Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 12, 2005
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 0 0 175
BE 2 4 44
NH 0 1 32
SS 2 17 1043
CH 1 10 175
NG 0 0 1
RS 0 2 24
BW 0 0 7263
RT 14 82 1567
RL 0 0 0
GE 1 1 6
AK 0 1 149
ML 0 0 18
PG 0 0 7
UA 0 1 11
UB 0 2 23
UF 0 0 1
UE 0 0 1
UR 1 1 16
Total: 21 122 10556
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Observation start time: 10:15:00
Observation end time: 15:15:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers: Gordy Adamski, Robert Plank
Visitors:
Kirk Callison
Weather:
Picture Perfect!
Light southerly breeze 1-5km/h throughout the day.
Temp: 15c increasing to 23c;
Humidity: 26% dropping to 23%;
Bar.Pressure: 1022 dropping to 1020;
Cloud Cover: very thin veil of white clouds, a few jet contrails in just
the right places against a brilliant blue sky.
Crystal clear sky, no haze and visibility for miles.
Raptor Observations:
What few raptors flew today were all low, some even below eye level.
Two adult Bald Eagle spotted to the east eventually flew south along east
side of ridge, one coming in relatively close at 12:48. The 2nd one
followed at 12:51.
At 12:54 I picked up on a low sailing 3rd eagle heading straight for us
crossing the gap and called it out. Gordy said he was on the bird but
that it was too small for an eagle. Now, we're both looking in the same
direction. I didn't think I was suffering from eye fatique quite yet. I
lowered my binoculars long enough to rub the ol' eyes and looked back
across the way. Yep, I was still seeing an eagle-sized bird. By now it
was closer and I could see the white oval patches on underside of wings
and white in the tail - a juvenile Golden! "Gordy, are you seeing this
eagle?" Gordy responds, "No, I'm following the sharpie." I glance over
and now see he is looking more to the left, following a distant sharpy.
"Gordy, forget the sharpy. You really need to see this bird!"
Next response -- "Oh wow!". That Golden Eagle was so low you felt you
could reach out and touch it. Absolutely a once in a lifetime moment
where you held your breath! WOW!
Web link to few pics that do not do justice:
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/link_pages/GoldenEagle2_link.htm
Non-raptor Observations:
Definite highlight were three Cave Swallow (99.9%)
Earlier, at approximately 11:28 a.m. I picked up on a single swallow
heading due west through the gap. The bird was not too high up, only a
short distance above eye level flying toward the NE corner of the hotel.
Sitting at the upper deck I was able to see full left side, under belly of
the bird. What caught my immediate attention were the following:
1- short, chunky swallow (I even used the term "squatty") (Also noted by
Gordy Adamski.)
2- short squared tail (Also noted by Gordy Adamski.)
3- pale underneath but with a very noticeable pale rufous (almost orange
but very pale) wash on upper breast at throat and along the side beneath
the left wing and undertail coverts. The center of the underside that
included the belly was very pale, almost whitish that set off the pale
rufous/orangey wash. It seemed as though there was a circle of rufous
wash with pale center.
4- Side of face was pale and also seemed to have a pale rufous wash
5- For a split second or two, it seemed to have a small dark cap.
6- The bird fluttered a few times and the tail dropped revealing a pale
orange rump that seemed a shade or two darker than the pale rufous wash on
underside running along the side under the left wing.
I have observed and photographed Cliff Swallow as well as Cave Swallow.
Everything I saw on this bird was a perfect fit for Cave Swallow.
It flew past on the north end of the building where we lost sight of it
because it was below the roof line! A few seconds later we picked it back
up when it flew up over the front of the hotel in back of us The swallow
fluttered up and that's when we discovered there were two more swallow a
short distance to the south moving north to join the first one and
although I could not see the rump on these other two, they both had that
same squatty, chunky, short-body appearance with squared tail, pale
underside with noticeable pale rufous (orangey) wash on upper breast,
undertail coverts and on sides under the wings. They fluttered together
and all three headed due west.
No other swallow were seen until 1:20 p.m. when we picked up two heading
east not too high up crossing over in front of us. Now, if you put the
earlier swallow in reverse, it would backtrack along the route these two
afternoon swallow were taking. Kirk Callison was on hand and we were able
to observe the pale underside with detectable but pale rufous/orangey wash
along the sides under the wings, at upper breast and throat and undertail
coverts and almost whitish belly, the squared tail and the short, chunky
bodies, and pale orangey wash on side of face. And, we clearly noted the
orangey rump! We lost them as they continued tracking eastward. I'm
speculating these two were from the same group of three seen earlier that
day.
Predictions:
more sunshine
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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
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