(Click on the image below to see the larger image)
Click on the image below for larger image
I got to the site and got settled by 11:00 am....things were "dead". At 12:30 p.m. I begin to count Sharpies , Coop´s and American Kestrels.
At 13:00 I spotted my first turkey Vulture for the day.......the beginning of the "river of raptors" for the day. For the next 22 minutes I am able to photograph and count a constant "stream" of some 13,000 raptors.
At one moment I had three lines in my view......slow moving "potpurri" of aquatics and raptors.......American white pelican(600+), Anhinga(375) , Wood storks (1,550+) Swainson´s hawks, Turkey Vultures, Broad-winged hawks, Osprey, Sharp-shinned hawks, Cooper´s hawks, Merlin, Perigrine falcon, Northern Harrier, American kestrel.......
What a wonderful mix........it doesn´t matter how many times I see it, I am in awe, and grateful to witness one of natures greatest spectacles.
Enjoy the photos...this is the "good stuff".......
Click on the image below to see the larger image
Today´s Report:
San José Papaloapan
Oct. 19, 2005
11:00 a.m. til 17:00 (6 hrs.)
Breeze from the NNW....mixed clouds.
Swainson´s hawks..............5,805
Turkey vultures.................6,884
Broad-winged hawks............916
Osprey.........................................4
Sharp-shinned hawk...............74
Cooper´s hawk.........................46
Merlin..........................................3
American kestrel.......................55
Peregrine Falcon..........................6
Northern harrier..........................1
Total.....................................13,794
Non migrating raptors observed:
Black vulture, Northern Caracara, Roadside hawk, Laughing falcon, Snail kite, Great black hawk,
Aplomado falcon, Black-collared hawk.
I want to thank all of the men and women of San José Papaloapan for sharing their knowledge of this migration with me, they told me that "lots" came overhead, I believed them and it paid off today.
Good birding,
David
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