[MASSBIRD] Plum Island Hawk Watch 2021 Migration Overview

[phaw...@comcast.net]

The Plum Island Hawk Watch on the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge has concluded an amazing 2021 season. Conducted by the Eastern Massachusetts Hawk Watch ((EMHW), under Site Leader Robert Secatore the Plum crew broke records for coverage (56 days & 236 hours) and for three species as well as total hawks. Observers recorded 1,771 hawks, surpassing the 1,766 seen in 2011. That included 644 Sharp-shinned Hawks (surpassing 301 in 2016), 56 Cooper’s Hawks (versus 51 in 2016), and 137 Merlins (exceeding 109 in 2020).

 

Almost 40% of our hawks were seen on one day, May 2, when we recorded an all-time EMHW spring watch record 699 hawks, including 461 sharpshins, 19 Cooper’s, 169 kestrels, 23 Merlins, and 1 juvenile Broad-winged Hawk. At times it looked like Logan Airport in pre-pandemic rush hour, with a dozen sharpies stacked up over the dunes to the south. It was also remarkable in that I’ve never seen so many apparent male Sharpshins (very small) in Massachusetts before in one year, much less a single day. We had about average four “100+ bird” days this spring, but two of those barely exceeded 99.

 

This year’s watch was conducted with only six permitted observers as authorized under CDC pandemic guidelines to count from the deck at Parking Lot 1. In a major improvement over last year, vehicles were allowed on the refuge and two port-a-potties were placed at Lot 1 for refuge visitors. “Thank You” to all the counters who helped this year!

 

For more details on the 2021 season, visit HawkCount.org or see the “EMHW Newsletter” this August. For more information on the Eastern Mass Hawk Watch, go to https://massbird.org/emhw

 

Best,

Paul

 

Paul M. Roberts
Medford, MA 
phaw...@comcast.net

Eastern Massachusetts Hawk WAtch