Spring Hawkwatch 2021
Season Summary
Species Composition
Species composition changes over time depending on weather, seasons, and many other factors. This chart displays the composition over a time period you select.
Click on pie pieces to see more detail. If there are more than seven species, click on "Other" to see a breakdown of the rest.
Display
Many sites have a protocol that is designed to maximize finding particular species. If you select "Focus Species," only these species will be shown.
Date Selector
The control box below the pie chart lets you select a date period for the chart.
You can push the buttons "1d," "1w," or "1m" to zoom the graph to 1 day, 1 week, or 1 month.
The graph shows the overall volume seen on each day. You can drag the sliders on each side of this graph to adjust the start and end dates.
Species Composition
February 11th to July 1st
Hourly Data
The time shown in the top row is the start of the one hour period.
Select Day
Choose a date to load the hourly table for that day. Only days that have data are shown.
Daily Counts
These charts show which species are most numerous at different parts of the season. Hover your mouse over a chart to see the number for a given day. The right column shows season totals and the left side shows the maximum for a single day. Each graph is scaled so that the single-day maximum is the highest point on the chart.
Sort By
- Focus Species: Show the highest priority species at the top of the list.
- Taxonomic Order: Sort the species by their scientific classification.
- Alphabetic Order: Sort the species by their common name.
- Abundance: Sort the species with the largest number counted at the top.
Daily Counts
Site Weather
Spring Hawkwatch 2021
Tussey Mountain is part of the Ridge and Valley region within the Appalachian Mountains. It is located on the Centre and Huntingdon County border, approximately 7 miles SE of State College and its long linear ridge extends from the center of the state southward approximately 70 miles to the Maryland Border. Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch is one of the premier spring Golden Eagle migration sites on the Eastern Flyway, averaging 186 individuals each spring. Full-time counts have been conducted from late February through late April since 2001 with an average of 1,800 raptors each spring, including up to 16 species. The first three weeks of March is the peak time for golden eagles. Look particular for warm southerly winds in early March, such as occurs ahead of approaching rain or snow.
Directions
The site is reached by driving south from State College on PA Route 26, through Pine Grove Mills, and to the top of Tussey Mountain. Park at the Joe Hays Vista parking area and hike approximately 1/2 mile SW along the mid-state trail to the powerline crossing where the watch is conducted.
Tussey Mountain Hawkwatch
Tussey Mountain Hawk Watch sponsor is Shavers Creek Environmental Center, State College Bird Club, and the generosity of individual donors. Shaver’s Creek was founded in 1976 as a resource for the community and as a field laboratory where Penn State students could get hands-on experience teaching about the natural world. The programs at our Environmental Center, Outdoor School, and Team Development Center provide a mix of educational and recreational opportunities for families, schools, corporate groups, and Penn State students. Since 1941, The State College Bird Club has been a fixture in the local birding community. Today, we are a diverse group dedicated to the appreciation of wild birds in central Pennsylvania. The Bird Club attracts members from many facets of our community: We are academics, school children, retirees, college students, laborers, and others, all bound by the common thread of our love for wild birds and the natural world. In a town where the local community often lives in the shadow of a major university, the State College Bird Club is a shining example of an organization that enjoys a mutually beneficial relationship with Penn State.
About the Data
All data displayed on this site are preliminary and have not yet undergone quality control. Written permission is required to use the data.
www.scbirdcl.org and www.shaverscreek.org