Great variety

Today was the first day this season in which all the regular raptor species were observed as migrants. So that includes Osprey, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, all three falcons, all three accipiters, both eagles, and four buteos - not bad!

At least four Golden Eagles were present at the Point today, although with all that back and forth flying it was quite the challenge to sort out just how many eagles there really were. Four is a conservative number. (Had I applied the count protocol rigorously and left common sense out of the equation momentarily, I probably would have ended up with over 25 Golden Eagles, but that would have been widely off the mark.)

A number of species were represented by just one token member, such as Peregrine Falcon, Merlin, Red-shouldered Hawk, Northern Goshawk and Cooper's Hawk.

Looking ahead, I think this variety and the fact that the flight was good right until the end of the count, is promising for tomorrow, when much better conditions are forecast. Maybe tomorrow's surge in temperatures and southerly winds will finally bring that wave of broadwings... Had 65 of them already today.