August Summary

August has come to a close so now I must do the monthly summary. Here's some statistics you might want to know:

Top 5 Species (August):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 35 obs
Osprey -- 20 obs
Swainson's Hawk -- 19 obs
Turkey Vulture -- 17 obs (+1)
Great Horned Owl -- 10 obs (new to Top 5)

Top 5 Species (Overall):
Red-tailed Hawk -- 78 obs
Osprey -- 42 obs
Swainson's Hawk -- 36 obs
Turkey Vulture -- 32 obs (+1)
American Kestrel -- 22 obs (-1)

Total Species Overall: 26

Top 5 Observers (Observations): birdwhisperer 74 obs, @andybridges 40 obs, @cgates326 22 obs, @jnelson 16 obs, and @docprt 13 obs

Top 5 Observers (Species): birdwhisperer 12 species, cgates326 9 species, andybridges 9 species, jnelson 8 species, and docprt 6 species

Species Still Not Observed: White-tailed Kite, Northern Goshawk, Broad-winged Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk, Snowy Owl, Northern Hawk-Owl, Spotted Owl, Gyrfalcon -- 9 species

New Species in August: Sharp-shinned Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Western Screech-Owl, Barred Owl, Northern Saw-whet Owl, Merlin -- 6 species

Counties Needing Observations: WA -- Ferry, Columbia -- OR -- Gilliam, Morrow, Jefferson

News and What to Expect in September:
Two months have gone by already folks! And in these thirty-one days, the project has collected 154 observations, which means we are still on pace to cut it really close to our 2020 final observation count, about 900 observations. I really want this to be a record year for this project so let's see if we can get a few more volunteers to help us out. Invite your friends and family to join the project.

Observation of the week goes to @mrp123 for a photo of this male Northern Harrier at Badger Mountain, Washington. What can I say about harriers, these "marsh hawks" are known for their acrobatic flights. I admit this fall has been a pretty slow year for them but with the drought most of the state has been having, maybe they've travelled on to greener pastures. So to see this bird is a real treat.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92989427

Observation of the month goes to jnelson for his juvenile Western Red-tailed Hawk in the Steen Mountains. It's becoming that time of year you have to watch out for your red-tails. Harlan's will be arriving from their breeding grounds in Alaska any day now and vagrant subspecies like Eastern or Northern will be coming through in September. Good for this observation though, the thick patagials and heavily barred flanks are good Western traits.

https://www.inaturalist.org/observations/92794105

September is the month for Broad-winged Hawks. I really want someone to get one, I know they're out there. Go on a mountain top with unobscured views and just scan the sky. Okanagan and Steen birders should pay particular attention to their skies. Good luck everyone!

Posted on September 1, 2021 05:40 PM by birdwhisperer birdwhisperer

Comments

No comments yet.

Add a Comment

Sign In or Sign Up to add comments