Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch
Waynesboro, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 30, 2015
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 1 26 26
Bald Eagle 2 6 6
Northern Harrier 0 1 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 11 11
Cooper's Hawk 1 4 4
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 1 104 104
Red-tailed Hawk 0 6 6
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 8 8
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: 5 171 171
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:15:00
Observation end time: 14:30:00
Total observation time: 6.25 hours
Official Counter: Brenda Tekin, Gabriel Mapel
Observers: Brenda Tekin, Gabriel Mapel
Visitors:
Omar Beiler bicycled up to the gap from Fishersville today. Other
visitors, some of which were lucky enough to get to see a Bald Eagle,
included Kathy Rinehart, Marianne Fimbel, Guy & Susan Babineau, and Mary
Mapel.
Weather:
The best two words to describe today's weather are Uncomfortable and Ugly!
Another hazy, hot (22.7-33.2C), and humid (86% at start, gradually
decreasing) day. Moderate WSW breezes early but then, as one counter
described, it was as if the door was shut and from 11am-1pm there was no
wind at all. After 1:00, very light southerly flow of air. 100% cloudy
for most of the day with only a few breaks in the clouds between 1-2pm. A
very very few sprinkles between 11-12.
Raptor Observations:
Another very slow day as expected with the unsuitable conditions, but we
did manage to get a few raptors moving midday including 2 juvenile (1st
year) Bald Eagles, making for the first multi-Eagle day of the season! The
first juvenile Eagle flew low straight across the gap at 10:15am, and the
second one, a little more distant off to the east at 11:41.
First Bird-10:15 BE, Last Bird-12:29 OS.
Non-raptor Observations:
Quite a decent non-raptor flight, perhaps our best of the season thus far:
20 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, 168 Chimney Swifts, 37 Tree, 2 Barn, and 1
Cliff Swallows, 3 Ravens, 6 Waxwings, and 1 Eastern Kingbird. 2 Monarch
Butterflies.
Predictions:
Unfortunately, more of the same. No cold front predicted anytime soon
which might be the only thing to get the birds moving in bigger numbers.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Gabriel Mapel (birdmangabriel@xxxxxxxxx)
Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org
