PaudurHill (Khare) Raptor Migration Update 11 Oct – Day 26

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We had a shower in last two evenings and the temperature is going down however it is still hot during the day time. In last two days Red-rumped Swallows are peaking their migration (10 Oct – 3181, highest for this season). Weather was very clear today thus the birds were mostly very high in the sky. Looking on the swallows I felt like the swarms of flies moving in the sky.  So it was terrible. Red rumped migration will be continued. Now Barn swallows are going down and we are getting only few. Raptor migration is similar as earlier. At least 3 common kestrels are local in the watch and hang around all the time.  Booted eagles are continuing their migration however few birds hang around lot of time and then started their journey.  We also observed the number of black kite is also fluctuating around the site. There is a new black kite around our site having one primary feather of left wing white color. This kite is around the watch site since two days. I am observing few (at least 3) Honey Buzzards are very similar to Eastern Honey Buzzards (spp- orientalis)- we don’t have the record of this species here. So this is much confusing for me. Amur Falcon (female) was circling right overhead however couldn’t get the good picture with my small digital camera (18x zoom).   Himalayan Vultures are also migrating but not in the west. They do altitudinal migration to the lowland of Nepal. Hatching year (first year) Red- Headed Vulture is occasionally seen in the site with lot of white in the abdomen. So we can say they are breeding somewhere in Nepal. Red-headed vulture Survey Project (I am working on) did not find any breeding sites in the country. So this is very interesting for me. At least 3 same year red headed were observed in the last week.  

Species

10-Oct Migration
Today’s migration
Total Migration of the Season
Oriental Honey-buzzard
4
1
65
Common Buzzard
3
7
44
Long-legged Buzzard


4
Upland Buzzard


0
Unidentified Buteo


1
Eurasian Sparrowhawk
3
3
33
Northern Goshawk


0
Unidentified Accipiter


0
Black Kite
6
9
157
Osprey


1
Northern Harrier


0
Eastern Marsh Harrier


0
Unidentified Harrier


0
Steppe Eagle
1

2
Booted Eagle
4
1
30
Short-toed Eagle


1
Crested Serpent-eagle


22
Imperial Eagle


0
Greater Spotted Eagle


0
Bonelli's Eagle
1
1
4
Mountain Hawk-eagle


0
Golden Eagle


0
Unidentified Eagle


2
Peregrine Falcon ssp. calidis
2

19
Peregrine Falcon ssp. peregrinator


0
Saker Falcon


4
Eurasian Hobby

3
29
Amur Falcon
1
1
9
Lesser Kestrel


0
Common Kestrel
2

50
Unidentified Falcon


8
Egyptian Vulture
1

10
Himalayan Vulture

6
11
Cinereous (Black) Vulture


0
Griffon Vulture


0
Unidentified Vulture


0
Unidentified Raptor


5
Total
28
32
511
Sand Martin


12
Barn Swallow
7
7
2,418
Red-rumped Swallow
3,181
1,867
12,259
House Swift
11
3
158
White-throated Needletail


1
Dragonflies
39
95
1,883

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