Snickers Gap Hawkwatch
20 Miles West of Leesburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 26, 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 1 282
Bald Eagle 0 25 168
Northern Harrier 0 46 251
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 111 1790
Cooper's Hawk 0 36 306
Northern Goshawk 0 5 13
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 61 147
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 11647
Red-tailed Hawk 2 671 1081
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 14 21
American Kestrel 0 2 207
Merlin 0 2 38
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 45
Unknown 0 45 154
Total: 3 1019 16150
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Observation start time: 09:45:00
Observation end time: 14:15:00
Total observation time: 4.5 hours
Official Counter: Ian Topolsky
Observers: Todd Day
Weather:
Not our day. Winds were light out of the E/SE at 1 or less for most of
the period. Cloudcover fluctuated around 80 or 90% and temp topped off at
45F.
Observations:
Maybe for the first time in our lives, we realized that we have become
quite well versed in the native redneck tongue. When asked quite
demandingly, "uhhdjoo oin airrht!?", we swiftly responded, "Awhks, eggles
'n cetra".
The response was processed for a moment, and then we were helpfully
directed to a nearby fenceline that had plenty of hawks for us to look
at...
Predictions:
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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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