After reading recent reports on Common Nighthawk (CONI) flights in the
northern sectors, it appeared migration is a bit early this year and decided
to check things out at Rockfish Gap.
On Wednesday night I made it up to Rockfish Gap, arriving at 5:59 p.m.
(EDST) and within 3 minutes of arriving, a single CONI flew low over the gap
heading south along east side of the ridge. I got excited, settled in
expecting a decent flight...and then waited.....and waited.....and....
Only one more flew over, a total of two between 6:02 and 7:40 p.m. EDST.
Last night (Thursday) I arrived by 6:20 p.m. EDST. It was partly cloudy,
extremely hazy with not a hint of air movement. A few Barn Swallow and
Chimney Swift were flying around, some spotted high up on a steady course
heading due south. A White-tailed doe stepped out of the heavy brush next
to the old skating rink joining company with the two grazing Eastern
Cottontail. "Female" BALTIMORE ORIOLES are moving through (3 on Wednesday)
and one last night dropped in to feed, picking off insects from underside of
leaves.
Several small waves of CHSW were observed heading NW toward Waynesboro in
the valley but numbers paled in comparison to previous years. Then again,
if memory serves correctly, it's a several days early for average peak
flights and I suspect we're just on the leading edge of the peak push for
Chimney Swift.
In past years, the peak flights of CONI at Rockfish Gap seem to coincide
with very large movement of Chimney Swift and because of that, I was not
expecting a big flight last night. In this kind of situation, I love to be
proven wrong.
I kept count in 30-minute increments and broken down to numbers in each
wave. Unfortunately I don't have this readily available and will get
details posted later on.
The count ran from 6:30 - 7:40 p.m. EDST. Cloud cover increased to mostly
cloudy and one brief moment there may have been a slight breeze. Then
again, I may have caught my own breath and mistaken it from an outer source.
The flight path was from east side of ridge heading NW over the gap heading
into Waynesboro, except for two birds seen flying high heading over the gap
heading due south. Because of the extreme haze in the valley I was unable
to continue tracking once the CONI reached the area over downtown
Waynesboro. I have seen this flight path heading NW into the valley quite a
few times over the course of several years. Other times, they are either in
the valley heading south along the western slope then turning and crossing
over the gap flying directly overhead or out over the Piedmont along the
eastern side of the ridge. As recent as last year, a large black cloud of
swirling CONI were observed a further out over the Piedmont to the east
following along the ridge drifting south.
Total count last night was 345. The bulk was one large swirling flock of
300+ located over Waynesboro to the NW. I did not see where these birds
came in from and can only surmise they either crossed over from the east
further north or down the western side of the ridge. They eventually
disappeared into the haze and again, I was unable to relocate.
If weather hold out, I plan to be back up tonight which what I suspect with
be a very good flight.
--------------------------------------
Brenda Tekin, Co-coordinator
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
http://home.ntelos.net/~btkin/rockfish_gap_hawk_watch/
*** CELEBRATING 30 YEARS - 1976-2006 ***
Weekend Celebration - September 22-24, 2006
Come join us as we celebrate 30 years of counting migrating raptors at
Rockfish Gap. Activities will include hawk watching, vendor and
informational booths, hawk, butterfly & dragonfly identification workshops
and more. Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch is held on the grounds of the Inn at
Afton, located on the southern side of Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge
Mountains, just above where I-64 (exit 99) intersects with the southern end
of the Skyline Drive and the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just
east of Waynesboro, VA and approximately 22 miles west of Charlottesville,
VA.
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