Rose Tree Park HawkWatch SITE MANUAL

Rose Tree Park HawkWatchP.O. Box 78Media, PA 19063

MEDIA DELAWARE COUNTY PENNSYLVANIA

Rose Tree Park HawkWatch SITE MANUAL

by Jim Lockyer

A Guide to Standards and Procedures at Rose Tree Park HawkwatchMedia, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

This document was designed and produced by jl-studioART & DESIGN

www.jl-studio.com

Table of Contents

Introduction …………………………………………………………………………………… 1History..........…………………………………………………………………………………… 1Purpose, Goals, and Philosophy..................................................... 2Site Information.................................................................................. 3Dates, Times, and Weather............................................................. 3 Spring........................................................................................... 3 Fall................................................................................................. 3 Times............................................................................................ 4 Weather...................................................................................... 4Identifying Hawks............................................................................. 5 Hawk Species............................................................................. 5Counting.............................................................................................. 6 PanoramaIdentificationMarkers.........................................6 Counting Hawks....................................................................... 6 Broad-winged Hawks..................................................... 6 Vultures.............................................................................. 7 Bald Eagles.......................................................................... 7 Accipiters........................................................................... 8 Hawks Going To Roost.................................................. 8 OtherNon-HawkMigrants...................................................8 Anecdotal Accounts................................................................. 9Optical Equipment............................................................................ 9Scanning Techniques........................................................................ 9Data Collection and Recording.................................................... 10 Data Collected.......................................................................... 10 Weather............................................................................. 10 Hawks................................................................................. 11 Rare and Unusual Bird Reports................................... 11 Posting Daily Data........................................................... 12 Forms.................................................................................. 13Site Organization and Count Team............................................. 13 SiteManagers............................................................................13 Site Coordinator...................................................................... 14 QualifiedObservers.................................................................15 Counter Trainee....................................................................... 15 Observers...................................................................................16 Visitors....................................................................................... 16Resources........................................................................................... 16Acknowledgements......................................................................... 17References.......................................................................................... 18Appendicies....................................................................................... 19 Appendix1-RTPHWLocationMap.................................19 Appendix 2, Form 1 - Daily Count Form.......................... 20 Appendix 2, Form 2 - Supplemental Count Form.......... 22 Appendix 2, Form 3 - Rare Bird Report Form................. 23 Appendix 3 - Reference Tables............................................ 24Rose Tree Park HawkWatch Contact List.............................. 30

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Rose Tree Park HawkWatch Site Manual

INTRODUCTIONTraditionallyhawkwatchsiteshavebeenlocatedalonggeographicfeaturesthattendtoconcentratehawksduringmigration.Mountainridgeswhereupdraftsprovidehawksaflightadvantageandalongcoastal areas where the ocean forms a geographic boundary for the migratinghawkshavebeenthetraditionalareaswherehawkwatchsiteshavebeenestablished.

It has been recognized for a number of years that migrating hawks cananddoflyanywherewithinanestablishedflyway.Weatherconditionstendtodictatetheroutehawksselectonanygivendayduringmigration.Thehawkstendtogravitatetothemostenergyefficientrouteormostdesirableweatherconditionstospeedtheirjourney.Theyaretheabsolutemastersoftheweatherandhavetheabilitytoflyanywhere.

It is important to establish additional hawk watch sites in areas that havenotbeentraditionallycoveredinordertoprovideacompletepictureofhawkmigrationthroughtheregion.Thesesiteswillprovideimportant contributions to the existing data and will add further insight and support to the understanding of hawk migration through the region.

Rose Tree Park HawkWatch (RTPHW) is a non-traditional site located on the eastern edge of the Piedmont Plateau in Southeastern Pennsylvaniaandoperatesbothafulltimespringandfallwatch..

HISTORYThe fall migration of hawks through Delaware County has been knownforyearsandinformalcasualcountshavebeenrecordedsincethe late 1980’s. Beginning in the late 1980’s, Al Guarente and Jim Lockyer watched and recorded the fall hawk migration from their respectivedeckslocatednomorethanthreemilessouthofRoseTreePark.Lockyerrecordedafallseasonaverageofmorethan1,000birdsoveran8-yearperiodwithonlycasualafternoonfallobservationsinmid-September.

OvertheyearsduringthefallseasonNickPulcinellawoulddirectsome of his birding attention to hawk migration at Rose Tree Park duringfavorableflightconditions.HechoseRoseTreeParkbecauseitprovidedaclearviewingareaof360degrees.OtherbirdersbegantojoinPulcinelladuringthefallhawkmigrationperiodonfavorable

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flightdaysandsoonRoseTreeParkbecamethedesignatedgatheringplace for Delaware County hawk watchers.

IntheSpringof1999DaveWashabaughansweredarequestfromtheBirding Club of Delaware County (BCDC) Special Projects Committee andvolunteeredtospendtimeatRoseTreeParktodeterminethedegree of spring hawk migration through Delaware County. A more significantchallengewastodeterminewhethertherewasenoughinterestandpeopleavailabletoestablishapermanentfulltimehawkwatch site at Rose Tree Park. Washabaugh was assisted by a number ofinterestedhawkwatchersandobservers.JimLockyerofferedto gather, compile, and maintain the collected count data. At the conclusion of the spring test period it was determined that there was asignificantspringhawkmigrationthroughDelawareCountyanditwaseasilyobservedatRoseTreePark.Itwasalsodeterminedthattherewassubstantialinterestindevelopinganofficialfulltimehawkwatch site at Rose Tree Park.

Inthefallof1999RTPHWbecameanofficialhawkwatchsitewithencouragementfromHawkMountainSanctuaryandtheHawkMigrationAssociationofNorthAmerica(HMANA).Inthefallof1999Rose Tree Park HawkWatch began to report data on a daily basis to HMANAandtheCornellBIRDSOURCEwebsite.

Inthefallof2001,HawkMountainSanctuaryinvitedRTPHWtoparticipate in the Hawks Aloft Worldwide program, a designation held for significantandactivehawkwatchsites.

PURPOSE, GOALS, AND PHILOSOPHYRTPHWisavolunteerCitizenScienceProjectandaspecialprojectofthe Birding Club of Delaware County (BCDC).

ItisthepurposeofRTPHWtocontributetothescientificstudyofbirds by identifying and counting migrating hawks during the spring andfallmigrationperiodsandprovidingtherecordeddataonadailybasistoCornellUniversity(BIRDSOURCE),theHawkMigrationAssociationofNorthAmerica(HMANA),PABIRDSlistserv,andtheRTPHW website.

RTPHWalsoservesasaneducationalfieldtripresourcewhereschoolgroupsandindividualsarewelcometolearnaboutbirdsingeneral,birdmigration,birdconservation,andhawkidentification.Ahawkwatchingintroductoryprogramisprovidedforschoolgroupsthatmakearrangementsinadvance.

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The basic philosophy at RTPHW is simple - the collection of scientific data can and should be a fun and rewarding experience. Bringing a sense of humor toRTPHWisjustasessentialasopticsandfieldguides.RTPHWprides itself in being an open and friendly hawk watch site that welcomesvisitorsandinvitesthemtojoininwiththeactivities.

SITE INFORMATION SITE LOCATION and ACCESS

The Rose Tree Park HawkWatch is located in Rose Tree Park, onRoute252justnorthoftheRoute1MediaBy-pass,DelawareCounty,PennsylvaniaatN39o 56.43’ - W 75o23.52’Elevation-315feet.

The spring hawk watch site within the park is located at the northern edge of the east parking lot. The fall hawk watch site is located north of the gazebo between the two parking lots (See Appendix 1)..

DATES, TIMES, and WEATHER

Rose Tree Park HawkWatch operates a fully-staffed spring and fall hawk watch.

SpringThe spring migration season is shorter than the fall and much less predictable. Hawks are less gregarious in the spring as they make their way toward their breeding grounds and tendtoflyoveramuchbroaderareathaninthefall.Springcounts are generally much lower than in the fall. The RTPHW officialspringseasonisfromMarch15throughtheendofApril.Theaveragetotalcountforthespringisabout2,200birds, although in the spring of 2002 RTPHW recorded morethan4,400hawksincludingover2,000Broad-wingedHawks.Mid-Aprilisthemostactivecountperiodforthespring.Whentherearefavorableflightdaysoutsidethecorespring dates it is likely someone will be at the hawk watch site recording hawk counts.

FallThe fall migration is more predictable. Like clockwork, one cansetacalendarforwhatspecieswillbeflyingwhen,andwill generally know the peak count periods of each species. FurtherconfidenceforfallsightingsisliftedwhenthepassageofastrongcoldfrontprovideswindsfromtheNWquadrantwhichcreatefavorableflightconditionsforhawkmigration.TheRTPHWofficialfallseasonrunsfromAugust15through

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November15.DuringthefallseasonatRTPHW,10,000birdsmaybecounted.Whentherearefavorableflightdaysoutsidethe core fall dates it is likely someone will be at the hawk watch site recording hawk counts.

TimesBoth the spring and fall hawk watch seasons RTPHW will bestaffedduringthecoretimeof9:00AMto4:00PM.Ondayswhentheflightconditionsarefavorableconsiderationshouldbegiventostaffingthehawkwatchearlier(tocatchmorning liftoffs) or later as long as the birds continue to fly.Ifremaininglaterinthedaytorecordacontinuingflightconflictswithanobserver’sschedule,thecountresponsibilitiesshouldbetransferredtoanotherobserver.

The hawk watch site is staffed during the core time using the current local time frame (DST, EST). Data collection is always compiled using Standard Time.

WeatherRTPHW will be staffed daily during the core dates and times under most weather conditions. The hawk watch will be closed or shut down during periods of steady precipitation.

It is expected that the hawk watch be staffed during the following weather conditions.Any clear days, despite potential uncomfortable

weather conditions.Foggy/hazy days – the fog or haze can lift or dissipate

at anytime.Showeryweather–wehavealreadylearnedthatbirds

cananddoflyinlightrainorduringbreaksinshoweractivity,particularlytheBroad-wingedHawks.

Iftheweatherconditionsaresuchthatobservationisimpracticaloradangerispresent,observersshouldseekrefugeintheirvehiclesuntilconditionsimprove.

Ifweatherconditionsareunfavorableforalengthyperiodoftimeduringthedayobserversmayseekrefugeawayfromthesiteuntilconditionsimprove.Observersondutyareexpectedtoreturntothesitewhenconditionsimproveinordertocontinue the count.

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IDENTIFYING HAWKS Thissitemanualisnotintendedtoserveasahawkidentificationguide.Itisexpectedthatindividualobservershonetheiridentificationskillsonaregularbasisandshouldreviewthevariousidentificationtoolsavailablepriortoeachseason.

Availableresourcesinclude:Clark, William S.; Wheeler, Brian K., Hawks of North America,

2nd Edition–PetersonFieldGuide,Boston,MA,HoughtonMifflinCompany–2001

Dunne,Pete;Sibley,David;Sutton,Clay,Hawks in Flight, Boston,MA,HoughtonMifflinCompany–1988

Dunne, Pete; Keller, Debbie; Kochenberger, Rene, Hawk Watch A Guide For Beginners,CapeMay,NJ,CapeMayBirdObservatory–1984

Sibley,DavidAllen,The Sibley Guide to Birds, New York, N.Y., Alfred A. Knopf – 2000

Weidensaul, Scott, Raptors, The Birds of Prey, New York, N.Y. Lyons & Burford Publishers - 1996

Wheeler, Brian K.; Clark, William S., A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors, New York, N.Y., Academic Press - 1995

HAWK_ID website – www.jl-studio.com/HAWK_ID

HAWK SPECIES The following hawk species should be expected at RTPHW.

Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura)Black Vulture (Coragyps alratus)Osprey (Pandion haliaetus)Bald Eagle (Haliaeetus lucocephalus)Northern Harrier (Circus cyaneus)Sharp-shinned Hawk (Accipiter striatus)Cooper’s Hawk (Accipiter cooperi)Northern Goshawk (Accipitier gentiles)Red-shouldered Hawk (Buteo lineatus)Broad-winged Hawk (Buteo platypterus)Red-tailed Hawk (Buteo jamaicensis)Golden Eagle (Aquila chryseatos)American Kestrel (Falco sparverius)Merlin(Falco columbarius)Peregrine Falcon (Falco peregrinus)

Accidentals or rare hawk speciesMississippiKite(Ictinia mississippiensis) - SpringSwainson’s Hawk (Buteo swainsonii) - Fall

Rough-legged Hawk (Buteo lagopus) – Spring/Fall

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COUNTINGThemajorityofmigratinghawksthatpassoverRTPHWaregenerallyveryhigh.Weoftenrefertothemasourspeck birds.

PANORAMA IDENTIFICATION MARKERSInordertoassistotherstofindthelocationofabirdbeingspottedpanoramaidentificationmarkersareused.Distinctivefeaturesthatlieinfrontoftheobserversaregivennamestoassistothersinfindingthelocationofaspottedbird.Currentandseasonalpanorama maps should be used and are located in the RTPHW Information Box.

COUNTING HAWKS

Inmosteverycasemigratinghawksarecountedindividuallyorin small groups at RTPHW. There are few exceptions since the volumeofbirdspassingthroughourareaatanygiventimeisusually quite manageable.

Hawksthataremovingwithpurposeandintentinthepropermigratory direction are considered to be migrant hawks and should be recorded as such.

Therearehoweverseveralsituationsandhawkspeciesthatrequire special attention. BROAD-WINGED HAWKS

Broad-winged Hawks (BWHA) migrate through RTPHW in mid-April in the spring and mid-September in the fall. The BWHAisalong-rangeflockingmigranthawkand,iftheweatherconditionsarefavorable,theymaycomethroughingreat numbers at a time. When BWHA does come through in large numbers special count criteria should be followed: The most accurate count of Broad-winged Hawks

isobtainedbycountingindividualbirdswhentheyare streaming out of a kettle. Locate the lead bird of thestreamthenindividuallycountthebirdsbacktothe end of the stream. Either let them pass in front of your stationary optics or pan to the back of the streamlookingaboveandbelowthestreamtopickupadditionalbirdsthatmaybestreamingaboveorbelowthe main stream.

During periods of strong winds kettles and streams of BWHAmayoftendriftwiththeprevailingwinds.Ifdistant kettles are located and appear to be drifting away from the hawk watch site, count as many of the

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birds in the kettle that you can see. If the kettle drifts out of sight the number of birds counted should be recorded. DO NOT estimate the number of birds that might be in a kettle. Record only the birds actually seen and counted.

OnBIGDAYSwhentherearequalifiedobserversavailableusetheobserversasaresource.•Splitobserversupandassignskyquadrants–at

leastonequalifiedobservertoeachgroup.– The counter should coordinate the count

groups – compiling the totals from the groups andsupervisingtheskyassignmentstoinsuredouble counts aren’t being made.

– Observersshouldberemindedtolookforotherspecieswithinthekettlesandtoprovideanaccurate count on those as well.

•Ifqualifiedobserversareconcentratingonthesamekettle, scan the sky and look for other incoming birds or kettles.

Should the counter be alone when the BWHA are coming through, which is highly unlikely at RTPHW, the counter should use a grouping method to ascertain thenumberofbirdsinindividualkettles.•First examine the kettle for other hawk species

then take a section of the kettle and quickly count the number of birds in that particular section, determine the number of similar sections in the kettle then multiply the counted section by the total number of similar sections in the kettle. Thiswillprovideanaccurateestimateofthetotalnumber of birds for that kettle.

•Movetootherkettlespresentandrepeattheprocedure. Check the entire sky often for other incoming or distant kettles.

VULTURES

Vultures are counted at RTPHW using the same criteria that we use for other migrating hawks – moving with purpose and intent in the proper migratory direction.

BALD EAGLESMostoftheBaldEaglesthatpassthroughRTPHWarehighandmovingwithpurpose.TherearesomeBaldEaglesthatareattractedtoSpringtonReservoiradjacenttoRTPHWandrequire some special attention.

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BaldEaglesthatheadforthereservoiranddropdownshouldnotbecountedunlesstheyareseentoliftoffagainandmovein the proper migration direction. The birds that are not seen again should be noted so the next day Site Coordinator will be aware of their possible presence.

ACCIPITERS – Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s HawksIt should be noted that many Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawksmigrateandforagesimultaneously.Weoftenhavetheseaccipitersflyingjustoverthetreetopsastheymigratethrough. This can occur at any time of the day but it is most likelyobservedinthemorningandlateafternoon.

Ifthisbehaviorisnotedandthebirdisheadingintherightdirection, with purpose, it should be considered a migrant hawk and be counted.

HAWKS GOING TO ROOSTOften late in the afternoon hawks will start dropping down tolookforovernightroostsites.Whenthisoccurstheyoftenflyinalldirectionslookingforafavorableroostsite-thisisespecially true of BWHA.

Hawks that drop down to roost before passing the hawk watch site should not be counted but should be noted in order to alert the next day’s Site Coordinator. If the hawks are not picked up on a liftoff by the next day’s Site Coordinator considerationwillbegiventoaddthenumberofbirdsnotedcomingdowntoroost,butnotcounted,totheofficialrecord.

Hawks that pass beyond the hawk watch site in search of a roost should be counted as migrant hawks.

COUNTING OTHER NON-HAWK MIGRANTSOther migrant passerines should also be counted and noted. The following species should also be counted and recorded on theOtherMigrantsform.

BIRDSCommon LoonDouble-crested CormorantCanada GooseSnow GooseGreat Blue HeronRuby-throated Hummingbird

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INSECTSMonarchButterflyDragonflies

WhenlargenumbersofdragonfliesaremovingthroughprovidearelativeabundancenotationontheOtherMigrantsForm(Appendix2,Form1B).

ANECDOTAL ACCOUNTSShouldanyinterestingorunusualbirdsighting,activityorbehaviorbenotedrecordandprovideanarrativetodescribethesighting.Thisinformationwillbecomepartoftheofficialdaily record.

OPTICAL EQUIPMENTTheheightatwhichmanyhawksflyoverRTPHWmakeopticsanecessityforviewingandcountingthebirds.Binocularsshouldbe7x- 10x power and a spotting scope is useful for identifying distant birds or for counting distant kettles of BWHA.

The selection of optical equipment is a personal choice item and findingtherightbinocularshouldbeleftuptotheuser.Asignificantcriterionwhenpurchasingbinoculars,thatisoftenoverlooked,istoconsider the comfort of the binoculars to the user.

SCANNING TECHNIQUES Scanning the skies in an organized manner is the principal method for locating migrating hawks and discerning them from local hawk populations and other birds in general. Scanning should be a general mixofusingyournaked-eyeandbinoculars.Rememberthateverytimeyouplaceyoureyestoyourbinocularsyougreatlylimityourfieldofvisionfromtherestofthesky.Iflengthyscansaremadewithopticsalone chances are that birds are passing by that are being missed. The idealsituationistolocatethebirdswithyournaked-eyefirstthenputyour optics on the birds to identify them.

Obviouslythecloserabirdistoyoutheeasieritistoseeandidentify.Generally the closest birds that you will see are those that appear directlyoverhead,sodon’tforgettolookdirectlyoverheadrepeatedlyduring your scanning process.

Onceahawkhasbeenlocated,identified,andrecordedattentionshould be redirected to the whole sky in search of other migrating hawks.Itiseasytobecomemesmorizedwhileviewingthebeautyofanindividualbirdbutemphasismustbeplacedonlocatingand

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counting other migrant hawks that might be missed while spending toomuchtimeonanindividualbird.

Binocularscansshouldbemadebothinahorizontalandverticaldirection. Scans should be concentrated towards the north to east quadrant with the greatest concentration towards the northeast during the fall season, and in the spring the scans should be from the west to south quadrant with the greatest concentration towards the southwest.

A scope should not be used for scanning because the optics of the scope allow only a minute window of the sky. Scopes should be used for identifying an already located bird or for educational purposes.

DATA COLLECTION and RECORDINGThe primary objective at RTPHW is to identify each passing hawk to species.Thenumbersobservedarethenrecordedonthehourlycountsheets.

The secondary objective is to determine additional information regarding the migrating hawks as outlined below.

It is important that data collection be consistent and standardized in ordertoobtainviablestatisticalanalysisforscientificpurposes.

ThecollectionofscientificdataisstandardizedusingtheHMANAformatandelectronicallydeliveredtovariousorganizations.Theoriginal data sheets and accompanying daily records are kept and maintainedbytheRTPHWcompilerorbyanofficeroftheBCDC.

ForthehourlysitedataentryRTPHWusesamodifiedHMANABlueSheet (See Appendix 2, Form 1A).

DATA COLLECTEDWEATHER

RTPHW uses the weather data that is collected at the Philadelphia International Airport (PHL) with the exception ofthecloudcoverwhichisrecordedatRTPHW.

Anecdotalweatherobservationsshouldbedescribedandnoted on the daily count sheet.

The PHL weather recording site is located 8 miles ESE of RTPHW and records daily and hourly weather conditions similar to RTPHW.

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Comparison of weather data between RTPHW and PHL is conducted at the beginning of each fall season todeterminethevalidityofusingthePHLdata.Overthe last four years the data remains quite similar on a dailybasiswiththeexceptionofcloudcoverwhichisrecorded hourly at the RTPHW site.

The PHL weather data is downloaded from the Internet nightlyandmadepartoftheofficialRTPHWdataforthat day.

Weather Data Recorded – PHL unless otherwise noted:Air temperature (C)Humidity (%)Wind speed (kph)Wind direction (from)Cloudcover(%)–collectedatRTPHWin10%

incrementsCloud ceiling Visibility

HAWKSHawks are counted by species and recorded on the RTPHW modifiedHMANABlueSheetonanhourlybasisbytheSiteCoordinator or by a designee of the Site Coordinator.

Some hawk species require additional information recorded, including: Eagles, Northern Harrier, Northern Goshawk, and Peregrine Falcon. General feather conditions, or special markings,ofindividualbirdsshouldbenotedinordertoestablishidentificationmarkingsforindividualbirds.Thisis particularly useful should a bird decide to stay in the hawk watch site area for a period of time. Additional required informationforindividualspeciesislistedbelow.Eagles – Time and AgePeregrine Falcon and Northern Goshawk – Time and

age (if possible)Northern Harrier – Sex

RARE and UNUSUAL BIRD REPORTS

It is always possible that a rare or unusual bird may be seen atRTPHW.Intheeventthatarareorunusualbirdisseenadditional information will be required and should include:SpeciesNumber seenDate, time, and weather conditions

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Equipment used and length of sightingDescription(includesize,plumage,fieldmarks,sex,

age, call, etc.)BehaviorExplanationofyouridentificationcallAdditionalobserversPhotoorvideoifavailableYour name, address, phone, email

Report rare bird sightings using the Rare Bird Report Form (Appendix 2, Form 3). The completed form should be attached to the Daily Count Sheet and will become part of the officialrecord.ItisencouragedthatacopyofthecompletedformbesubmittedtothePennsylvaniaOrnithologicalRecordsCommittee (PORC).

RaritiesorunusualbirdsthathavealreadybeseenatRTPHWincludethefollowingraptors:MississippiKite,Swainson’sHawk, Rough-legged Hawk, color morph buteos, and the following non-raptor species: Anhinga, Sandhill Crane, and Raven.

POSTING DAILY DATAThe Site Coordinator for the day is responsible for forwarding the day’s count information to the RTPHW compiler in a timely manner following the close of the hawk watch for the day.ItisessentialthattheRTPHWcompilerreceivethedailycountdatainordertopostthedatatovarioussources.Thecountdatacanbedeliveredtothecompilerinseveralways.Electronically, as an email message or by using the

electronicreportingformavailableontheRTPHWOfficialObserversWebsite–www.jl-studio.com/hwc

By telephoneDeliverytothehomeofthecompiler

IfthedailydataisdeliveredtothecompilerbyinternetorphonetheoriginalcountsheetshouldbegiventothecompilerinordertobecomepartoftheRTPHWofficialcountrecord.The original count sheet can be placed in the RTPHW Information Box Completed Formsfilefolderforlaterpick-upbythe compiler.

The data collected at RTPHW is compiled and posted dailyduringtherespectivehawkwatchseasonthrough

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Hawkcount.orgtotheHMANAdatabase,BIRDHAWKlistserv,PABIRDSlistserv,andtoCornellUniversity’sBIRDSOURCE website. In addition to posting data to these resources RTPHW posts the data to its own website – www.jl-studio.com/RTP_HW and submits the data to the HMANAJournalattheendofeachseason.

FORMS (See Appendix 2 - Form Samples)ThefollowingformsareusedatRTPHW.Copiesareavailableinthe RTPHW Information Box and in PDF format on the RTPHW Counter’s Website (www.jl-studio.com/hwc).

RTPHWDAILYCOUNTINGFORM1–Page 1 – Hourly count form–Page 2 – Raptor ageing/sexing, other migrants

SUPPLEMENTALCOUNTFORMRAREBIRDREPORTFORM SPECIALSTUDIESFORMS

These forms are designed and included with the standardformsabovewhenspecificdataforongoingstudies has been requested. The number of Special Studies Formswillvaryfromseasontoseason.

SITE ORGANIZATION AND COUNT TEAMThe site organization and count team consists of the following positions.

SiteManager–ResponsibleforsiteadministrationSite Coordinatior – CounterQualifiedObserver–CounterCounter Trainee – Counter in trainingObserver–SpottersVisitor

SITE MANAGERSTheSiteManagersareresponsiblefortheadministrativedutiesconnectedwiththeoperationofRTPHW.IndividualsassignedtothefollowingadministrativeandprogramfunctionsareconsideredtobeSiteManagers.

SITE COORDINATIONAcquiresnecessarypermits,letters,andapprovals

related to the RTPHW site location each season.Schedules the pre-season meetings to discuss RTPHW

mattersandtodeveloptheSiteCoordinatorstaffingschedule.

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Is responsible for insuring that there is fulltime coverageatRTPHWduringtheofficialseasondates.

Is responsible for notifying the Information Group when items need to be restocked in the RTPHW Information Box.

DATA COLLECTIONInsuresthatthedailydataispostedtotheHMANA

database,Cornell’sBIRDSOURSE,PABIRDSlistserv,and the RTPHW website in a timely manner.

MaintainsandstorestheofficialRTPHWdatasheetsandaccompanyingdocuments.Maintainstheelectronicrecordsandcreatesaback-upfloppydiskattheendofeachseasontobestoredwiththeofficialdata.

EnsuresthattheseasonaldataisprovidedtotheregionaleditoroftheHMANAJournalandHawkMountainSanctuaryinatimelymannerfollowingeachseason.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACHManagestheRTPHWeducationaloutreachprogramWorks in conjunction with the RTPHW Information

GrouptodevelopeducationalprogramsforpresentationattheRTPHWfieldsiteandforin-schoolprograms.

INFORMATIONResponsiblefordevelopinginformationalitemsthat

reflectthepurpose,goals,andphilosophyofRTPHW.Creates a report following each seasonal period. The

fall report should be a full report of the fall season that includes data analysis and anecdotal accounts. The spring report should be a brief one-page summary of the spring season.

ResponsiblefortheupdatingandrevisionstotheRTPHWSiteManual.

SITE COORDINATOR

The Site Coordinator is in charge of the siteTheSiteCoordinatorservesastheleadcounterand

is responsible for the days count. While on duty the Site Coordinators main responsibility is to spot and count migrant raptors. External distractions should be avoided.

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The Site Coordinator is responsible for obtaining, or makingarrangementstoreceive,theRTPHWmaterials(RTPHW Information Box and tally board) for the day they are on duty. The Site Coordinator is responsible for updating the tally board to the current count total from the count information posted to the internet the night before.

The Site Coordinator should welcome and assist visitorsinidentifyingthepanoramamarkersorprovidethevisitorswithapanoramamapsotheymayinstructthemselves.

The Site Coordinator should maintain and encourage good humor and bantering amongst the group, but discussionsregardingbirdidentificationshouldbeconfinedtotheSiteCoordinatorandotherqualifiedobserversinattendance.Ifthereisdisagreementamongstthequalifiedobserversand/orsitecoordinatorthebirdshouldbecountedasanunidentifiedbird.

SiteCoordinatorswhoareunabletofulfillascheduleddate are responsible for obtaining a replacement Site Coordinator for that date. Preferably this should be done as soon as the scheduled Site Coordinator becomesawareofaschedulingconflict.TheSiteManagershouldalsobenotifiedofanyschedulingchanges.

QUALIFIED OBSERVERS Qualifiedobserversarethoseindividualswhoareable

to identify passing raptors with consistent accuracy. QualifiedobserversserveasSiteCoordinatorsthrougha preseason scheduling process.

COUNTER TRAINEE

ACounterTraineeisanindividualwhohasexpressedaninterestinbecomingaQualifiedObserver/SiteCoordinatorandisgiventheopportunitytoactasSiteCoordinatorwhilebeingshadowedbyaQualifiedObserver.

AdvancementtotheQualifiedObserverlevelwilldependontheindividual’sskills,abilities,andconfidenceandwillbedeterminedbytheparticipatingindividual,otherQualifiedObservers,andtheSiteManagers.Dependabilityisanimportantcriteriathatwillbeappliedtoadvancementconsideration.

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OBSERVERS Anobserverisonewhoactivelycontributestothe

countingeffortatthehawkwatch.Anindividualmay not know the birds they are spotting but they are locating birds for others to identify.

VISITORS

Visitors are those that use the hawk watch primarily foritssocialaspects.Wehavemanygoodfolksthatjust enjoy being at the hawk watch, but unless they activelycontributetothecountingactivitytheyshouldberecordedasvisitors.

People stopping by to learn what we are doing should berecordedasvisitors.

Educatorsandstudentsvisitingthehawkwatchasaclassfieldtriporthatareinvolvedwithindividualclassprojectsshouldberecordedasvisitors.

Remember, that many of our current counters and observerswereoncecasualvisitorstothehawkwatch.Ifavisitordemonstratesaparticularinterestin the hawk watch or hawk watching they should be encouragedtoreturnandbeprovidedwiththeVolunteer Opportunities at RTPHW information piece located in the RTPHW Information Box.

EDUCATIONAL OUTREACH and RESPONSIBILITIESThe Site Coordinator acts as the RTPHW educational outreach person while on duty. The Site Coordinator may delegate this responsiblytosomeoneelseespeciallyifthereisasignificantcountoccurring.IfthereareotherQualifiedObserverspresentit is often best for them to act as the educational outreach person whiletheSiteCoordinatorconcentratesontheprimaryobjectiveof identifying and counting migrant hawks.

RESOURCESRTPHW Information Box

The RTPHW Information Box contains a number of information products and resources including:

Site Coordinator Products Extra copies of count formsMarkersandbungycordsforthetallyboard.Reference materials – RTPHW records and yearly

count dataLocal restaurant menus

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Visitor Information ProductsRTPHW Site BrochureRTPHW Educational Outreach information sheetRTPHW Volunteer Opportunities information sheetBCDCMembershipFormsHMANAbrochuresandMembershipFormResource materials - Guide books, etc.Hawk ID sheetWebsite Information

The RTPHW Counters Website – www.jl-studio.com/hwcThe RTPHW Counter’s website contains the current season schedule(revisedaschangesoccur),downloadablesiteFORMSinPDF format, links to local current weather conditions, and NEWS and special instructions important to the RTPHW Counters.

RTPHW Website

The RTPHW website contains numerous links to useful weather sites and other hawk watching resource tools (www.jl-studio.com/RTPHW).

ACKNOWLEDGMENTSAspecialthankstothecountersandobserversofRoseTreePark HawkWatchwhomadeconstructivecommentsregardingthisdocument and by so doing made this a better and more useful manual.

ThefollowingindividualshavebeenthebackboneandstrengthatRTPHWduringit’searlydevelopmentalyearsandwithoutthemthere would be no need or inspiration to create this manual that will hopefully lead RTPHW into the future.

Gary BeckerChris BlidanAndy BurnsBill ChurchSkip ConantBill CrannyJanet CrawfordJohn and Susan D’AmicoDaveEberlyMichaelGallagherAl GuarenteCharlie Haag

Barbara HohensteinSheryl and Karl JohnsonBob KellyKevinLoughlinJim LockyerDick LutzDorisMcGovernTomMcParlandHollyMerkerChris PuglieseJamie PuglieseNick and Sharon Pulcinella

Chris ReynoldsBill RoacheJohnandMarieRossachachjShirley RobbinsBarb ShankoSandy ShermanCharles SmithDaveWashabaughGeorge Wrangham

18

REFERENCESBarber,DavidR.;Fosdick,CraigR.;Goodrich,LaurieJ.;Luke,Stacy,Hawk Mountain Sanctuary Migration Count Manual, 2001

Kunkle, Dan R., Bake Oven Knob Autumn Hawk Count Manual, 2002

Pettit, Bob, Seasonal Hawk Site Field Manual for Your Hawk Watch Site,HBMO

19

APPENDIX 1 - RTPHW Location Map

APPENDICIES

Media

Rose Tree Park

252

252

320

420320

352

Baltimore Pike

476

476

1

1

Rose Tree Park

252

Rose Tree Road

Gazebo

Amphitheater

Leiper House

Hunt ClubMaintenance

Buildings

SPRINGHawk Watch

LocationFALL

Hawk WatchLocation

Parking

Parking

Hawk Watch seasonal site location within Rose Tree Park

�0

APPENDIX 2, Form 1A - RTPHW Daily Counting Form - Front

RTP Hawkwatch Daily Counting Form Date

Site Coordinator(s) Day

Observer(s)

Start Time

End Time

Turkey Vulture TV

Black Vulture BV

Osprey OS

Northern Harrier NH

Mississippi Kite** MK

Bald Eagle* BE

Sharp-shinned Hawk SS

Cooper's Hawk CH

Northern Goshawk* NG

Red-shouldered Hawk RS

Broad-winged Hawk BW

Swainson's Hawk** SW

Red-tailed Hawk RT

Rough-legged Hawk** RL

Golden Eagle GE

American Kestrel AK

Merlin ML

Peregrine Falcon* PG

Unidentified: Vulture UVAccipiter UA

Buteo UBEagle UE

Falcon UFRaptor UU

Comments * Record Time** Documentation Required

revised 10/31/02 - j lockyer

RTPHW Form 01 - page 1

No. of Visitors

Total

start time/end time

TIME

Total

11-12

CLOUD COVER (0-100%)

No. CONTRIBITING OBSERVERS

12-1 1-2 2-37-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 3-4 4-5 5-6

Total hours

6-7

�1

RTP Hawkwatch Daily Counting Form Date:

Times/Age/Sex Data Site Coordinator(s):

Other MigrantsTIME 7-8 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7 Total

Common Loon

Double-crested Cormorant

Great Blue Heron

Canada Goose

Snow Goose

Monarch Butterfly

Dragonfly

Additional Notes or Comments

RTPHW Form 01 - page 2revised 10/31/02 - J Lockyer

Migrating Insects

Northern Goshawk (TIMES)

Peregrine Falcon (TIMES)

TIMES/AGEINGSPECIES ADULT IMMATURE

Bald Eagle (TIMES)

Golden Eagle (TIMES)

SEXINGSPECIES MALE FEMALE IMMATURE

Northern Harrier

JUVENILE 1st-YEAR 2nd-YEAR 3rd-YEAR 4th-YEAR ADULT AGE UNKOWN

AGE UNKNOWN:

APPENDIX 2, Form 1B - RTPHW Daily Counting Form - Back

��

RTP Hawkwatch Daily Counting FormSingle Species Supplemental Form Date

DayCounter(s) Phone No

start time/end time

TIME 8-9 9-10 10-11 11-12 12-1 1-2 2-3 3-4 4-5 5-6 6-7Bird Species

TotalInstructions:

Comments

revised 07/30/01 - jlockyer

Total

Use this form on days when a single species flights may create high numbers. The number of birds in a large kettle should be indicated by a circled number. Individual birds, or small numbers of birds, should be counted in the traditional manner - 4 vertical lines with a horizonal line = 5 birds.

APPENDIX 2, Form 2 - RTPHW Supplemental Counting Form -Single Species

�3

APPENDIX 2, Form 3 - RTPHW Rare Bird Report Form

This form is a required attachement to the RTPHW Daily Count Sheet when reporting RARE or UNUSUAL bird sightings at RTPHW.

SPECIESCommon Name:

Scientific Name:

Subspecies (if known)

REPORTING OBSERVERName:

Address:

City:

Email:

Other observers (only those who saw and identified the bird with you):

SIGHTING DETAILSDate of Observation: Time:

Location (city, borough, township):

Exact Site (e.g. name of park, lake, road):

Number of Individuals: Sexes:

Age(s) and Plumage(s) (e.g. immature; adult in breeding plumage; year for gulls; state of molt if applicable:

Distance to Bird:

Viewing Conditions (sky, weather, position of sun relative to you):

Habitat: (e.g. mowed field, woodland edge, any other details):

Behavior (describe in detail what the bird was doing):

Vocalizations (if any):

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

ADDITIONAL INFORMATIONOptical Equipment Used:

Supporting Evidence (if any)

Photograph: Video: Audio Tape: Drawing:

This form must accompany the RTPHW Daily Count Sheet when reporting RARE or UNUSUAL bird sightings at RTPHW.

Please use the back of this form or additional sheets of paper if more space is required.

RTPHW - J Lockyer - 02/15/03

Include as much detail as you can recall - "jizz" (general overall feeling about the bird), size, colors, patterns, bill and leg proportions - all relevant features!

This form was adapted from the PA Ornithological Records Committee Form. It is encouraged that a completed copy of this form be submitted to the PA Ornithological Records Committee. c/o Nick Pulcinella, PORC Secretary, 613 Howard Road, West Chester, PA 19380

RARE BIRD Report Form

��

APPENDIX3 -Reference TablesTable 5. Geographical Features - Distance Indicators

Location Miles from RTP Direction

Degree bearing

from RTP

Visible Objects

Radio Tower - Newtown Square, PA 3 NNW 342

Roxborough Radio Towers 11 NE 68Regional Locations

Springton Reservoir 1 N 354

Tyler Arboretum 2 WSW 270

Ridley Creek State Park 3 WNW 287

Delaware River 7 SSE 170

Philadelphia, PA 12 E 98Other Hawk Watch Sites (within 200 miles)

Militia Hill, Fort Washington SP, PA 15 NNE 47

Turkey Point, Elk Neck SP, MD1 47 SW 237

Hawk Mountain Sanctuary, PA 57 NNW 340

Bake Oven Knob, PA 59 NNW 354

Chimney Rock, NJ1 64 NE 61

Cape May Point, NJ 73 SSE 172

Wildcat Ridge, NJ 84 NNE 35

Waggoner’s Gap, PA 102 WSW 284

Quaker Ridge, CT1 116 NE 61

Snicker’s Gap, VA1 143 WSW 260

1 Hawk watch sites that are generally on the same migration flight route as Rose Tree Park HawkWatch

��

High-level clouds - generally found above 20,000 feet (6,000 meters): High-levelcloudsarecomposedoficecrystalsandtendtobeverythin

andwispy.High-levelcloudnamesareprecededbyacirro index. Cirrus Thin, often with mare’s tail

Cirrostratus Thin,wispy,abovethunderheadsCirrocumulus Small puffy clouds

Mid-level clouds - generally found between 6,500 and 23,000 feet (2,000 and 7,000 meters)

Mostmid-levelcloudsarecomposedofliquidwaterdropletsduringsummerandaliquiddroplet-icecrystalmixduringwinter.Mid-levelcloud names are preceded by an altoprefix.

Altostratus Thin, uniform, sometimes with wide wale corduroy appearance

Altocumulus Medium-sizedpuffyclouds

Low-level clouds - generally found below 6,000 feet (2,000 meters): Low-levelcloudsareusuallycomposedofliquidwaterdroplets,

buttheycanhavesnowandicecrystalsincoldweatherStratocumulus Broadandflatonthebottom,puffy on top Cumulus Puffy clouds Stratus Uniform, thick to thin layered clouds

Thunderheads - can be from near ground to 50,000 feetCumulonimbus Thunderheads

Source: Adapted from USA Today

Cloud Type photo resources on the Internet:CLOUDTypesandelevationshttp://www.gpc.peachnet.edu/~pgore/Earth&Space/cloudtypes.html

CLOUDTypes-UniversityofIllinoishttp://ww2010.atmos.uiuc.edu/(Gh)/guides/mtr/cld/cldtyp/home.rxml

CLOUDTYPESinteractivesite-COOLSITE!http://www.scienceclass.com/dayscape/pages/main.htm

CLOUDS - USA Todayhttp://www.usatoday.com/weather/wcloud0.htm

APPENDIX3 -Reference TablesTable 3. Cloud Type and Location

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Beaufort Scale

Avg miles per hour

Avg km per hour Knots Indicators

0 calm

0 0 0-1 Smoke rises vertically and the sea is mirror smooth

1 light air

1.�-3 �-� 1-3 Smoke moves slightly with breeze and shows direction of wind

2 light breeze

3.7 – 7.� 6 – 1� �-6 You can feel the wind on your face and hear the leaves start to rustle

3 gentle breeze

8 – 1�.� 13 – �0 7-10Smoke will move horizontally and small branches start to sway. Wind extends a light flag

4 moderate

breeze13 – 18.6 �1 – 30 11-16

Loose dust or sand on the ground will move and larger branches will sway, loose paper blows around, and fairly frequent whitecaps occur

5 fresh breeze

19.3 - �� 31 – �0 17-�1 Surface waves form on water and small trees sway

6 strong breeze

��.� - 31 �1 - �0 ��-�7Trees begin to bend with the force of the wind and causes whistling in telephone wires and some spray on the sea surface

7 moderate gale

3� - 38 �1-61 �8-33 Large trees sway

8 fresh gale

39 - �6 6�-7� 3�-�0 Twigs break from trees, and long streaks

of foam appear on the ocean

9 strong gale

�7 - �� 7�-89 �1-�7 Branches break from trees

10 whole gale

�6 - 6� 90-103 �8-�� Trees are uprooted, and the sea takes on a white appearance

11 storm

6� - 7� 10�-119 �6-63 Widespread damage

12 hurricane

7�+ 1�0+ 6� + Structural damage on land and storm waves at sea

APPENDIX3 -Reference TablesTable 2. Beaufort Scale and Wind Speed Estimate Indicators

CONVERSIONFORMULAS: miles/hr (mph) = knots * 0.�39�93 = KPH * 1.6093�� kilometers/hr (KPH) = knots * 0.�39�93 = mph * 0.6�1371 knots = KPH * 1.8�3�� = mph * 1.1�1��

�7

N

S

EW

SE

NW NE

SW

NNE

ENE

ESE

SSESSW

WSW

WNW

NNW360

180

90270

315

135225

45

227

292

202

337 22

67

112

157

Degrees Direction

349-11 N12-33 NNE34-56 NE57-78 ENE

79-101 E102-123 ESE124-146 SE147-168 SSE169-191 S192-213 SSW214-236 SW237-258 WSW259-281 WSW282-303 WNW304-326 NW327-348 NNW

Compass Direction and Degrees BearingAPPENDIX3 -Reference Tables

Table 1. Compass Direction and Degrees Bearing

�8

Farhenheit Centigrade 15 -9.4 20 -6.7 25 -3.9 30 -1.1 32 0.0 35 1.7 40 4.4 45 7.2 50 10.0 55 12.8 60 15.6 65 18.3 70 21.1 75 23.9 80 26.7 85 29.4 90 32.2 95 35.0 100 37.8 105 40.6 110 43.3

Conversion formulasCentigrade=5/9(Farhenheit-32)Farhenheit=Centigrade(1.8+32)

APPENDIX3 -Reference TablesTable 4. Conversion Tables (temperature, barometric pressure)

Millibars Inches of Hg

975 28.79 980 28.94 985 29.09 990 29.23 995 29.38 1000 29.531005 29.681010 29.821015 29.971020 30.121025 30.271030 30.411035 30.561040 30.711045 30.861050 31.011055 31.15

Conversion formulasIn of Hg=millabars/33.8653Millibars=InofHg*33.8653

Temperature Barometric Pressure

�9

J Lockyer - 02/16/03slightly updated - 08/08/05

Rose Tree Park HawkWatch Contacts

Site Managers Jim Lockyer - Site Coordination, Compiler, Information, Special Studies jim@jl-studio.com PO Box 78 Media,PA19063 610-565-2873

Janet Crawford - Site Coordination janet.l.c@att.net 610-766-2161

HollyMerker-Educational Outreach HCybelle@aol.com 610-518-1703

Rose Tree Park HawkWatch is a Special Project of the Birding Club of Delaware County

30

NOTES

NOTES

jl-studio ART & DESIGNwww.jl-studio.com