Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 18, 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 3 12 12
Bald Eagle 1 1 1
Northern Harrier 0 0 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 3 3
Cooper's Hawk 0 1 1
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 4 4
Broad-winged Hawk 7 37 37
Red-tailed Hawk 0 3 3
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 1 1
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 13 62 62
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Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 14:30:00
Total observation time: 6.75 hours
Official Counter: Gabriel Mapel
Observers:
Visitors:
Daniel Mapel, and Janis Stone from Manassas who spent the day at the watch
today. Thanks for all your help with spotting the distant birds, Janis!
Weather:
The air was still early, then very light southerly breezes after 9:00am
gradually becoming moderate SE Wind after 1:00pm. Another warm
(24.2-33.5C) and humid day. 100% cloud cover early gradually becoming a
mix of sun/clouds (70% clouds) by 2:00pm. Drizzles between 10-11am. Thick
haze to west in Shenandoah Valley.
Raptor Observations:
It looked like the day was going to be a fail with no raptors for the first
3 hours. At 10:47am EST the first bird of the day, an Osprey flew through
the drizzles down the east side of the ridge.
A Sharpie the following hour and then a 9-bird hour between between 12-1pm.
Highlights of the 9-bird hour included another early-season Red-shoulder
and a stunning adult Bald Eagle flying down the west side of the ridge
first spotted by visitor Janis Stone! The BE, the season's first, migrated
southward at 12:32pm.
Just over three hours after the first bird, the day came to a screeching
halt, but not before the last bird of the day, another Osprey that flew
over the parking lot at 1:47pm not much above treetop level!
Non-raptor Observations:
A nice non-raptor flight including 126 Chimney Swifts, 9 Hummingbirds, 3
Ravens, 75 Barn & 1 Bank Swallows, 22 Waxwings, 3 Indigo Buntings, and 1
Red-winged Blackbird. 3 Monarch Butterflies.
Predictions:
Upper-70's, cloudy, showers and thunderstorms likely especially in the
afternoon.
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Report submitted by Gabriel Mapel (birdmangabriel@xxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
