[va-bird] HSR: Snickers Gap (26 Oct 2005) 314 Raptors

Snickers Gap Hawkwatch
20 Miles West of Leesburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 26, 2005
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture                0              0              0
Turkey Vulture               0              0              0
Osprey                       1             34            240
Bald Eagle                   2             42            133
Northern Harrier             5             37             85
Sharp-shinned Hawk          89            915           1611
Cooper's Hawk               17            178            274
Northern Goshawk             0              3              3
Red-shouldered Hawk         14             41             69
Broad-winged Hawk            0             30           6825
Red-tailed Hawk            172            471            570
Rough-legged Hawk            0              0              0
Golden Eagle                 1              2              2
American Kestrel             1             38            136
Merlin                       2             23             38
Peregrine Falcon             0              5             15
Unknown                     10             31             76

Total:                     314           1850          10077
----------------------------------------------------------------------

Observation start time: 08:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:15:00 
Total observation time: 8.25 hours

Official Counter: Ian Topolsky

Observers:        Lad Topolsky

Visitors:
  Peter Gail (hope that's right), TMD & a few others popped in.


Weather:
  Magical. Winds out of the NW at 3+ Beaufort all day. Cold gray skies with
90% CloudCover, or more, for most of our visit with a number of light
showers thrown in just because. 1 half-rainbow observed in the first hour
of observation. 

Raptor Observations:
  Red-taileds owned the sky - the conveyor belt switch has been flipped to
ON and squirrels had a very, very bad day... 
  Many of these orderly creatures passed by with phat crops.

  A juvenile Golden Eagle took center stage for a brief period in the 12
o' clock hour, but still couldn't steal the show from the tails.

  Bald Eagle breakdown: 1- adult, 1- 2nd yr bird. 

  Our straggling Osprey was not packin' a lunch.

  

  

  

Non-raptor Observations:
  146 Double-crested Cormorants, 53 Canada Geese, 1 Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker, 11 Purple Finch, 1 Loon and a throng of newly-arrived
White-throated Sparrows in the woods behind us.

Predictions:
  A day you can really sink your teeth into.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Ian Topolsky (ict_earth@xxxxxxxxx)


Site Description:
     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.  


Directions to site:


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