Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2004
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 2 2 95
BE 0 0 19
NH 1 1 15
SS 11 16 314
CH 2 2 37
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 0 2
BW 2 2 4571
RT 0 0 41
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 0 2
AK 3 3 36
ML 1 1 7
PG 2 2 8
UA 1 1 6
UB 0 0 4
UF 0 0 5
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 0 9
Total: 25 30 5171
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Observation start time: 12:00:00
Observation end time: 15:45:00
Total observation time: 2 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers:
Visitors:
Observer - Dave Hunter
Weather:
First, Virginia Department of Transporation with federal funding has
installed a new "video" camera at top of Afton Mountain. The camera is
positioned facing west overlooking Skyline Drive/BLue Ridge Parkway and
I-64. THis is a great tool to show current conditions atop the mountain.
Now, if we could only get a few of them angled skywards....
Here is the web link to the live video camera atop Afton Mountain
http://www.trafficland.com/findacam/trafficvideo.php?uid=0&map=6
No watch during morning hours due to rain and fog. By 11:30 a.m. things
began to clear in Charlottesville with brief periods of sunshine. Headed
up to mountain arriving by 12 pm EST and met up with Dave Hunter who had
just arrived. Bit more overcast over the ridge but at least it was not
raining.
Heavy rain started back up around 1:30 shutting it down. I came back at
3:15 and remained until 3:45. More breaks in the clouds with small
patches of blue peaking through. Most of the rain now moved to the east
and signs of clearing to the west.
Total coverage for the day: 2 hours
Wind changed from S-SSW to WNW by late afternoon.
Temp at 3:15 - 19C and dropping
BarPressure: 1018 and rising
Observations:
If only the weather had held up, imagine the possibilities. In a 30-minute
span we had 8 species! Then the heavy rains shut it all down.
NOHA - immature
Blue Jay - 1 flock of 21
Canada Goose - large flock of 50+
Black-throated Green Warbler - 1
Chimney Swift
Monarch Butterfly - 3
Predictions:
Mostly sunny with arrival of cold front, cooler temps and breezy. Bring on
the falcons and accipiters!
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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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