Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 22, 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 0 102 342
Bald Eagle 2 49 135
Northern Harrier 0 22 43
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 1414 2004
Cooper's Hawk 0 183 270
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 7
Broad-winged Hawk 0 80 28790
Red-tailed Hawk 1 77 106
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 1 101 286
Merlin 0 12 22
Peregrine Falcon 0 8 26
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 2
Unknown Buteo 0 1 5
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 3 3
Total: 8 2059 32042
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Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 11:00:00
Total observation time: 3.5 hours
Official Counter: Vic Laubach
Observers: Allen Larner, Brenda Tekin, Rose Thomas
Weather:
Clouds early on, clearning out for a lovely fall morning, a bit breezy with
NW to W winds blowing 6-16 km/h, cool temps and lots of bright blue sky.
Temp: 8.5c increasing to 11.5 by 12 11 a.m. (EST); Humidity: 56%<54%;
Bar.Pressure:1004; clear visibility for miles.
Raptor Observations:
Today was a slow day for locating migrating raptors. The four observers
scanned the skies high and low and could only produce 8 birds in a 3 1/2 hr
span with the first migrant between 9-10 a.m. EST! Highlight were the pair
of adult Bald Eagles first spotted to the east; They headed west and
circled high over Waynesboro, one diving onto the lower bird which flipped
upside down and talon ready! They eventually headed SW at 10:48 a.m. EST.
By 11 a.m. EST counter/observers agreed we could be more effective taking
care of much neglected chores.
Non-raptor Observations:
Monarch Butterfly-38 counted; five Hot Air Balloons drifting across the
eastern Piedmont early morning; few Tree Swallows; waves of American
Robins; Common Raven-3
Predictions:
sunny with frost overnight
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Report submitted by Brenda Tekin (brenda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
