Sugarloaf Roost Count for Eagles on Sunday, February 27, 2011 2-28-2011
gengberg February 28th, 2011
This the results of the Sugarloaf Roost Count for 27 February 2011, with the essential details already called in to John).
We were amazed this late to have 99 eagles total in at Sugarloaf!
SUGARLOAF:
Eagles IN the count: 44 Adults 49 Immatures 6 Unknowns = 99 Total
(Seen but NOT in 3 Adults, 3 Immatures, 0 Unknowns = 6 Total)
Number of Observers: 3 (Tim Moermond, Barb Dederich*, Marcia Riquelme*)
(*Barb and Marcia were both first time observers at this roost count)
Total Time Observed: 2 hours (4:15-6:15pm)
John told me that Dawn reported that after 5:40pm a number of eagles left Blackhawk and flew toward Sugarloaf.
At Sugarloaf from 5:43 to 6:09pm, we recorded 55 eagles coming IN to Sugarloaf (of those late arrivals at least 12 came into Sugarloaf from the NE another 7 that came in from the N/NW). I don’t remember a time with that many late arrivals, 55 arriving within 26 minutes!
I am sorry our count started 30 min late; I got my car stuck due to ice in my own lane; Barb who was at the count on time quickly drove over to “rescue” me and get me to the count. We observed only 4 eagles IN at 4:15pm. Subsequent “relocations” of birds within the roost revealed at least an additional 3 eagles that were likely already present IN the roost before 4:15pm.
I was fortunate to have the help of Barb and Marcia; while both were newcomers to roost counting, both became excellent at distinguishing immatures from adults in the fading light of dusk.
This was an exciting count!
Tim
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