Rockfish Gap is a wind gap that runs through the Blue Ridge Mountains at Afton, VA, located between Charlottesville and Waynesboro, Virginia. It joins Shenandoah Valley to the West and Rockfish Valley to the east.
The Primary Count Site of the Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch is held on the grounds of the Inn at Afton (northwest corner) located on the south side of Rockfish Gap, overlooking the intersection of Interstate 64 (exit 99), U.S. Highway 250, and the Skyline Drive/Blue Ridge Parkway. GPS Coordinates for primary count site: 38°01’46.9″N 78°51’31.4″W. Altitude: 2200 feet above sea level
An Alternate Count Site located 3 miles NW of the Primary Count Site at Constitution Park in downtown Waynesboro, VA (bounded by the South River, W Main St, Arch Ave, and W Broad St) has been used since 2009 when viewing conditions from the primary site are severely compromised by fog. If both sites are running simultaneously (this is not typical, but sometimes the view eastward at the Primary Site is acceptable but the north and west views are impaired), counters are to remain in constant communication during the count to confirm location of migrating raptors to prevent duplicate counting. If the birds observed from the alternate site are determined to be easily seen from the primary site under normal viewing conditions, then the count totals collected from alternate count site can be included in the official count normally conducted from the primary count site. GPS Coordinates for Alternate Count Site: 38°04’07.4″N 78°53’08.1″W. Approximate altitude: 1279 feet above sea level
SEASON AND DATES /TIMES OF OPERATION: Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch conducts a fall count daily from August 15 through November 30. Our typical daily time of operation is 8am-5pm EST through October and then the time span shortens to 9am-4pm EST in November. Counters often remain at the watch longer if raptors are still flying. We strive to have every day of the season covered depending on availability of volunteer counters.
SPECIES COVERED: We have 13 common (expected) and 3 uncommon (intermittent) raptor species that migrate past Rockfish Gap each fall. Common species include: Osprey, Northern Harrier, Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper’s Hawk, Northern Goshawk, Red-tailed Hawk, Red-shouldered Hawk, Broad-winged Hawk, American Kestrel, Merlin, and Peregrine Falcon. Uncommon species include: Mississippi Kite, Rough-legged Hawk, and Swainson’s Hawk. Vulture are not counted.
EQUIPMENT AND MATERIALS USED: The raptors at Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch generally fly high overhead and are often distant. Thus, binoculars are a must for scanning and identification. We also recommend that observers use a spotting scope for raptors that do not fly close enough for easy identification through binoculars. In addition to optics, counters should have on hand: 1) a portable weather station to record weather conditions, 2) data sheets and ink pen (not pencil) on which to record raptor data, weather conditions, and any field notes, 3) a raptor field guide, 4) a hand-held clicker to count large numbers of raptors, and 5) a chair, hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen to help reduce fatigue and sunburn. Daily data sheets, electronic weather stations, clickers, reference guides, and additional materials are available to counters (see Coordinator for these materials).
RECORDING WEATHER: Use Eastern Standard Time. Enter weather conditions at the beginning of each hour of observation. If there are no changes from previous hour, draw a horizontal line in box. Do not use ditto marks or dashes. For raptors, enter only the number observed (no zeros). Write notes, comments, etc. on the bottom or back of data sheets.
WEATHER & OBSERVATION CODES:
Wind Speed:
0 = <1 km/h (calm, smoke rises vertically).
1 = 1-5 km/h (smoke drift shows wind direction).
2 = 6-11 km/h (leaves rustle, wind felt on face).
3 = 12-19 km/h (leaves, small twigs in constant motion; light flag extended).
4 = 20-28 km/h (raises dust, leaves, loose paper; small branches in motion).
5 = 29-38 km/h (small trees in leaf sway).
6 = 39-49 km/h (larger branches in motion; whistling heard in wires).
7 = 50-61 km/h (whole trees in motion; resistance felt walking against the wind).
8 = 62-74 km/h (twigs small branches broken off trees; walking generally impeded).
9 = >75 km/h
Wind Direction: Enter compass direction from which the wind is coming (i.e., N, NNE, SE, etc.). If variable, enter VAR.
Temperature: Record temperature in degrees Celsius.
Humidity: Record % relative humidity.
Barometric Pressure: Record barometric pressure (in Hg).
Cloud Cover: Record overall % of sky with cloud cover (not fog).
Visibility: Judge from your longest view and enter distance in kilometers.
Precipitation: 0 = none, 1 = Haze or Fog, 2 = Drizzle, 3 = Rain, 4 = Thunderstorm, 5 = Snow, 6 = wind driven dust, sand or snow.
Flight Direction: Enter compass direction migrants are generally heading (e.g. S, SSW, etc.).
Height of Flight: Enter code: 0 – Below eye level; 1 – Eye level to about 30 meters; 2 – Birds seen easily with unaided eye (eyeglasses not counted as aids); 3 – At limit of unaided vision; 4 – Beyond limit of unaided eye but visible with binoculars – to 10X; 5 – At limit of binoculars; 6 – Beyond limit of binoculars 10X or less, but can detect with binoculars or telescope of greater power (Mark “1” in COMMENT box and note magnification); 7 – No predominant height.
Observers: Number of observers CONTRIBUTING to the count for the hour noted.
Duration of Observation: Specify time in minutes for each hour.
COUNTING PROTOCOL: The sole objective of counting raptors is to systematically and accurately sample the migration and record weather data. A raptor is officially counted (i.e. migrated) when it is flying in a southerly direction and only after it crosses south across the east-west latitude line of the Site and remains so. Any other raptors are not counted and do not need to be noted on the data sheets. Each migrating raptor observed is recorded on the data sheet in the appropriate hourly interval for the species. At the end of each hour, each species totals are documented for that hour and the clicker is cleared (if used). Our site does not typically count vultures because it is difficult to determine if they are truly migrating (i.e. their flights are usually not a purposeful southerly direction and they can meander around the skies so erratically that they can easily be counted multiple times).
Migrating raptor species are identified using the standard field identification techniques (shape, color, pattern, wing beat cadence, behavior, etc.). A raptor identification should be recorded only if the observer is confident about the identification. If the observer is less certain, DO NOT make a guess but rather mark it down as ‘UN’ (unidentified), and try identify its Family (e.g. UN eagle, UN accipiter, UN falcon, UN buteo). Don’t be afraid to have unidentified raptors on your data sheet. It’s better to be accurate and honest. It is better to err on the side of being conservative than inaccurate.
Age, sex, and time of migration are also noted on the daily data sheets for certain common species (Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, Peregrine Falcon, and Northern Goshawk). This information is also provided for the more uncommon raptors (e.g. Mississippi Kite, Rough-legged Hawk, Swainson’s Hawk), and further details should be included in a separate paragraph that documents the sighting in as much detail as possible (time, flight path, field marks, age, sex, flight pattern, behavior, names of others that also observed the bird, etc.).
Counting Broad-Winged Hawks: Broad-wings save energy by riding thermals for lift. At times, hundreds or thousands are using the same thermal. It is not easy to provide an accurate estimate of the number of hawks when they are in these “kettles”, and migrants should be counted when exiting the kettle and are streaming between thermals using a hand counter (clicker). Use of a clicker is preferred because one can easily lose count if done mentally. If necessary, large, dense numbers of hawks are counted in multiples of 10 or 20. If there are too many birds for this, a block count method can be used to estimate numbers (e.g., if 40 birds are in one field of view in the binoculars and 20 fields of view are required to scan a given group, 800 birds are tallied).
PERSONNEL:
Counter: At any given time, there will be one designated “counter” on site, who is an experienced observer with proven identification skills. The Counter records the hourly weather conditions and raptor counts and identifications on the data sheets. The counter is also the person in charge of site operation while present, and will strive to maintain order and conduct of observers and visitors at the site. The counter will also make final decisions on matters such as species identification, when to end/cancel a day’s count, and all other matters pertinent to record keeping.
Observer: Observers are interested hawk watchers who actively contribute in the count by scanning, spotting raptors, aiding in identification, and perhaps counting groups of birds if requested by the counter. An observer does not need to be an experienced hawk watcher.
Coordinator: The site Coordinator has various responsibilities including: 1) manage the overall operation of the hawk watch, 2) review all data for accuracy prior to submission to HawkCount, 3) ensure that all data is safely and permanently archived, 4) make decisions on personnel and ensure that all designated counters are qualified, and 5) communicate with HMANA and the public as needed.
Visitor: Visitors are non-observers who are present at the site to watch, learn or just enjoy. We strive to record the names of all visitors (and where they are from) to keep a record of visitor numbers and popularity of our hawk watch.
Updated: August 2020