Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2004
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 6 65 75
BE 1 10 17
NH 1 9 13
SS 6 61 78
CH 2 10 18
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 2 2
BW 1024 3437 3594
RT 2 16 36
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 2 2
AK 0 21 27
ML 1 4 5
PG 0 2 2
UA 0 3 4
UB 0 0 2
UF 0 2 4
UE 0 0 0
UR 1 5 9
Total: 1044 3649 3888
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Wm (Bill) Gallagher
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Gordy Adamski, Robert Plank
Visitors:
Marlene Condon, Robert Butler, Bill Funk, Buddy, Tom Mizell, Nancy
Davidson, Marissa Benavente, Jim Flynn, Helen Priest
Weather:
Wind: NE throughout the day 12-19 km/h diminishing to 1-5 km/h.
Temperature: 24c (high); 9 c (low)
Humidity: 78% dropping to 31% then up to 41% by end of day.
BarPressure: 1025
Cloud Cover: 40% in the morning; zero cloud cover by 12 p.m. EST. Nothing
but bright blue sky the rest of the afternoon. Birds were difficult at
best to locate and only when they were almost overhead.
Observations:
Most of the Broad-wing were located high up in bright blue almost on top of
us. Several large kettles before streaming across the sky. With
diminishing winds we noted streaming birds far out to the east over
Rockfish Valley and one large kettle. We figured most of the BW were
tracking further to our east or lost in bright blue sky overhead.
Broad-wing flight today (EST):
7-8am: 1; 8-9am:37; 9-10am:128; 10-11am:31; 11-12pm:34; 12-1pm:0;
1-2pm:325; 2-3pm:452; 3-4:1; 4-5pm:5
Bald Eagle: adult at 9:20 a.m.
a second adult BE was observed to our north that turned back and we were
not able to count.
Merlin, a female, glided across in front of observers almost eye level, so
close that we could easily see details without binoculars. (4:14pm EST)
Chimney Swift
Blue Jay - quite a few flying back and forth and heading south.
Monarch Butterfly - 4
Predictions:
warming temps. Hopefully a bit more wind to blow the birds closer to the
ridge and clouds, PLEASE!
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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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