Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 2008
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 6 22 38
BE 2 4 14
NH 1 2 4
SS 12 43 61
CH 1 5 9
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 1 1
BW 131 249 492
RT 4 7 7
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 0 0
AK 4 19 23
ML 0 0 0
PG 0 0 0
UA 0 0 0
UB 0 0 0
UF 0 0 0
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 1 2
Total: 161 353 651
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Multiple Counters
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Vic Laubach
Visitors:
An increase in visitors today that included:
Rose and Don Hanberry,
Robert Butler, Marlene Condon; Allan Larner, William Leigh, Greg Moyer,
Bonnie Sexton, Mike Iwanik and Vicky, Mark Adams and Dave McRuer,
Veterinary Resident in Wildlife Preventive Medicine with the Wildlife
Center of VIrginia.
Weather:
Two words -- hot and humid! It was a day when we were very thankful we
were able to angle our chairs in the shade provided by the Inn and catching
the breeze that favored the east. We sweltered in the shade where there was
no wind!
Early morning there was barely the hint of a breeze that began out of the
north less than 5km/h and increasing to may 10-15km/h shifting to SE, E and
then NE.
Temp. in shade averaged 28.5 throughout the day.
Humidity: 71% > 78% < 69%;
Bar.Pressure: 1009<1006;
Cloud cover: primary upper level of thin veil of wispy cirrus providing
good backdrop making it a bit easy to locate the slow sailing raptors.
Raptor Observations:
We finally reached a triple-digit day for Broad-wing, not an easy thing
considering they trickled through with highest group being 7 birds. Birds
were basically all over the place, some high but relatively easy to spot
against the thin veil of clouds, some low, even below eye level, some to
the far east, some to the far west and some directly overhead. Upper level
winds appeared non-existant and with rising temps and high humidity levels,
these birds were not in hurry, most slowly sailing through, lazily circling
maybe catching a dragonfly on the wing, before heading on down the ridge.
By top of 2 p.m. EST, things slowed down to a halt the first 15 minutes
yieled only two birds for the hour.
Two BAEA flew over, an imm., possible 1st year at 12:09 p.m. and an adult
at 1:21 EST.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots and lots of dragonfly, mostly Black Saddlebags;
Brown Thrasher dropped down in the hillside vegetation below the watch;
Hummingbird numbers are diminishing with only four spotted;
Increase in Monarch Butterflies with at least 27 for the day and quite a
few dropping in to feed on the wildflowers.
Predictions:
Great weather with NW winds predicted for first of the week.
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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
Site Description:
***Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA - Celebrating 30 years of Hawk Watching
