Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2008
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 2 12 132
Bald Eagle 0 2 33
Northern Harrier 0 4 23
Sharp-shinned Hawk 66 184 508
Cooper's Hawk 5 19 74
Northern Goshawk 0 0 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 1
Broad-winged Hawk 4 7 14436
Red-tailed Hawk 3 9 32
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 1
American Kestrel 3 15 84
Merlin 0 1 4
Peregrine Falcon 0 5 15
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1
Unknown Buteo 0 0 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 6
Mississippi Kite 0 0 1
Total: 83 259 15354
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Multiple Counters
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Mark Johnson, Vic Laubach
Visitors:
Cindy and Charlie Brook; John & Elizabeth Howard,
and Mark Johnson from Madison Heights.
Weather:
Another great fall day to be outdoors enjoying warm sunshine with virtually
NO clouds and bright blue skies. Westerly winds in the morning clocked at
4 diminishing to 3 on the Beaufort wind scale seemed to motivate the bulk
of today's Sharp-shinned flight between 9-11 a.m. EST. Winds diminished to
1 to 2 and more southerly. A few clouds were rumored to be about and the
bright blue skies made it difficult to find the few high sailing birds by
the afternoon.
Temp: 17.5>23.5c;
Humidity: 63% dropping to a low of 39%;
Bar.Pressure: steady at 1017;
clear visibility for miles.
Raptor Observations:
Bulk of birds were between 9-11 a.m. EST. In the afternoon several birds
were found flying high overhead and some coming in low to the north that
found thermals over the interstate and would begin slow upward spiral
before sailing southward.
Non-raptor Observations:
Pileated Woodpecker, Chimney Swifts continue to move through in small
numbers; Red-headed Woodpecker, Common Raven(at least 4)
Predictions:
more of the same although possibly a few more clouds with an approaching
cold front.
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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
