Snickers Gap Hawkwatch
20 Miles West of Leesburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 24, 2003
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 0 76 280
Bald Eagle 4 46 126
Northern Harrier 0 98 157
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 926 1458
Cooper's Hawk 0 150 223
Northern Goshawk 0 5 6
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 43 65
Broad-winged Hawk 0 75 11647
Red-tailed Hawk 3 147 251
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 4
American Kestrel 0 68 199
Merlin 0 18 32
Peregrine Falcon 0 16 44
Unknown 0 65 91
Total: 9 1734 14583
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Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8.25 hours
Official Counter: Sam Young
Observers:
Visitors:
Gene Rhodes
Weather:
Burning-blue skies most of the day with a few wisps of white. Wind was out
of the west, blowing 2-3 on the Beaufort Scale. Temperature started at
38F and peaked at the a balmy 52.
Observations:
Of the seven hours and ten minutes spent at the site, six of those hours
were staring at an empty sky. The whole lot of birds was between two and
three PM EDT.
Sam Young is getting a raw deal at Snickers Gap this year.
Predictions:
The Florida Marlins will win the World Series. Theoretically I would
prefer that to the Yankees winning another one, but being a tortured Red
Sox fan, it seems more than just a bit unjust that a team that only been
around for a decade or so should win two Championships while the Sox
continue snatching defeat from the jaws of victory and breaking hearts
throughout (Red Sox) nation.
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Report submitted by Todd Day (blkvulture@xxxxxxx)
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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