It may be difficult to believe with all this heat, but fall is almost here and the time for our Pilot Mountain Hawk Watch is fast approaching. So, let me make the first call for volunteers to participate.



We plan to conduct our count for the period September 12-30, although we certainly will accept observations made before or after those dates. Please look at the attached calendar and let me know what days and times you are willing to commit to being an observer and/or compiler. Ideally, we would have at least one observer and one compiler for every shift. We may not be able to cover every single time slot but, if we can spread out coverage especially by experienced hawk watchers, we will be able to obtain more accurate data. Weekday times always are more difficult to fill than weekends, so please sign up for Mon.-Fri. times if your schedule permits. The calendar is broken into 4-hour shifts, but don't let that discourage you from taking part for shorter periods if that is all you have time for. Of course, please help anytime, even when you are not able to commit in advance.



I want to emphasize that you do not have to be a hawk expert to take part in the count, either as an observer or as a compiler. It is a great opportunity to see this fascinating migration phenomenon and to improve your identification skills with help from experienced birders who are present. Hawk Migration Association of North America offers a free download of a Raptor ID Power Point program (donation requested but not required). It has helpful tips and silhouettes for identifying birds in less-than-ideal light. Go to www.hmana.org and click on Raptor ID Slideshow on the right side of the page.



Compiling really is pretty simple. I will provide more precise instructions later, but basically all you have to do is write down the observations on a data sheet and also record information about temperature, wind and visibility for each hour. The first compiler of the day should pick up weather equipment and a display board at park headquarters. The last compiler of the day should drop these off on the way out of the park and email the data to me or another designated person, who will enter it into the official database at www.hawkcount.org.



On Sunday September 19, Audubon Society of Forsyth County will have materials about the hawk watch available for visitors to Little Pinnacle.

The Hawk Watch is only 9 days away and runs from 9/12 through 9/30. Several have signed up and others say they are coming, but here is a second call for volunteers. If you can commit any time in advance, attached is a signup sheet. Even if you cannot commit more than a day or two in advance, do let me know when you plan to come so that I have a better idea of coverage.

Phil Dickinson

We got off to a good start with the birds today at Pilot Mountain. Final returns are not in yet, but through 4 p.m., we had 28 Broad-winged Hawks, 2 Osprey, 2 mature Bald Eagles, 1 local Cooper's Hawk, and a few distant unidentified raptors. Also lots of TVs, several BVs and 2 Ravens.

We also had a good turnout of observers. Thanks to Gayle Nadel, Michael Beachler, John Mercier, Chris and Amy Yarroch, Julien McCarthy, Judith Pate, Ann Newsome, Sven Halling and Scott DePue for their participation.

I will be there tomorrow am but have to leave by 2:30. We are still looking for a volunteer or two to share duties with Jean Chamberlain tomorrow afternoon from 2 - 6 (or how ever long you can stay).

Phil Dickinson

We have had a couple of slow days so far as Broad-wingeds are concerned; a
total of 30 for Tues. and Wed. However, we also have had a Bald Eagle,
Northern Harrier (immature), American Kestrel and Osprey. It also has been
fun to watch 3 local Red-tailed cavorting around the knowb. We await the
birds reported up in PA.

Phil Dickinson

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What a difference a day makes.

On Thursday, we had 35 mph winds with 1 Broad-winged, 1 Osprey, 1
Sharp-shinned and 2 Red-tailed migrants.

Today, Friday, we had gentle winds and 869 Broad-winged, plus 5 Osprey, 2
Bald Eagles and 1 Northern Harrier. Also a locally behaving Sharp-shinned,
Red-tailed, Red-shouldered and Cooper's. The BW count is the highest
single-day count since 2006. In the 4-5 pm hour we had one constant stream
of at least 270 birds and a total of 391 for the hour.

Thanks to all of today's observers, including Royce Hough, Bill Miller,
Carol Cunningham, Scott (Eagle-eye) Depue, Phil Crisp, John Haire, Tom
Lawson, Shelley Rutkin, Gene Schepker, John Mercier, Red ---.

Rockfish Gap in VA also had a good count today, so more are on the way.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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Today started out promising with Broad-winged showing up in the 9-10 hour
and rising up as though they probably roosted quite near the mountain. We
had 60 by noon, but observed only 50 more in the afternoon for 110 total.
Seven Ospreys was a good count, plus 1 American Kestrel, 1 likely migrating
Sharp-shinned and 2 unidentified Accipiters. Very high, cloudless sky close
and haze on the ridge made for difficult observing conditions. The birds we
did see in the pm were extremely high. Seven Common Ravens was the high for
this year, plus Cape May and Pine Warblers and the previously reported
Red-breasted Nuthatch. Many Monarchs were migrating, too.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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Another hot day with lots of blue sky. We counted 48 Broad-winged before 5
p.m., then a large flow of about 192 birds came right over the pinnacle. The
air had cooled and there were a few clouds, so we could see them at the
limit of unaided vision or with binoculars. The cooling air seemed to bring
them a little lower, and some of the last few were struggling for lift. It
made us wonder how many large kettles had passed overhead beyond even
binocular vision earlier in the day, since Rockfish Gap in VA had nearly
8000 on Sat. Also 2 Kestrels, with one female perching on a dead tree at
6:20 pm before flying off, 1 Sharp-shinned and 1 Red-tailed apparent
migrants.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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The clouds and haze continued to roll in today. The Pinnacle was covered by
clouds most of the morning. We had clear skies above in the pm but hazy
visiblity was only 10-15 miles. We did get 51 Broad-winged directly over the
peak in the blue, all after 2 pm. The last 4 were binoculars only, so more
may have passed by. Highlight was a 5:45 Peregrine that almost got by us but
spotted by Jean Chambelain just in time. Also 1 apparent migrant
Sharp-shinned. 13 local Black Vultures was the high number during our count
period.

Thanks especially to Toby Gordon for enduring this morning (but I guess he
is used to it), and to John Haire and Jean for counting with me in the
afternoon.

We can use some help tomorrow- am or pm. If interested, please let me know.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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Thursday at Pilot Mountain was pretty dismal countwise: 9 Broad-winged, 1
Eagle, 1 Osprey, 1 Harrier, 2 Kestrel, 1 Red-tailed. However, things picked
up today with some cloud cover, even though the wind was still out of the SW
and W. Only 1 BW before 11:50, but we had 472 by 4 pm when a sudden
10-minute shower stopped the flow at least until 4:55 when I had to leave.
John Haire may have some more to report. We also had 4 Ospreys, 1 Eagle
(dark), 2 Kestrels, 3 Cooper's, 1 Red-tailed. Also 2 apparent local
Sharp-shinned interacting. Good passerine day, too: 2 Black-throated Green,
2 Tennessee, 1 Hooded, 1 Prairie, 1 Pine, 1 Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1
Red-breasted Nuthatch.

Thanks to fellow observers Scott Depue, Greg Morris, Lisa Hayes, Royce
Hough, John Haire, John Mercier.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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Not done yet! With magnificent weather conditions today, we tallied 694
Broad-winged Hawks with 554 of those in the 4-5 pm hour. We now are 690
ahead of last year's total. Jean Chamberlain reports that she and Carol
Cunningham really enjoyed counting one kettle after another as they came by,
especially after so many slow, hot days. There were also 3 Bald Eagles,
migrant Cooper's and Red-shouldered, plus 5 vultures that appeared to be
migrants. An American Kestrel showed up several times during the day without
apparent interest in moving on. Thanks to Toby Gordon and Tom Lawson for
counting with me this morning.

Wed. and Thurs. are the last two official days, and we could use more
observers on Wed. afternoon and Thurs. morning especially.

Phil Dickinson
Winston-Salem

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