I got there at 8:30AM about an hour before most people arrive. Upon walking out near the edge area I saw what appeared to be an American Kestral in the old tree to the left. I saw a Red-tailed Hawk that had probably spent the night in the lower depths of trees below. At first good light he came up to the cliff edges in a corkscrew shape (upward). He tried to pick off one of several resident Blue Jays flying around together.
Around 9:30AM a couple other guys came to do photography. The morning was slow, however, it soon "heated up". The resident Red-taileded soon came out for some great photo ops. Plenty of Sharp-shinned were around as well as one landed in the dead tree. Turkey Vultures and Ospreys were also occasionally passing by.
About half an hour before I left a pair of Black Vultures flew in with one of their young still attempting to get food from them.
State Line has been a great place these last few times for birding and photography! In all, I have seen these bird species and most of the time they will fly by close or land in the tree near for some photos.
Birds seen on 9-14-12, 9-17-12 and 9-24-12:
-residsent: Blue Jays, Peregrine, Merlin, American Kestral, Red-tailed Hawk, Turkey Vultures, Ospreys, Herring Gull, Double-crested Cormorants, American Goldfinch, Bald Eagles, Great Blue Herons, American Robins
-migrating: Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Broad-winged, Red-shouldered, Black Vulture, Northern Harrier, Chimney Swift
-also: Dark-eyed Junco and Ruby-crowned Kinglet just arrived
-non-birds: Eastern Grey Squirrels, Eastern Chipmunks, Praying Mantis, Blue-tailed Skink, Copperhead (dead)
Now for some pics!
Sharp-shinned in dead tree (on left)
Sharp-shinned air acrobatics!
Resident Red-tailed is a classic!
Black Vulture in flight
Parent and sibling Black Vultures in dead tree!
Black Vultures soaring on thermals
Black Vulture in dead tree
Blue-tailed Skink
Praying Mantis!
NOTE: Be careful around the rock fences that protect you. Somebody was once spooked by a baby Copperhead sun bathing on the rocks!
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