Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, VA, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2002
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 5 7 95
BE 0 0 12
NH 3 5 25
SS 162 212 336
CH 5 21 46
NG 2 2 3
RS 0 0 0
BW 8 11 3644
RT 10 14 35
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 0 0
AK 53 62 80
ML 1 1 5
PG 5 7 15
MK 0 0 1
UA 1 1 4
UB 1 4 7
UF 0 0 4
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 0 12
Total: 256 347 4324
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Site Coordinator: Brenda Tekin
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Gordy Adamski
Visitors:
John and Nancy Spahr
Rick Myers
Special thanks to the following spotters:
Dwayne
Wanda SanJule
Dave Hunter
Weather:
Wind Speed: Brisk 20-28 km/h decreasing to 11-19 km/h
Wind Direction: WNW to NW
Temp: (hi) 27.5 c
Humidity: 64 decreasing to 38%
Bar. Pressure 1011 increasing 1013
Great visibility with very little distant haze
Observations:
What a day! Ten different species of raptors. I would take a day like
today over thousands of Broad-winged! Perfect! Just enough clouds for
most of the day and good steady breeze kept the Sharp-shinned and Kestrel
flowing pretty much nonstop throughout the day. We did not experience the
"normal" mid-day lull! Most were either at or below eye level coming in
close for wonderful views. Several visitors stopping by for just a few
minutes stuck around for several more hours enjoying the flight! We needed
just one more Peregrine to break our single day high record of five but
we'll settle for the five today. One passed over with a full crop!
With so many Kestrels I figured we had to be setting some kind of record.
Although not the single day record, it was the third best!
Two imm. No. Goshawk; first one at 8:35 a.m.; a second imm. was seen
several hours later that dropped down into trees on north side of the gap.
About 1.5 hours later we picked up an imm. that crossed the gap, most
likely the same one seen dropping down in the trees.
Female Merlin was observed zipping across the gap below eye level, grab a
small bird in the blink of an eye and continue on with lunch in it's
talons.
Chimney Swift
Blue Jay
Red-headed Woodpecker (adult)
No.Flicker
Predictions:
Hopefully more the same with cooler temps.
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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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