Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 30, 2003
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
BV 0 0 0
TV 0 0 0
OS 2 6 6
BE 1 5 5
NH 0 0 0
SS 1 6 6
CH 0 1 1
NG 0 0 0
RS 0 0 0
BW 15 53 53
RT 2 5 5
RL 0 0 0
GE 0 1 1
AK 2 5 5
ML 1 1 1
PG 0 0 0
MK 0 1 1
UA 0 1 1
UB 1 1 1
UF 0 0 0
UE 0 0 0
UR 0 0 0
Total: 25 86 86
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Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 18:30:00
Total observation time: 9.5 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers: Gordy Adamski, Tad Finnell, Tom Pendleton
Visitors:
Mike Iwanick
Tad Finnell from Harvey's Knob
Weather:
Brisk SW Wind throughout the morning, diminishing by early afternoon.
Temp (High): 32C
Humidity: 71%
Bar Pressure: 1016
Cloud Cover: zero cloud cover increasing to overcast by afternoon
Visibility: 18.71 km increasing to 20+ after passing storm reduced haze.
1:45 - 2:15 p.m.(EST) thunderstorm came directly over the site forcing all
to take cover inside the Inn. Heavy rain and high winds creating waves in
the swimming pool.
Observations:
Slow day at the gap but what we may lack in quantity is made up in
quality.
First season's Merlin at 1:35 before storm hit.
Adult Bald Eagle at 10:09 a.m. so close you could see the majaestic head
without binoculars!
Red-tailed Hawks - one dark phased between 1-2 p.m. EST viewed through
spotting scope as it followed ridge on north side heading east to west
then SW, circling several times.
Second interesting Red-tail was a light phase which actually landed and
perched atop a tree on the north ridge affording fairly good looks viewing
through scope.
What we lacked in raptors was more than made up for with hummingbirds,
swallows and Chimney Swift.
Ruby-throated Hummingbird: 49 (Adult male-3; female-6; imm male: 2;
unident.-38)
Am.Tree Swallow- 66
Barn Swallow - 16
Rusty Blackbird - 1
Chimney Swift - droves!
Common Nighthawk - 38
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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
***Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch, VA - Established 1976***
The Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch is held on the grounds of the Inn at Afton, located
on the southern side of Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, just above
where I-64 (exit 99) intersects with the southern end of the Skyline Drive and
the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway, just east of Waynesboro, VA and
approximately 22 miles west of Charlottesville, VA.
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