Lehigh Valley bird sightings for September 26

Turkey Vulture

Migration continues apace at Bake Oven Knob north of Germansville in Lehigh County. Teams for birders have spent up to 10 hours a day recording sightings of bird species as they pass over the mountain ridge, although inclement weather hampered them on some days during the week.

As usual, Broad-winged Hawks accounted for the largest number of species seen during the week of September 20 through September 26. A total of 1,229 Broad-wings flew south toward their wintering grounds in Central and South America. That number is about 500 fewer birds than the previous week.

Other raptors seen included Sharp-shinned Hawk, 304; Osprey, 56; Turkey Vulture, 51; Bald Eagle, 34; American Kestrel, 25; Black Vulture, 22; Red-tailed Hawk, 22; Cooper’s Hawk, 19; Merlin; 13; Northern Harrier, 7; and Peregrine Falcon, 5.

Other species seen at Bake Oven Knob during the week include Canada Goose, 130; Raven, 69; Pleated Woodpecker, 4; Mourning Dove, 4; Blue Jay, 3; Red-bellied Woodpecker, 2; Northern Flicker, 2; Hummingbird, 1; Philadelphia Vireo, 1; Black-throated Green Warbler, 1; Black-and-white Warbler, 1; Sandhill Crane, 1; Cedar Waxwing, 1; White-breasted Nuthatch, 1; Double-breasted Cormorant, 1; Eastern Wood Pee-Wee, 1; and Yellow-billed Cuckoo, 1.

Several other birders reported sightings in their neighborhoods, including:

Easton, Northampton County
Ruby-throated Hummingbird, 5 on September 22.
Also seen: Purple Finch, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood Pee-Wee, Indigo Bunting, Red-eyed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch.

Jacobsburg State Park, Northampton County
White-throated Sparrows, 10 on September 24.
Ruby-crowned Kinglet, 1 on September 26.

Germansville, Lehigh County
(near the feed mill)
Tundra Swan, 1 during the past week.
Snow Goose, 1 during the past week.

Little Gap, Carbon County
(in the lower fields)
Connecticut Warbler, 1 on September 21.
Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, 1 on September 21.