Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 04, 2012
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 0 0 275
Bald Eagle 0 13 213
Northern Harrier 0 4 74
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 64 2291
Cooper's Hawk 0 14 354
Northern Goshawk 0 0 3
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 9 45
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 17238
Red-tailed Hawk 11 115 321
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 1 3 5
American Kestrel 0 2 267
Merlin 0 1 23
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 20
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 17
Unknown Buteo 0 1 13
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 2 20
Mississippi Kite 0 0 1
Total: 13 229 21180
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 4.75 hours
Official Counter: Multiple Counters
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Gabriel Mapel, Vic Laubach
Weather:
Coverage: 7:30-10am (Vic Laubach & Gabriel Mapel); 9-11 am & 1-2:15pm
(Brenda Tekin).
A cold morning with dark gray cloudy skies and not a breeze stiring. Air
seemed heavy and distant smoke from trash burning was flattened out, not
rising upward. Nothing flying, not even the vultures!
Counters left by 11am with hopes weather would change. By 1 p.m. winds
had picked up and skies were clearing out with lots of sunshine a slight
breeze out of W to NW.
Raptor Observations:
We were so hopeful but weather just didn't cooperate. One migrating
sharp-shined was only bird for the morning. Arriving a few minutes after
1pm crows were flying low over the parking lot of the old hotel, heading
east, and mobbing a large raptor -- an adult Golden Eagle!!!! The eagle
sailed over the roof of the hotel and then steered southward. For the next
hour a handful of Red-tails moved through.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of Robins flying early in the day.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Brenda Tekin (brenda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
