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Congaree Bluffs hawk watch on 13 Sep 2003



Hi C-birders,

Caroline Eastman and I got to Congaree Bluffs Heritage Preserve, Calhoun
COunty, SC just before dawn. There was a modest flight of Swainson's
Thrushes and Wood Thrushes. We stayed at the hawk watch until lunch time. We
were joined by Caroline and John Grego (a father - daughter hawk watch
team).

We had a fairly good day for this location, though it may sound like not so
much compared to coastal and mountain hawk watches. Here along the Fall Line
we take what we can get!

Here are our migrating raptor counts for today:

Black Vulture -- 11
Bald Eagle -- 1 (adult)
Northern Harrier -- 8 (our best harrier day ever!)
Sharp-shinned Hawk -- 4
Broad-winged Hawk -- 7
Red-tailed Hawk -- 1
American Kestrel
unidentified raptor -- 3

Other species of note included Anhinga, Tree Swallow, and the second record
for Eurasian Collared-Dove for Congaree Swamp National Monument (one flying
south along the Congaree River). The kites seem to have left.

This does not count local raptors, including lots of Turkey Vultures and a
few Red-shouldered Hawks.

Robin Carter
Columbia, SC
rcarter@sc.rr.com