[va-bird] HSR: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch (27 Sep 2003) Raptor counts (total=150)

Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2003
-------------------------------------------------------------------

Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV                           0              0              0
TV                           0              0              0
OS                           2             81             87
BE                           0             20             25
NH                           1              9              9
SS                          11            155            161
CH                           3             36             37
NG                           0              3              3
RS                           1              2              2
BW                         129           8068           8121
RT                           1             25             30
RL                           0              0              0
GE                           0              0              1
AK                           1             47             52
ML                           0             11             12
PG                           1             12             12
MK                           0              0              1
UA                           0              5              6
UB                           0              4              5
UF                           0              1              1
UE                           0              0              0
UR                           0              5              5

Total:                     150           8484           8570
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:30:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 7.75 hours

Official Counter: Brenda Tekin

Observers:        Donna Lewis, Jennifer Gaden

Visitors:
Paige & Duan Saufley from Crozet, VA
Allen Larner
Peter Nebel
Maggie
Jennifer Gaden and sister Margo and brother-in-law Charlie from Seattle.
Donna Lewis
Dave Hunter
Joan Strickler from Harrisonburg


Weather:
Strange day with the wind. Prevailing lower SE wind in morning produced
only a handful of raptors, all easily seen.  In observing clouds, there
appeared to be virtually no upper level wind, same as yesterday.   By
mid-day winds began to shift more to south and then SW, wind speed
increasing to approximately 5 mph with gusts up to 10 (according to new
handheld wind guage). 
Temp (High):  24c
Humidity:  65% throughout day until approach of front increasing to 70%
Bar.Pressure: 1011
Cloud Cover:  Mostly sunny with few clouds in just the right places then
increasing to mostly cloudy by 3:30 p.m. EST.; overcast by 4:15
Hazy over eastern Piedmont.

Observations:
Very slow morning.  BWs came through:
10-11 a.m.EST-4
11-12 p.m. - 3
12-1 p.m. - 4
Winds began to change; more variableby start of 1 p.m.
1-2 p.m.- 22 Lower winds unexpectedly began blowing out of the West around
1:30 p.m. and Broad-wings began coming up out of the valley LOW, well
below eye level, heading east through the gap.  We had to stand to look
down on them.  Spectacular close ups of most that came through within 5
minutes (22). Wind then switched back to more SW  by startup of 2 o'clock
hour.  
2-3 p.m. - At 2:58 p.m. EST a squadron of 85 BW passed low overhead coming
out of the NE heading SW.
3-4 p.m. - 3 BW 

Peregrine at 3:46 p.m. EST
Northern Harrier - adult male

Chimney Swift at times were all across the sky; everywhere you put your
glass you had a Chimney Swift.
Blue Jay - more numbers, more vocal- At least 12 observed crossing; many
more moving among the trees.
Flicker - 1; Red-headed Woodpecker - 2; Red-bellied Woodpecker - 1;
Monarch Butterfly - 18

Predictions:
Cold front is suppose to push through tonight bringing much cooler temps
and hopefully more birds.
========================================================================
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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