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Friday, September 18, 2009

Osprey Migration

For birders, there are lots of Ospreys still to migrate, unlike the Broad-winged Hawks, which might clear out of New England by the end of the weekend. We had 338 hawks over Pack Monadnock Raptor Migration Observatory yesterday, 273 were Broad-winged Hawks. A front is coming through today, with sun and stronger winds.
Ospreys migrate singly, unlike Broadwings, who try to get in big groups then ride the thermals on their migration as an energy efficient way to get to Central and South America. They eat little on migration. Their food source of reptiles and amphibians becomes unavailable, once the weather turns cold, so they have to leave here. Ospreys will migrate into Oct. They can stop and hunt for fish and refuel. Since we're on a shallow lake that's a dammed up part of a river, we get Ospreys passing right by our house, during their migration.

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