Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 16, 2005
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 9 41 58
BE 0 3 17
NH 4 14 16
SS 18 45 60
CH 2 13 17
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 0 0
BW 69 1543 1727
RT 0 25 60
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 0 0
AK 4 24 27
ML 0 1 1
PG 0 0 0
UA 0 0 2
UB 0 3 10
UF 0 1 1
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 3 3
Total: 106 1716 1999
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 16:15:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers:
Visitors:
Observers included Nancy Corwin, Robert Plank, Marlene Condon, Dave
Hunter.
Several visitors including Sophia and her son, Tony, along with Pepper;
Lawrence Walkin,
Nancy Davidson.
Several other folks visiting that helped in spotting a few birds for us.
Sorry, but in my haste to leave before the big storm hit, I left the
visitor's log back at the hotel.
Weather:
We need that cold front to come through to produce a consistent wind. The
advancing cold front bringing much needed rain held off until late
afternoon.
Wind maybe 1-2 km/h out of the NNW increased to 8-10km/h by 10 a.m.
Standard Time out of the South, then SW then West. Clouds began to roll
in by 12 p.m. Standard Time then mostly cloudy to overcast by 1 p.m.
Temp: 23C>29C;
Humidity: 72% dropping to 55%;
Bar.Pressure: 1015>1016;
Light patchy fog over the valley along with haze. Light sprinkles by 2
p.m. and then thunderstorms rolled in by 4 p.m.
Raptor Observations:
After yesterday's unexpected impressive late afternoon flight, we were
hopeful of a repeat performance.
Pulling into the parking lot by 7:45 a.m. (Standard Time) pigeons roosting
on the roof of hotel were stirred up. Directly in front zoomed a falcon.
Because of lighting, initially thought "Merlin" but turned into a Kestrel.
With inconsistent winds, birds were once again, all over the sky. Once
clouds began to roll in the birds were dropping down and no birds between
3-4 p.m. Standard Time. A dark gray thunder cloud with heavy rains was
moving over the valley to our north and we were packing it in by 4 p.m.
Just ahead of the storm a very low Osprey, below eye level, came up from
west side of gap over the interstate, flapping the entire time looking for
ridge lift.
WEB LINK to OSPREY that came in close: (copy and paste the following
address to your browser address bar)
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/link_pages/Osprey_link.htm
Non-raptor Observations:
Sure wish we could identify some of the high flying passerines pushing
through. We did manage to identify the following:
Red-eyed Vireo (singing);
Blackburnian Warbler - adult male;
Palm Warbler - one perched on rail near observers;
Red-headed Woodpecker - 1 heading west;
Hummingbird: 2
Common Nighthawk - 1 just ahead of the storm
Chimney Swift - several pushing through
American Tree Swallow - increasing numbers today;
Massive flock (thousands!) of blackbirds consisting mainly of Common
Grackle
WEB LINK TO PIC of BLACK SWARM:
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/link_pages/Blackbirds_link.htm
Predictions:
clearing skies as front pushes through.
========================================================================
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
You are subscribed to VA-BIRD. To post to this mailing list, simply send email
to va-bird@xxxxxxxxxxxxx. To unsubscribe, send email to
va-bird-request@xxxxxxxxxxxxx with 'unsubscribe' in the Subject field.
