by Dan Casey, JBHW Coordinator
The 2023 migration season at the Jewel Basin Hawk Watch concluded on November 1, when Jake Bramante counted 26 birds during our 47th survey of the season. We finished the season with a total of 3,131 birds counted (10.5/hr) our fourth highest. It was also a season of diversity; we matched or exceeded our long-term mean counts for 14 of the 17 species reported, setting new record counts for Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk and American Kestrel. Only American (formerly Northern) Goshawk, Red-tailed Hawk and Golden Eagle were counted in below-average numbers. We have now counted 43,167 raptors over the 17 years of surveys (including our pilot year of 2007). Along the way, we recorded our 20,000th Sharp-shinned Hawk, our 6,000th Cooper’s Hawk, our 6,000th Golden Eagle, and our 2,000th falcon.
As the person who conceived this count and has coordinated it all these years, I cannot overstate my appreciation for the funders, contactors and volunteers who continue to make it a success! This year 10 people served as primary observers, and many others contributed their time as the “extra pairs of eyes” so essential during busy migration days (or as company on the slow ones!) Thanks to Montana Audubon and Flathead National Forest for their contributions, which helped to provide financial support for our two stalwart contracted observers, Joshua Covill and BJ Worth. BJ has now served as the primary observer on an incredible 136 Jewel Basin surveys! A full report summarizing this year’s data and 16-yr trends, will be produced this winter and will be available here on the Flathead Audubon website. Our 2023 season totals were as follows:
| Turkey Vulture – 5 | Rough-legged Hawk – 26 |
| Osprey – 19 | Unidentified Buteo – 10 |
| Bald Eagle – 60 | Golden Eagle – 257 |
| Northern Harrier – 81 | American Kestrel – 104 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk – 1,710 | Merlin – 36 |
| Cooper’s Hawk – 488 | Peregrine Falcon – 14 |
| American Goshawk – 34 | Prairie Falcon – 13 |
| Unidentified Accipiter – 32 | Unidentified Falcon – 8 |
| Broad-winged Hawk – 60 | Unidentified Eagle – 2 |
| Swainson’s Hawk – 7 | Unidentified Raptor – 6 |
| Red-tailed Hawk – 157 | |
| Ferruginous Hawk – 2 | TOTAL – 2,851 |