The Rockfish Gap Hawk Watch begins each year around the middle of August and runs through the end of November. Coordinated by Victor Laubach, it is held on the grounds of the Inn at Afton, located on the southern side of Rockfish Gap in the Blue Ridge Mountains, right off I-64 exit 99 (at the intersections with Rt 250, the southern end of the Skyline Drive and the northern end of the Blue Ridge Parkway) just 5 miles east of Waynesboro and 20 miles west of Charlottesville. The hawk watch provides panoramic views of the gap and both the Shenandoah Valley to the west and the Piedmont Region to the east. Be sure to bring your binoculars, a lawn chair and sunscreen! We'd love to have you visit and experience the raptor migration (and help us spot the hawks)!
For further information or questions please visit the Web site: www.rockfishgaphawkwatch.org!
Every year members of the Augusta Bird Club participate in the international Christmas Bird Count, under the auspices of the National Audubon Society. This survey covers precisely defined areas, and special protocols are observed to ensure that data gathered is consistent from year to year. There are two such areas in Augusta County:
Augusta County CBC Coordinator: Allen Larner ( birdergonewild_AT_yahoo.com)
Waynesboro CBC Coordinator: Crista Cabe (ccabe_AT_mbc.edu)
The survey results, along with analytical articles, are published in a special magazine supplement.
The GBBC is usually held in February, sponsored by the National Audubon Society. The results are posted at www.birdcount.org.
The BSD is usually held in late April, at the peak of spring migration season, when the maximum number of bird species are present in Augusta County. Participants can choose their own areas, coordinating with Allen Larner. ( birdergonewild_AT_yahoo.com)
As with the CBC, special protocols are observed. The survey begins in the pre-dawn hours, searching for owls, and lasts all day. This event is also coordinated by Allen Larner. ( birdergonewild_AT_yahoo.com)
Each year the Virginia Society of Ornithology conducts a foray, focusing on a specific area of Virginia during a week-long period, usually in June. The 2013 foray was conducted in neighboring Rockbridge County, and the 2014 foray was conducted in the Dragon Run area of Middlesex and King & Queen Counties. For more information, see virginiabirds.net.
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