 11:30, things were done as the flow turned fully E and S. Raptor Observations: Around 9:55 I spotted an accipiter about 25 feet off the ground flying over the Boothe house. It was heading south and behind us. I instantly said Coop but quickly realized it was huge, with a thick and heavily marked chest. Bill saw it about a second after I shouted it out and we both tentatively thought Goshawk. Fortunately, he relocated it as it swirled up in a thermal with a Red-tail between the spruce trees to our south not far away. Juvenile NOGO confirmed. It probably stayed the night nearby. As Bill and I patted ourselves on the back a moment after 10:00, and while I took weather measurements, he spotted another bird racing in towards the willow. It relatively low and not far away, but on a direct course SW. It had an enormous barrel chest and powerful beats from its distinct wings. Quite a profile and several minutes. Non-raptor Observations: Southbound migrants included: Canada Goose 142 Blue Jay 18 Cedar Waxwing 5 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 5 BOBOLINK 8 Migrants in the park included: YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER 1 Eastern Phoebe 1 Golden-crowned Kinglet 2 Ruby-crowned Kinglet 1 - FOF Common Yellowthroat 2 Palm Warbler 2 Yellow-rumped Warbler (Myrtle) 12 Eastern Towhee 1 Song Sparrow 4 Swamp Sparrow 1 White-throated Sparrow 6 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW 1 - FOF Scarlet Tanager 1 ======== Scott Kruitbosch Conservation Technician Connecticut Audubon Society 2325 Burr St. Fairfield, CT 06824 CAS blog: ctaudubon.blogspot.com CAS Twitter: twitter.com/CTAudubon Email: skruitbosch@ctaudubon.org www.ctaudubon.org