Snickers Gap Hawkwatch
20 Miles West of Leesburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 06, 2003
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 1 16 29
Bald Eagle 3 13 19
Northern Harrier 0 1 6
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 3 5
Cooper's Hawk 2 3 4
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1
Broad-winged Hawk 57 69 97
Red-tailed Hawk 9 11 11
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 0 2 2
Merlin 1 1 2
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown 0 0 0
Total: 75 122 178
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 18:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Ian Topolsky
Observers: BJ Westervelt, John Drummond, Larry Hopson, Mike Reyman
Visitors:
Joe Coleman and Ura (hope I spelled it right, girl) for a brief period,
Bob Lyon and Brian Jensen; and last but not least- Doug Poffenberger, who
is responsible for picking up on a large number of the late afternoon
"specks" AND the Merlin.
Weather:
The site was socked in with dense fog upon arrival but it rapidly
dissipated revealing IDEAL skies that remainded the rest of the day. Winds
were primarily out of the WNW (at 1 or 2 on the Beaufort) until they died
almost completely from the 3 o'clock hour on. Temp topped off at 27.2C
(81F).
Observations:
The majority of the birds that passed through in the first half of the
day were immature birds. Surprisingly, before a small push of
Broad-wingeds at the end of the 11 o'clock hour, Red-taileds (7 immature)
outnumbered BWs.
After the Broad-wingeds rightfully reclaimed their lead ,and a 2 1/2
hour lull, a good mix of species came through. Most notable was a Merlin
that absolutely TORE through the Gap in true Merlin fashion- low, fast and
just downright mean. It was followed shortly by a Peregrine.
Height of flight increased DRASTICALLY in the last 2-3 hours of
observation.
Besides our first balloon of the season (of the mylar race)- we had 50+
Cedar Waxwings, 100+ Chimney Swifts, 9 Ruby-throated Hummers and 35+
Monarch Butterflies.
Predictions:
The forecast is promising...
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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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