Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch 9/16/10


I got to the Hawk Watch about 9:00 a.m., and stayed until 2:30 p.m. when dark clouds started to roll in. Yesterday's northwest winds were replaced by southeast winds, and for the first 1-1/2 hours, I saw a few Northern Harriers, Cooper's Hawks, and Sharp-Shinned Hawks. A few Broad-winged Hawks lifted up from the trees, but could not catch northerly winds, and soon settled back down in the trees. The winds became calm about 11:00, and started shifting to northerly as an approaching front was making its way to the mid-Atlantic region. First the Sharp-shinned Hawks ventured out, and I soon saw more than 60 of them. And then came a continuous stream of Broad-winged Hawks from the north, joining those rising up from nearby trees, and before I left, I saw more than 400 of them. In addition to the hawks, a Peregrine Falcon did a distant flyover, as well as an American Kestrel. A pair of Bald Eagles came fairly close - one a Sub-adult III and the other a juvenile.


adult Sharp-shinned Hawk


juvenile Sharp-shinned Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


juvenile Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


Broad-winged Hawk


American Kestrel


Peregrine Falcon


Peregrine Falcon


Bald Eagle sub-adult III


Bald Eagle juvenile



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