Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 11, 2017
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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 5 68 117
Bald Eagle 3 88 97
Northern Harrier 1 3 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 19 27
Cooper's Hawk 2 20 32
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 4 11 14
Broad-winged Hawk 1151 1815 1913
Red-tailed Hawk 1 28 45
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 1 30 33
Merlin 0 4 4
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 4
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1
Unknown Buteo 0 1 6
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 1 5
Mississippi Kite 1 2 3
Total: 1173 2095 2307
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Observation start time: 09:45:00
Observation end time: 16:15:00
Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Gabriel Mapel
Observers: Dave Hunter, Josh Laubach, Vic Laubach
Visitors:
Fianna & Blythe Wilde (Los Osos, CA), John Alcock (Tempe, AZ), Jennifer
Jowdy, Mary Mapel, JoAnn Dalley, Ken Molidore, Ron Shearer, Jarod Barton
Weather:
Some fog and light rain early (before 9am). Light and variable breezes
early and moderate SE Winds after 1pm. 18.2-23.1C temps. Entirely
overcast all day with heavier, darker clouds later in the afternoon. Clear
visibility with some haze in the distance.
Raptor Observations:
Today's four-digit Broad-wing flight was quite a surprise given how early
in the season we are! The morning liftoff was quite spectacular with many
medium size kettles (ranging in size from 20-55) rising up very low above
the valleys to both the east and west. Later in the day a couple of
kettles came in low, circling nearly directly overhead, offering very nice
views! Hourly BW Count: 28 (9:45-10), 720 (10-11), 179 (11-12), 45 (12-1),
131 (1-2), 45 (2-3), 3 (3-4), 0 (4-4:15). The BWs this morning were flying
all over the sky, but the afternoon flight was heavily concentrated on the
east side of the gap. At 10:43am Jennifer Jowdy spotted a single bird
flying across the gap, fairly close by. It turned out to be the third
Mississippi Kite of the season, another immature, which gave a good but
brief view before disappearing southward. One nice adult male Harrier at
10:35 and three more Bald Eagles (12:26 adult, 2:09 adult, and 3:01
immature). First Raptor: 9:52 BW, Last Raptor: 3:40 OS.
Non-raptor Observations:
210 Chimney Swifts, 4 Hummingbirds, 1 E. Wood-Pewee, 1 Least Flycatcher, 1
BG Gnatcatcher, and a group of warblers (2 BT Blue, 1 Chestnut-sided, 1
Bay-breasted, and 1 Magnolia). 9 Monarch Butterflies.
Predictions:
Cool, rain likely, east winds
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Report submitted by Gabriel Mapel (birdmangabriel@xxxxxxxxx)
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
