Today, I spent 8.5 hours counting migrating raptors at Jo Hayes Vista. Jo Hayes is on the border of Centre County and Huntingdon County, here in PA. It was a very slow day, with only 33 raptors flying past total. The highlight of the day (and also the first raptor I saw this morning) was an adult Golden Eagle at 9:45am. The rest of the day was less exciting with 29 Red-tailed Hawks flying past and 2 Cooper’s Hawks. Complete list and numbers are below the photos.
Adult Golden Eagle that flew past at 9:45am; it was a little far away.
Adult Cooper's Hawk
Adult Red-tailed Hawk
Migrant Raptors:
Northern Harrier 1 juvenile
Cooper’s Hawk 2 adults
Red-tailed Hawk 29; 18 adults, 11 juveniles
Golden Eagle 1 adult, passed at 9:45am
Other species:
Turkey Vulture 4 locals
Herring Gull 2 “1st winter”
Mourning Dove 5
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker 2
Blue Jay 3
American Crow 25
Common Raven 8
Horned Lark 15 single flock, heading west
Black-capped Chickadee 3
White-breasted Nuthatch (Eastern) 2
American Robin 111
European Starling 41
Cedar Waxwing 50
Dark-eyed Junco (Slate-colored) 4
Common Grackle 11
Brown-headed Cowbird 7
American Goldfinch 12