By Dan Casey, JBHW Coordinator
Jake Bramante counted 30 birds, including 20 Golden Eagles, to end the 17th Jewel Basin Hawk Watch season on a frosty October 30. With snow levels falling to the valley floor the next day, safe access to the site was no longer assured.
Our record effort of 396 survey hours over 56 days resulted in above average totals for 15 of the 16 raptor species recorded, with new season-high totals for two species (Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel). Only Ferruginous Hawk and Gyrfalcon failed to appear this year. We counted 4,139 birds this season, our second highest total in 17 years. Sharp-shinned Hawks once again led the show, with 2,248 counted. The rest, in decreasing order of abundance: Cooper’s Hawk (571), Golden Eagle (440), Red-tailed Hawk (215), American Kestrel (159), Bald Eagle (85), Northern Harrier (68), Merlin (51), Broad-winged Hawk (44), American Goshawk (42), Rough-legged Hawk (37), Peregrine Falcon (20), Turkey Vulture (15), Osprey (14), Swainson’s Hawk (7), Prairie Falcon (5). We had another 118 birds not identified to species (mostly small accipiters).
Thanks to Dan Stoken and Elliott Ress, who served as contracted primary observers for 34 surveys, and to BJ Worth, Dee Baginski, Denny Olson, Diane Lundgren, LIsa Bate, and Nickie Derue, who joined Jake and me to serve as primary observers for 0ne to eight surveys each.
A full report summarizing this year’s data and 17-year trends, will be produced this winter and will be available here on the Flathead Audubon Society website.