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Mt. Pisgah, NC Hawkwatch -- 9/29 -- 10/1



	WELCOME TO THE MOUNT PISGAH, NC HAWK WATCH REPORT -- FALL 2000
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Today's Date: Report for the period 9/29 -- 10/1 2000
Hours of coverage : 23 hours total         

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Species		     9/29 - 10/01     Season Total
              
Black Vulture	...........0...............14	
Turkey Vulture  ...........0................0			 
Osprey 	...................1...............10					
Bald Eagle ................0................3				
Northern Harrier ..........1................3	
Sharp-shinned H. ..........6...............20	
Cooper's H. ...............5...............13
Red-shouldered H. .........0................1	
Broad-winged H. ..........69.............1702
Red-tailed H. .............2................8
American Kestrel ..........5...............23
Merlin ....................0................0
Peregrine Falcon ..........0................2
unidentified raptors ......6...............15

TOTALS...................................1812

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Note that only birds showing definite migratory movements are counted. 
Many local raptors and vultures observed at the site are not mentioned
in this report.
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Today's counts were made by: Ray "Iron Man" Sharpton counted most of the
hours, joined by a host of regulars, newbies, and visitors.

Today's weather:  The period was dominated by light winds and partly
cloudy skies.  Continued high pressure slowed the migration to a
trickle.   

Comments: Ray seems fully recovered from Thursday's wreck; no word yet
on his car, however.  Lots of visitors to the site made the watching a
bit more entertaining.    

Other migrants noted today: Sunday (10/1) was the first significant
Monarch movement.  By mid-afternoon Monarchs were gliding past at the
rate of 10-15 per hour.  Not a flood, but certainly more than we've had
so far this season.

The outlook for tomorrow:  We're expecting the next cold front by
Friday.  This should bring the next surge of migrants our way.

Next scheduled coverage: No coverage is scheduled until the next front
arrives.  Saturday and Sunday (Oct. 7,8) will probably be covered,
assuming the weather behaves as predicted.

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Reported By:
	Bill Sanderson, Site Coordinator
	Asheville, NC
	nctigers@bellsouth.net
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Site Description:
	The Mount Pisgah Hawk Watch, begun in 1995, is located at the Mills
River Valley overlook, mile 404.6 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.  At an
elevation of 4085 feet, it is approx. three miles north of Mount Pisgah,
and approx. 11 miles south of the city of Asheville, NC.  The watch site
is staffed by volunteer counters on an irregular basis throughout the
fall migration season; most often on weekday afternoons and weekends,
weather permitting.  The site is handicapped friendly, and
gas/food/lodging are available at the Pisgah Inn complex, approx. three
miles south on the Parkway.  Visitors are always welcomed, and new
volunteer watchers are always needed.  Contact Bill Sanderson
(nctigers@bellsouth.net) for more information.  
	
	The Mount Pisgah Hawk Watch is an unfunded volunteer effort.  
All data obtained are submitted to the Hawk Migration Association of
North America (HMANA).  Other fall hawk watch sites in this region
include the Caesar's Head State Park Hawk Watch in upstate South
Carolina, the Mahogany Rock Hawk Watch on the Blue Ridge Parkway near
Sparta, NC and the Pilot Mountain State Park Hawk Watch in Surry County,
NC.
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I am the Eagle, I live in high country,
	In rocky cathedrals that reach to the sky.
I am the Hawk, and there's blood on my feathers
	But time is still turning, they soon will be dry.
All those who see me, and all who believe in me, 
	Share in the freedom I feel when I fly!
				John Denver
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