Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 08, 2015
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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 1 213
Bald Eagle 9 12 192
Northern Harrier 1 16 75
Sharp-shinned Hawk 12 55 1460
Cooper's Hawk 1 11 223
Northern Goshawk 0 1 4
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 6 34
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 10497
Red-tailed Hawk 67 107 297
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 2 14
American Kestrel 0 0 187
Merlin 0 1 47
Peregrine Falcon 0 1 40
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 18
Unknown Buteo 0 0 5
Unknown Falcon 0 0 10
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 25
Total: 91 213 13341
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Vic Laubach
Observers: Mark Johnson, William Leigh
Visitors:
Scot Mewborn (Richmond), Mark & Debbie Hudgins (Chesapeake), and Freddie.
Weather:
Cool temps (low of 4.4C at 8am and a high of 12.6C at noon). Mild WNW winds
all day. Mostly cloudy (95%) at 8am becoming mostly sunny after noon and
then clear, blue skies after 2pm. The high, widespread clouds through 1pm
made raptor (and loon) spotting so much easier!
Raptor Observations:
My goal today was just to have at least one raptor per hour, which I was
successful! A terrific Bald Eagle movement today with 9 total including 3
adult pairs: adults at 10:23, 12:04 (2), 12:08 (2), 1:51 (2), 2:10, and a
2nd-YR at 3:11. A juvenile Northern Harrier at 12:30. A nice movement of
Red-tails in middle of day with 25 during 12-1pm hour.
Non-raptor Observations:
What really stole the show today was an amazing Common Loon movement with a
total of 67 flying very high southward! The loons flew by as single birds,
pairs, small groups and one large group of 11; all within a 2-hour period
between 11:30am-1:30pm). One large skein of 150 DC Cormorants flying
southward off to our west.
Amazingly, 6 Monarchs observed flying through the gap!
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Report submitted by Vic Laubach (laubach@xxxxxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
