Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 2010
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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 8 129 149
Bald Eagle 1 75 88
Northern Harrier 3 30 32
Sharp-shinned Hawk 181 666 682
Cooper's Hawk 8 53 57
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 2
Broad-winged Hawk 391 32292 32344
Red-tailed Hawk 3 39 48
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 40 139 144
Merlin 1 4 4
Peregrine Falcon 0 6 6
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 2
Unknown Buteo 0 4 4
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 6 9
Total: 636 33447 33572
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Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Multiple Counters
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Rose Thomas, Vic Laubach
Visitors:
Lots of visitors today (sorry for misspellings): Bill and Linda Miller, Gil
Miller, Dave & Bette Ziner, Calvert & Ted ?, Kim Marion, Patti Reum with
group from Homestead, Micki Kamszik, Sonya McKay, Linda Spire, Dan
Perkuchin, Mary Hodges, Marilyn Gilespi, Alice Davis, Ken Rickord, Donna
Rickard, Peggy MacMillan, Julie Speasmaker, Sher & Dave Sedgwick, Peter
Dutnell, Jennifer Jowdy, Gabriel and Mary Ann Mapel.
Weather:
Warm and sunny. Temp. 23.5-28.5C. Brisk W winds until 11am, diminishing to
light W breeze by 1pm. Significant low haze to the east and west. 55%
humidity early decreasing to 28% by 4pm. A few nice clouds until 10am
whereupon the skies were nothing but blue thereafter.
Raptor Observations:
What a beautiful day, both in terms of weather and raptors! The early high
W winds were bringing the birds up fast and furious over the north ridge
where they rapidly flew southward with the wind! By afternoon, the birds
were flying a little more leisurely as the winds calmed.
Another good day for BW Hawks and terrific flights of SS Hawks as well as
Kestrels. One early BW Hawk flew right up to the watch and hovered for a
minute in the wind right in front of us only 50ft away! Despite the higher
number of BW Hawks, the day was ruled by SS Hawks and Kestrels as they took
turns streaming over the ridge. One distant adult BE to the east at 2:17pm
tied our season record of 88. Good views of 3 Northern Harriers (1 Juvenile
at 11:15am, 2 Females at 1:52pm and 4:59pm). A Merlin was spotted to the
west at 3:30pm. The last two birds of the day were a pair of Osprey flying
side-by-side off into the sunset!
Non-raptor Observations:
6 RT Hummingbirds. 4 American Tree Sparrows. Lots of Chimney Swifts. 1
Brown-headed Cowbird. Oh, and lots and lots of pesky Stinkbugs!
Predictions:
Cooler, high 67F, 40% chance of showers in afternoon.
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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
