Candler Mountain
Lynchburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2006
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 1 17 17
Bald Eagle 0 2 2
Northern Harrier 0 1 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 8 11 11
Cooper's Hawk 1 2 2
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 964 1872 1872
Red-tailed Hawk 1 1 1
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 1 9 9
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown 1 1
Total: 976 1916 1916
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Gene Sattler
Observers:
Weather:
Initially clear but quickly moving to partly cloudy, with 80-95% cloud
cover most of the day and periods of sun mixed with cloudiness. N-NE 3-8
mph and a high of 77 degreee F.
Raptor Observations:
A quick start with kettles of 20-100 the first few hours totalling over 500
birds, with another 185 in the 11:00 hour EST, then an hour lull when the
clouds thickened up, followed by another push the next hour of 193 birds
before things petered out. The first few hours the birds were found a
good distance from the ridge, especially to the west, but were detectable
at their lower altitude. From the 11:00 hour on birds detected were
mostly closer in and mostly above naked eye detection. In the 11:00 hour
a kettle of about 95 a moderate distance to the east of the ridge rose up
into the bottom of a dark cloud to disapper, and were counted as they
popped out the back of the cloud streaming.
Non-raptor Observations:
During the hawk lull in the noon hour EST when things clouded up for a
while the Monarch count was 780, with several in view in the binoculars
many places you scanned.
Monarch - 1576
NonMonarch - 1
Green Darner - 3
RT Hummer - 2
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Report submitted by Gene Sattler (edsattle@xxxxxxxxxxx)
Site Description:
Candler Mountain is located on the southeast edge of Lynchburg, VA, in
Virginia's Inner Piedmont. It is 45 miles SSE of Rockfish Gap and 32 miles
E of Harvey's Knob. The primary site is a bare knob known locally as the
"Bald Spot". It is part of a minor ridge that parallels the Blue Ridge
Parkway, which is 16 miles to the NW. The bare knob offers a 360 degree
view from an elevation of 1336 feet. The Candler Mountain count is in its
tenth year, and is sponsored by the Liberty University Department of
Biology and the Lynchburg Bird Club. The count is currently conducted only
from early September to the end of the month because of a shortage of
counters.
For directions to the lookout visit "virtual birder.com" and take a hawk
migration link, then take the "Find a Watch" link, or contact me.
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