Snickers Gap Hawkwatch 2005
(Plea for able-bodied, stalwart souls to count hawks this year)
Snickers Gap is a cut in the mountain on Route 7 about twenty miles west of
Leesburg, Virginia, about 45 minutes from the D.C. beltway. It is one link in
the twisting chain of hawk monitoring sites located the eastern United States.
Every fall hawk watchers keep tabs on the birds of prey flying south over the
site, counting every bird and identifying it to species. Some raptors, like
American Kestrels and Northern Harriers can be sexed in flight and almost all
of the diurnal raptors can be assigned an age. Learning the fine points of a
hawk’s plumage is essential for these kinds of determinations.
Fifteen species of raptors have been observed at Snickers and a good number
of other birds can be seen in passage, too. Loons, swans, and thousands of
songbirds have been noted here. September is a great month to see Ruby-throated
Hummingbirds migrating and Monarch Butterflies pass through in good numbers.
Our
specialty, of course, is raptors. In a good year we have had up to 19,000
Broad-winged Hawks fly over in one day. Broad-winged hawks are one of the more
common early fall species with some of the southern sites in Texas counting
several hundred thousand birds in one day. We also see Peregrine Falcons,
Golden
Eagles, Bald Eagles, Goshawks and Ospreys, to name a few of the more sought
after birds. The average total hawk migrants each fall is about 12,000 birds.
At Snickers Gap, many people come by to get their first looks at birds of
prey. The fact that the site is located right off of a well-traveled road has
promoted many long time passers-by to stop in, ask a few questions, and in some
cases, evolve into one of the regulars. The site is stranger friendly, parking
is abundant and there is a direct link by trail to the famous Appalachian
Trail, right in the lot. The Appalachian Trail south leads to a group of huge
west
facing boulders known as The Bear’s Den. The Bear’s Den sits high over the
valley to the west, and affords a beautiful view of the Blue Ridge Mountains.
Binoculars, a spotting scope, a comfortable folding chair and food are some
of the suggested supplies to bring with you for a relaxing day of birding. Warm
clothes are also good to have along. The weather at 1100 feet can be quite
different from the warmer valleys below.
You can get to the gap by taking Route 7 west from Leesburg for twenty miles.
At the top of a long hill, just past Bluemont, you will come to Route 601
where you should take a left and an immediate right up to the Snickers Gap
parking lot. If you see people with binoculars and scopes, you have found us.
Anyone interested should call Joan Boudreau or Bob Abrams at 703/734-1238.
We welcome all ages of experienced and inexperienced counters, and will try to
arrange for co-counting partners, if desired.
