I just spent a week in the Goshute Mountains of Nevada helping Hawkwatch band and count migrating raptors. Amazing doesn’t quite cover it. On one Friday, we banded 80+ hawks and falcons, and counted 2200+ raptors. It was mostly Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks, but Prairie Falcons, Peregrines, Kestrels, Red Tails, Broadwings, Swainsons Hawks, Merlins made appearances. There was even a wayward Mississippi Kite spotted by one of the counters!
Having never spent much time Out West before, there were a few life birds for me in camp. Before we went out to the blinds, I was able to watch Clarks Nutcrackers drop pinecones on my tent, plucky Mountain Chickadees and Red-Breasted Nuthatches zip through the trees, and Dark-Eyed Juncos hop around in the brush.
Among the raptors there were new birds for me as well. I was beyond excited to take my first Prairie Falcon and Goshawk out of the nets, and watch my first Golden Eagle soaring by overhead. You could have pushed me over with a feather.
The Goshutes are a special site because of the way the wind and mountains come together to give lift and speed to birds on their migration – they hardly even have to flap, and birds will come from all around to take advantage of the free ride, making it a great place to count raptors. The unceasing bird parade made the 2+ mile hike to 9000ft more than worth it. I would go back in a second.
AvianRecon 