Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 02, 2018
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 2 5 206
Bald Eagle 1 6 188
Northern Harrier 0 2 33
Sharp-shinned Hawk 62 203 790
Cooper's Hawk 22 42 160
Northern Goshawk 0 1 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 3 18
Broad-winged Hawk 650 954 23511
Red-tailed Hawk 2 5 61
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 7
American Kestrel 3 13 174
Merlin 0 2 53
Peregrine Falcon 1 4 41
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 5
Unknown Buteo 0 0 3
Unknown Falcon 0 0 6
Unknown Eagle 0 0 1
Unknown Raptor 1 1 19
Mississippi Kite 0 0 9
Total: 744 1242 25287
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 13:30:00
Total observation time: 5.75 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin
Observers:
Visitors:
A few folks arrived in time to see quite a few of the kettles and streaming
Broad-wings.
John and Lila Porterfield, Priscilla Melchior of Highland Co., Allan Bryan,
and Buzz VanSantvoord
Weather:
Started out warm, with barely the hint of a breeze, with thin layer of
white wisps and lots of sunshine. Mist and distant haze for first few
hours. The heavy mist may explain the delay in morning's liftoff.
Clouds increased with warming temps (22.3c>28.3. S to SSW breeze less than
2km/h increasing to 5-6km/h. Dark gray threatening skies moved in by
12:30EST; light rain falling by 1:24.
Raptor Observations:
Slow start during first hour but things began to pick up going on the 9
o'clock hour (EST). Small kettles to the NE over Bear Den Mountain and to
west low over Waynesboro. Most kettles were 18-25 and several larger ones
60-70 birds.
First vultures would not appear until 9:20 EST after Broad-wings were
stirring and moving. Several decent groups streaming high above, small
specs easily seen against the clouds.
It was also a decent day for the accipiters.
Only one eagle, an adult that finally flew Southward at 9:58.
unaged low sailing Peregrine Falcon at 12:04 fairly close but poor
lighting. Great silhouette looks though!
First bird: SS flying low over parking lot at 7:58.
Last bird: SS top of the last hour and only bird observed in little over an
hour.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of Monarch Butterflies, many uncounted. Managed to note at least
103.
Rose-breasted Grosbeak - 1
Blue Jay - 27
Northern Flicker - 5
Chimney Swift - 18
Barn Swallow - 3
Tree Swallow - 2
Predictions:
more of the same
========================================================================
Report submitted by Brenda Tekin (brenda@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
More site information at hawkcount.org:
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=491
