Snickers Gap Hawkwatch
Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 08, 2004
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 1 2 282
Bald Eagle 0 12 156
Northern Harrier 7 27 140
Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 40 1662
Cooper's Hawk 2 21 391
Northern Goshawk 1 1 10
Red-shouldered Hawk 19 42 155
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 3701
Red-tailed Hawk 125 473 1358
Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1
Golden Eagle 2 5 11
American Kestrel 0 0 87
Merlin 0 0 23
Peregrine Falcon 0 2 32
Unknown 0 7 79
Total: 167 633 8088
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Larry Brindza
Observers: BJ Westervelt, Ian Topolsky, Todd Day
Weather:
A near-perfect day to be up on the ridge.
Winds were steady out of the NW at 2 Beaufort (gusting up to 4) for most
of the day. A lovely mix of various cloud formations and long-lasting
contrails were a sight for sore eyes- add a nice chill to the air and
there you have it...
Observations:
And Mista Novemba (Larry) comes out of his corner swinging...
Weather conditions felt right for a truly grand day. A steady and
promising trickle of Red-taileds started forming around 11:00- and though
it wasn't meant to be (just yet), we were far from disappointed. 125 when
all was said and done.
Red-shouldereds picked up the slack.
The early bird gets almost anything it wants. 1 adult Goshawk was
tallied today, coming through at 8:52.
And the taunting grows even crueler. 1 Osprey passed through, low, at
1:22. This brings us up to 282; 7 birds from tying the seasonal record
(exactly where they quit on us last year). It was not packin' a lunch.
Goldens- 2 adults at 3:43.
1 juvenile Bald was spotted around noon, though heading in the wrong
direction. I'm pretty sure I saw a "kick me" sign taped to its back, most
likely put there by another immature local.
Non-raptors of note:
Common Loon- 2. Double-crested Cormorant- 42, Canada Goose- 54,
Ring-billed Gull-30+, Yellow-shafted Flicker- 14, Cedar Waxwing- 51,
American Crow- 138, Hermit Thrush- 2, White-throated Sparrow- 2, Purple
Finch- 3, American Goldfinch- 18.
Canines:
1 juvenile male Blue Heeler. An absolutely adorable specimen, and new to
our list.
Predictions:
Will Bev have her socks knocked off tomorrow?
"Scotty don't"...
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Report submitted by Ian Topolsky (ict_earth@xxxxxxxxx)
Snickers Gap Hawkwatch was established in 1990. It is located in
northern Virginia, on the Clarke and Loudoun County line. It is reached
by taking VA Route 7 to the county line, which runs atop the ridge at
Snickers Gap. On the south side of Route 7 is a commuter parking lot.
The count is conducted from there. It is a volunteer site, and is counted
in fall only, from late August until late November or early December.
There are no facilities at the site, so bring a snack, drinks, and a
chair. Many of the birds can be distant, and a scope is helpful.
As a volunteer site, we are always looking to increase our pool of
counters. We are eager to train those who have never counted, but are
skilled with hawk identification. We are also willing to pair
inexperienced observers with experienced counters. Please contact the
compiler, Todd Day, at blkvulture@xxxxxxx with any questions or if you are
interested in participating in the count.
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