birdsoup

An old, old song reminds us “what a difference a day makes”.

Last Saturday I led a group of about 20 birders to the Chestnut Ridge HawkWatch. Mid-September is reported to be the peak of Broad-winged Hawk migration. But not much was moving on Saturday. The official count for the day was 185 raptors, including 112 Broad-wings. (Also 52 Monarch butterflies)

The next day, Sunday, the total count was much higher: 1,361 raptors, including 1,211 Broad-wings. The Monarch total was down to 40

One day made a big difference. Timing is everything, in birding and in life.