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Mt. Pisgah, NC Hawkwatch -- 10/08/00



	WELCOME TO THE MOUNT PISGAH, NC HAWK WATCH REPORT -- FALL 2000
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Today's Date: 8 Oct. 2000
Hours of coverage today: 9 - 5:30 (8.5 hours)

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Species		     Today     Season Total
              
Black Vulture	.......0..............14	
Turkey Vulture  ......38..............38			 
Osprey 	...............0..............10			
Bald Eagle.............0...............3 				
Northern Harrier ......0...............3	
Sharp-shinned H. ......2..............22	
Cooper's H. ...........2..............15
Red-shouldered H. .....0...............1	
Broad-winged H. .......0............1702
Red-tailed H. .........2..............10
American Kestrel ......0..............23
Merlin ................0...............0
Peregrine Falcon ......0...............2
unidentified raptors ..0..............15

TOTALS................44............1856

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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 Sharpton, Mark Vukovich, Loren Lawson,
Athena Anderson, Bill Sanderson

Today's weather:  Ideal conditions; moderate winds N to NW all day with
high cloud cover most of the day.  Temps ranged from 6C at 1:00 to -1C
at 5:30 (wind-chill at least -15) BRRRRRR!  Ray gets the Polar Bear
award
today for braving the cold wind from 9 am until 3 pm. 

Comments:  Disappointing numbers of hawks, but the first flocks of
migrating Vultures roared past between 4 and 5pm. 
	
Other migrants noted today:  Several good-sized flocks of Chimney Swifts
zipped past heading STRAIGHT South about 5pm.  

The outlook for tomorrow: Excellent.  Weather should be partly cloudy
and a bit warmer.

Next scheduled coverage: Monday and Tuesday afternoons (maybe)

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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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