Snickers Gap
20 Miles West of Leesburg, Virginia, USA
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 19, 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 0 122
Bald Eagle 1 13 83
Northern Harrier 0 14 62
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 59 654
Cooper's Hawk 0 2 42
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 13 47
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 5566
Red-tailed Hawk 0 124 218
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 6 9
American Kestrel 0 1 54
Merlin 0 0 8
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 12
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 2
Unknown Buteo 0 1 7
Unknown Falcon 0 0 2
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 5
Total: 1 234 6893
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Observation start time: 10:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 5.5 hours
Official Counter: Larry Brindza
Observers:
Visitors:
There were 12 hikers. There was a lot of Dominion Power truck activity.They
were working on the power lines east of Blue Ridge Mt.Road.
Weather:
Slight mist at starting time with dense fog on the ridge. The only
visibility was west of the ridge. The only sunshine was west of the ridge.
Raptor Observations:
Poor day for raptors! Only one Bald Eagle for the day!
Non-raptor Observations:
Very little bird activity because of the dense fog.
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Report submitted by Larry Brindza (ljbrindza@xxxxxxx)
Site Description:
The Snickers Gap Hawkwatch was established in 1990. It is located in
northern Virginia, on the Clarke and Loudoun County line. It is reached by
taking VA Route 7 to the county line, which runs atop the ridge at Snickers
Gap. On the south side of Route 7 is a commuter parking lot. The count is
conducted from there. It is a volunteer site, and is counted in fall only,
from late August until late November or early December. There are no
facilities at the site, so bring a snack, drinks,and a chair. Many of the
birds can be distant,and a scope is helpful.
As a volunteer site, we are always looking to increase our pool of
counters. We are eager to train those who have never counted, but are
skilled with hawk identification. We are also willing to pair inexperienced
observers with experienced counters. Please contact the compiler, Todd Day,
at blkvulture@xxxxxxx with any questions or if you are interested in
participating in the count.
