March 27 and 28th, 2018-A Banner Day-470 Swainson's Hawks Up Close and Personal March 27th-Surprise on March 28th

Leader:
March 27-Pam Albers
March 28-Hal Cohen

Migration:
March 27-Swainson's Hawks-470
March 28-Swainson's Hawks-153; Turkey Vultures-11

Discussion:
As predicted the hawks began migrating before 7am. However a few hundred hawks flew low and west for 2 more hours. We established the count a mile north of Palm Canyon Drive on DiGiorgio Rd. For 3 hours hawks moved past us 20 yards above. A few hundred were perched in trees and on the ground. Kettles from the Date Farm and Roadrunner continued to form for our watch period.

March 28th was a surprise as the evening before yielded only a few SW's. The day started with a few hawks on the ground and one in the tamarisks near the count site. By 8:45am kettles began to form to the east. Before the day was finished 153 Swainson's migrated.

Evening Watch:
TBA

Prediction:
TBA

First Light-6:30am-HC

A Closer View-Janet Lyons

Nice Rufous (Intermediate) SW-HC

First Big Kettle-Janet Lyons