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Subject:

Snickers Gap Hawkwatch 2005 Season

From:

Todd Day

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Date:

Tue, 9 Aug 2005 13:49:18 EDT

 
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.  We start counting this fall 
28 August.  
Joan Boudreau and Bob Abrams 
 (mailto:[log in to unmask])  


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Todd Michael  Day
Jeffersonton, Virginia,  USA

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