Fall Raptor Surveys

September 21st, 2012

Research Projects:

Fall raptor surveys began on September 5^th. Raptor View Research hired two additional observers this year, Daniel Harrington, and Cherin Chapman. Despite smoky conditions, the count was exciting this week. We had a big migrant push on the 11^th, with 99 birds. 32 of those were American Kestrels!

First sightings of the fall migration include: broad-winged hawk, golden eagle, peregrine and prairie falcon. We now have data on the Hawkcount website, a project of the Hawk Migration Association of North America. You can find monthly, daily, and hourly summaries at this link:

http://hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=723&go=Go+to+site

*Species*	*2012 Season total*
Tk. Vulture	5
Osprey	10
Bald Eagle	0
N. Harrier	24
Sharp-shinned	97
Cooper's	31
N. Goshawk	1
Red-shoulder	0
Broad-winged	1
Swainson's	1
Red-tailed	46
Ferruginous	0
Rough-legged	0
Golden Eagle	1
A. Kestrel	72
Merlin	1
Peregrine	1
Prairie	1
U. Accipiter	7
U. Buteo	2
U. Eagle	0
U. Falcon	0
U. Raptor, UU	2
*TOTAL*	303

There is a new banding station on Baldy. Raptor View Research built a collapsible blind that sits under a large ponderosa at the top of Baldy Draw, just east of the observation ridge. Birds that funnel up the main draw, or fly along Baldy, will be on a good line for the banding station. This year William Blake and Adam Shreading will head up this operation.

Adam shreading with a red-tailed hawk.

Adam holds an adult red-tailed hawk in front of the new blind.

About the Author

Eric Rasmussen

Eric received a B.S. in Resource Conservation from the University of Montana in 2000, and soon after volunteered for his first bird research job in the arctic tundra of Alaska. Afterwards he worked for nine years, mostly in western Montana, on bird-related research projects for the U.S. Forest Service.

In 2010, Eric was hired by MPG Ranch as the Bird Research Technician and now conducts breeding bird surveys, raptor migration surveys, and winter bird surveys, as well as participating in other ranch projects such as owl and raptor banding and community field trips. In his free time, Eric enjoys searching for wild mushrooms, playing ultimate Frisbee, and backcountry skiing.