[va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (19 Sep 2004) 1115 Raptors

  • From: reports@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • To: va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
  • Date: 19 Sep 2004 09:09:34 -0400


Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 19, 2004
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV                           0              0              0
TV                           0              0              0
OS                          12             59             69
BE                           3              9             16
NH                           0              8             12
SS                          15             55             72
CH                           3              8             16
NG                           0              0              0
RS                           0              2              2
BW                        1068           2413           2570
RT                           3             14             34
RL                           0              0              0
GE                           2              2              2
AK                           3             21             27
ML                           1              3              4
PG                           0              2              2
UA                           2              3              4
UB                           0              0              2
UF                           1              2              4
UE                           0              0              0
UR                           2              4              8

Total:                    1115           2605           2844
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 06:30:00 
Observation end   time: 17:45:00 
Total observation time: 11.25 hours

Official Counter: Brenda Tekin

Observers:        Donna Lewis, Ed Lewis, Gordy Adamski, Pat Alther

Visitors:
LOTS of visitors today including Nancy Davidson, Marissa Benavente, Jim
Flynn visiting from Washington state and who got to see his fill of BW!;
Tom and Nita Lord, Robert Butler, Marlene Condon, Shirley and David Adams
from Richmond, Duane Brown from Richmond, Dave Hunter, Ron and Pricilla
Kingston, Robert Plank, Jennifer Gaden, Andrew Clem and Alan Richardson


Weather:
What a difference compared to yesterday's MACH 5 wind speed.  However, it
would have been nice to have had a few clouds.  For that matter, even a
contrail or two would have been nice!
Morning greeted us with bright crystal clear skies, with no fog or haze
that remained throughout the day.  

Wind:  WNW, 20-35 km/h diminishing to 10-20 km/h
Temp:  18.5c (high); (low-14.5c)
Humidity:  46% dropping to 22% by 2 p.m. EST increasing to 34%
Bar Pressure: 1019 increasing to 1022
Cloud Cover: zilch  Not even a contrail!  Nothing but bright blue sky more
like an early October day!



Observations:
Another banner day.  After yesterday's late afternoon flight, we figured
there would be a good morning start so four us arrived by 6:30 a.m. EST. 
First bird, a SS, came up at 6:37 a.m..  We had a decent morning then
things really slowed down for several hours.  Last two hours BW were
pretty much non-stop.  We FINALLY had several impressive kettles late in
the day between 4:30 - 5:15 EST! We had BW all over the sky!!!
BW hourly flight as follows (EST):
6:30-7am:7; 7-8am:22; 8-9am:191; 9-10am:98; 10-11am:36; 11-12noon:57;
12-1pm:4; 1-2pm:17; 2-3pm:8; 3-4pm:21;4-5pm:169; 5-5:45pm:438

Golden Eagle - 9:59 a.m. EST
BE - 2nd year @7:42amEST; 5+(adult)@1:35pm
At 4:26 p.m.EST a 2nd adult BE (3rd BE for day) came in together with
adult Golden and Osprey.  Several observers were looking at the adult BE
while others were describing an adult Golden. Several were thinking the
others needed to go back to basic training camp! It was not until after
the adult Golden Eagle flew over the roof of the Inn that everything
discovered the second eagle, the adult Bald, was a short distance behind
and lower than the Golden!

Red-headed Woodpecker - A very impressive 26!
Blue Jay - we noted a significant increase in numbers with arrival of
strong cold front
Northern Flicker - again, a noticeable increase 
Canada Goose:  high flying wedge of 13 heading SE
Double-crested Cormorant - small flock heading SE
Scarlett Tanager - 1
Pigeons (4) presumed to be "homing" pigeons heading west high up following
I-64.
Hummingbird: 3
Monarch Butterfly - 7

Predictions:
hopefully more of the same but clouds, PLEASE!
========================================================================
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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  • » [va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (19 Sep 2004) 1115 Raptors