Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 05, 2011
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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 7 67 307
Bald Eagle 7 21 107
Northern Harrier 6 9 30
Sharp-shinned Hawk 90 166 756
Cooper's Hawk 7 23 110
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 2 3
Broad-winged Hawk 9 55 28765
Red-tailed Hawk 4 17 46
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 4 19 204
Merlin 1 1 11
Peregrine Falcon 1 5 23
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 2
Unknown Buteo 0 0 4
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 1 1 1
Total: 139 387 30370
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Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Vic Laubach
Observers: Gabriel Mapel, Pete Nebel
Visitors:
Tom Mizell, Connie and Gerry, and others.
Weather:
Sunny blue skies with a good NW wind all day (30-38km/hr). Temp. 11-18.5C.
Raptor Observations:
It was quite a fun day today with 11 species of raptors represented! This
ties for the second highest # of species sighted in a single day (11 also
sighted on 10/3/99 and a record 12 sighted on 9/25/99).
7 more Bald Eagles brings us to 107 to date, which is getting close to
breaking last year's season record of 115: 1:25pm adult, 1:36pm adult,
1:50pm imm, 1:52pm adult, 3:30pm imm, 4:20pm imm, and 4:31 imm. One
additional immature BE appeared over the ridge but then flew back north and
not counted.
The Northern Harriers are beginning to fly with 6 sighted today.
The first 2 Red-shouldered Hawks passed through today.
Non-raptor Observations:
MANY (>200) warblers passing through the gap early in the morning. We were
able to identify 4 Black-Throated Blues and 2 Black-Throated Greens (the
rest? ... who knows?).
First-of-season (FOS) Ruby Crowned Kinglets (3).
21 Canada Geese.
3 Ravens.
4 Red-Headed Woodpeckers.
Lots of Chimney Swifts.
2 Yellow-Bellied Sapsuckers.
Flock of 17 DC Cormorants.
115 Blue Jays.
15 Robins.
58 Northern Flickers.
29 Monarchs.
Predictions:
Sunny and warm again. Wind: E at 3 mph.
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Report submitted by Vic Laubach (laubach@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
