Hawk Count Sept. 18

Today Ed Pike counted raptors migrating across the Straits as well as some other species. The count occurred from 12 pm till 4 pm; it was sunny and very warm with light winds from the southwest slowly switching to the west as the afternoon went on; a beautiful day at the Straits. There was a high layer of clouds moving Northeast and a lower layer moving south. Most birds were flying very high barely visible to the naked eye. Right after arriving I heard Sandhills calling to the east and to the west but I was unable to locate them. Then I heard another group calling and finally saw them, 16 sandhills that flew right overhead. They were so high to be barely visible to the naked eye which explained why I could not locate the other 2 groups at a distance. Several more flocks flew by all really high. The raptors were also very high and were seen best when right overhead looking more like dots than raptors; mostly singles with some 2’s and 3’s. Another good day of counting. The list of sightings are below.
C, Loon 1
Turkey Vulture 27
N. Harrier 2
Sharp-shinned 22
Cooper’s Hawk 1
Bald Eagle 3
Broad-winged Hawk 8
Red-tailed Hawk 4
Sandhill Crane 61
Am. Kestrel 4
Peregrine Falcon 1
Monarch Butterfly 14