Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2013
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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 4 129 163
Bald Eagle 8 71 91
Northern Harrier 2 20 25
Sharp-shinned Hawk 24 186 199
Cooper's Hawk 2 45 56
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 10 14
Broad-winged Hawk 1878 22017 22251
Red-tailed Hawk 2 41 58
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 1 3 3
American Kestrel 1 32 40
Merlin 0 6 6
Peregrine Falcon 1 3 4
Unknown Accipiter 0 6 6
Unknown Buteo 0 1 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 2 7 10
Mississippi Kite 0 1 1
Total: 1925 22578 22929
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Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Gabriel Mapel
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Josh Laubach, Rose Thomas, Vic Laubach
Visitors:
Around 40 visitors including: Wade Hildreth, Ann Cline, David & Evan
Spears, Paul Saunier (94 years old and one of the original counters at
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch), Elizabeth Hunter, Donna & Ed Lewis, Nancy
Davidson, Bill Nettelhorst, Bobby Whitescarver, Marshall Faintich, Buck
Kent, Jennifer Jowdy, Judy Tyson, Betsey Heyl, Susan Hastings, Peter Van
Acker, Daniel Mapel, Andrew Clem.
Weather:
Light SE breezes. 18.2-29.7C. Overcast most of the morning with some blue
sky west of the Blue Ridge Mountains appearing after 2pm. Very hazy air
made spotting distant birds nearly impossible. Fog rolled through the gap
from the east for first couple hours.
Raptor Observations:
All raptors today were either overhead or on the west side of the gap since
the east side remained dark, overcast and quite hazy. Eight Bald Eagles: 5
adult (10:20, 11:25, 2:20, 2:29, 3:12pm) and 3 immature (1:44, 1:45, 3:14).
We had a great morning lift-off of BW to the west, watching over a
thousand birds rising from the forest, finding each other, forming into low
groups, rising in kettles and eventually soaring south. Hourly BW count: 35
(8-9), 1096 (9-10), 113 (10-11), 74 (11-12), 28 (12-1), 298 (1-2), 64
(2-3), 170 (3-4).
The third Golden Eagle (immature) of the season flew southward low and
flapping often down the west side of the gap.
Non-raptor Observations:
63 Swifts. 2 hummingbirds. 1 Red-headed woodpecker. 661 Blue Jays. 4 Raven.
4 Tree Swallow. 15 Waxwings. 14 Monarchs.
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Report submitted by Vic Laubach (laubach@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
