[va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (03 Sep 2006) 111 Raptors

[reports@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]

Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 03, 2006
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV                           0              0              0
TV                           0              0              0
OS                           7              7             13
BE                           2              2              2
NH                           1              1              3
SS                           0              0              6
CH                           0              0              2
NG                           0              0              0
RS                           1              1              1
BW                          93             93            124
RT                           6              6             11
RL                           0              0              0
GE                           0              0              0
AK                           0              0              1
ML                           0              0              0
PG                           1              1              1
UA                           0              0              0
UB                           0              0              0
UF                           0              0              0
UE                           0              0              0
UR                           0              0              0

Total:                     111            111            164
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter: Brenda Tekin

Observers:        Pat Alther, Robert Plank, Rose Thomas

Visitors:
Quite a few visitors enjoying the afternoon:
Betty mooney,
Lois Gebhardt and friends Stephen Chang & Susan Opoten,
Jo King, 
Tom Pendleton,
Alan Richardson,
Mary Stack
Maggie Buchannan


Weather:
After several days shut down due to rain and fog (cold front and tropical
depression Ernesto, the birds were ready to fly today.  Westerly winds
6-11km/h changing to a more southerly flow and dimishing to 1-5km/h;
Temp: remained 21c between 9-11:15EST then with change in winds, temp
climbed to 26.5c;
Humidity: 66% dropping to 44% then climbing back up to 61%;
Bar.Pressure: 1014>1015;
Cloud Cover: Partly cloudy, increasing to mostly cloudy with brief period
of dark threatening clouds.

Raptor Observations:
Broad-wings were trinkling through with bulk (62) between 1-2:40pm EST;
with diminishing winds we observed quite a few dropping down into the
trees by 3:30 EST.

The season's first migrating Bald Eagle, a stunning adult, came up low
from South River, sailing low over the gap and then circling and climing
to great heights before heading south at 9:01am EST.

A second Bald Eagle, a 4th year at the top of the 10 o'clock hour

One the top highlights was the adult Red-shouldered Hawk up close and
personal for jaw-dropping views.  

Link to a few pics:  
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/link_pages/RedShoulderedHawk_link.htm



Non-raptor Observations:
Pileated Woodpecker crossing the gap and continuing south (2);
Monarch Butterfly - numerous with well over 45 counted (when we weren't
busy looking for the distant Broad-wings);
Hummingbird:  3

Small flock of Common Nighthawk at 4:05 p.m. coming in close, actively
feeding along east side of the ridge.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Brenda Tekin (bt8x@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA information may be found at:
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch


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[va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (03 Sep 2006) 111 Raptors