Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 20, 2005
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 1 4 4
BE 0 3 3
NH 0 0 0
SS 3 6 6
CH 0 0 0
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 0 0
BW 73 129 129
RT 8 16 16
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 0 0
AK 0 1 1
ML 0 0 0
PG 0 0 0
UA 0 1 1
UB 0 5 5
UF 0 0 0
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 0 0
Total: 85 165 165
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:45:00
Total observation time: 7.75 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers: Jim Fiztgerald, Robert Plank
Visitors:
Mike Iwanik and Mark Adams dropped in for a few minutes
Weather:
Thick fog early morning that soon cleared away by 9:00 a.m. EST. Partly
cloudy skies throughout most of the day with light 6-15 km/h wind out of the
S to SSE.
Temp: 26.5 > 37.5 then dropping to 31c with darkening skies;
Humidity: 76% < 66%;
Bar.Pressure: 1013<1011;
Cloud Cover: Overcast to mostly cloudy; hazy skies persist By 4 p.m. dark
clouds moved in and by 4:30 several drops of rain. No birds during the
hour!
Observations:
It was a day when I had to keep telling myself it was only August.
Thankfully there were witnesses to the good showing of Broad-wing, with
several kettles ranging from 7 - 11 birds at a time! Considering most of
the BW were not in a hurry, they may be the PA birds from first of the week.
With winds favoring the S to SSE, bulk of birds were found on east side of
the ridge out over the piedmont. We surmise either a thermal or ridge lift
south of patio observation deck as this was where we consistently located
circling BW. Several would soon multiple into small
groups as they seemed to magically pop out of the clouds. We would find
groups high up and several times we had BW well below eye level skirting
along the east side of the ridge. Shortly after watching a small kettle
drift southward I heard the unmistable high pitched call of BW. It was
close! I turned toward the patio just beneath the restaurant overhang and
to my astonishment there was a BW not even two feet above the patio sailing
above it heading toward the steps leading to the upper pool deck. It moved
up and over the fence surrounding the pool and began to gain altitude over
the pool, joining a second low circling BW.
Hourly count for BW today: (EST)
9-10: 2; 10-11: 1; 11-12: 10; 12-1: 7; 1-2: 26; 2-3: 27
2 adult and 1 juvenile flew in together at 2:50 p.m., with juvenile calling
several times. The only Osprey for day sailed on by out over the piedmont
to the east heading south at 11:08
Yellow Warbler
Lots of dragonfly, several catydid, a very large Preying Mantis on glass;
Swirling Chimney Swift, Tree Swallow and a few Barn Swallow
Predictions:
sunny and warm
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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
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