FreeLists / va-bird / [va-bird] A few non-hawks at Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch

[Brenda Tekin <bt8x@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Thought I would pass along a few highlights from the weekend and hope to 
get caught up in posting hawk counts from past several days.
The unseasonably warm weather from the previous weekend was pushed out by a 
strong cold front producing crystal clear bright blue sky and bone-chilling 
temps.  Thermals and layers were in order.

Nothing like a blast of cold air to push down a few birds.  In addition to 
a decent movement of Red-tailed Hawk, on Saturday we had an imm. Golden 
Eagle around 9:29 a.m. that flew WSW.  Gene Sattler from Lynchburg happened 
to be outside and got to see this one.

Later in the morning a flock of 26 ducks flew across the gap heading 
ESE.  They were about a glass up in bright morning light.  Haven't been 
able to positively ID.  Initially when I first spotted them they were about 
one glass up.  They  "twinkled" in the bright sun against an all blue sky 
and not being sure of distance initially thought they were distant snow 
geese.    When they flew over a close-in vulture, I realized they were much 
closer and smaller birds.  Underside of bodies appeared bright white; even 
the heads and necks appeared white and I could not detect any bold facial 
pattern or any "banding" on underside or along neck..  Underside of wings 
were "silhouette" gray in appearance and darker at tips of 
primaries.  Small ducks with head and short neck extending out, short tails 
and flying on fast "goose-like" wing beats.   The flock was NOT in any 
formation, but flying relatively close to each other and moving straight, 
not zigzagging or twisting.

Also had an impressive black cloud of DC Cormorant, 200+, fly over towers 
on Bear Den Mountain to NE heading ESE.  Clearly THE largest flock I've 
seen of this species at the hawk watch.  Got scope on them and stopped 
counting at 200.   Best estimate would be 230-250.

Small flock of Snow Goose (23) Sunday afternoon, heading ESE.

The big surprise were Pine Siskin flying by Sunday morning.  Heard them 
first and I managed to see 3 before they disappeared below trees back of 
observation deck.





Brenda Tekin, Co-coordinator
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Augusta County, VA



You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email 
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.