FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (04 Oct 2004) 88 Raptors

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Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 04, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV                           0              0              0
TV                           0              0              0
OS                           0              3             96
BE                           0              1             20
NH                           0              1             15
SS                          77            155            453
CH                           8             21             56
NG                           0              0              0
RS                           0              1              3
BW                           0             10           4579
RT                           1              1             42
RL                           0              0              0
GE                           0              0              2
AK                           2              9             42
ML                           0              1              7
PG                           0              2              8
UA                           0              1              6
UB                           0              0              4
UF                           0              0              5
UE                           0              0              0
UR                           0              0              9

Total:                      88            206           5347
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 12:00:00 
Observation end   time: 14:30:00 
Total observation time: 2.5 hours

Official Counter: Brenda Tekin

Observers:        

Visitors:
None!


Weather:
Bright blue sky and not a single cloud.  Occasional jet contrail that
quickly evaporated.

Wind:  WNW 12-15 km/h diminishing to less than 5.
Temp:  19c (high)
Humidity:  50% dropping to 45%
Bar.Pressure:  1015
Visibility:  crystal clear and no haze

Observations:
Partial Albino Red-tailed Hawk at 1:51 p.m. EST

Had picked up two TVs not too far to east of observation point and then
noticed a flash of something next to them.  In the bright afternoon sun
against bright blue sky it was not until I used the binoculars could I see
this bird.  Circling with the TVs, wings fully extended and tail fanned
out, viewing from the underside at first I wasn't sure what I was looking
at other than a good-sized buteo.  No barring in the underside of the tail
and extended wings and tail almost had a translucent appearance (paper
thin) in the bright light.  Underside of tail had hint of rufous.  No
detectable belly band, no dark patagial.  In fact, only hint of dark
feathers on underside.  No dark edge on trailing edge of flight feathers. 
It did, however, have dark tips on tips of primaries.  When it turned,
very pale bird with no hint of hood and it was only that rufous tail that
confirmed this was a partial albino.  

Palm Warbler - at least 5 flying by
Blue Jay - numbers have dropped dramatically from last week's impressive
numbers
Northern Flicker
Chinmney Swift
Monarch Butterfly - 1

Predictions:
more sunshine and cooler temps
========================================================================
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


***Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA - Established 1976***
The Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch is held on the grounds of the Inn at Afton,
located on the southern side of Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains,
just above where I-64 (exit 99) intersects with the southern end of the
Skyline Drive and the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just east of
Waynesboro, VA and approximately 22 miles west of Charlottesville, VA.  

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