Broad Wingeds over Bent Mt.

[Joanie Kinser]

At 11am this morning, a small kettle of 7 broad-winged hawks was seen low and circling just over our property that is about ½ mile east of the Bent Mt. Post Office.  These were soon joined by a trail of hawks coming in low from the east until there were 78 birds.  Over the next half hour, small groups of 10-15 followed the same flight pattern.  At approximately noon, as we looked toward Poor Mountain and slightly to the north, a kettle of approximately 250-300 birds appeared near the northeastern end of the mountain.  Before this kettle disappeared to the southwest, an even larger kettle of 350-400 birds appeared and followed the same pattern.  We called two more neighbors and two of us climbed upon our roof to get a better view.  With the fog drifting up from the valley and clinging to the top of Poor Mt., counting was tough with some kettles disappearing into the fog as they moved to the southwest.  There were hawks in sight, though, nonstop from noon until around 1:30pm.  All kettles numbered at least 200 birds until around 1:45, with the last group of 11 birds disappearing into the fog over Poor Mt. at 1:55.  Our total for the 11am to 2pm time period was 2,700 broad-wingeds.

 

Ed and Joanie Kinser

Peter and Jenny Chapman

Ennis and Bonita Nichols

Bent Mt., VA