Ashton Ridge Count

SEPT 2009	Hrs	OS	BE	NH	SS	CH	NG	RS	BW	RT	GE	AK	ML	PG	UR	Total
1	5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	1	0	0	0	0	0	3
2	2.5	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
3	3	0	1	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
4	3.5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
5	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
6	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
7	4	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	1-UE	3
8	1.75	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1
9	5	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	14	2	0	0	0	0	0	17
10	3	0	0	0	1	1	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	3
11	5.5	1	1	0	2	0	0	0	44	2	0	0	0	0	0	50
12	4	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
13	5	1	0	0	1	0	0	0	13	0	0	0	0	0	1-UR	16
14	4	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2
15	6.5	1	1	1	1	0	0	0	266	1	0	0	0	1	0	272

SEPT 2009	Hrs	OS	BE	NH	SS	CH	NG	RS	BW	RT	GE	AK	ML	PG	UR	Total
16	6	0	1	0	1	1	0	0	19	0	0	0	0	0	0	22
17	rain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
18	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
19	8	5	1	0	4	1	0	0	183	1	0	1	0	0	0	196
20	4.75	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	257	0	0	0	0	0	0	258
21	6.5	2	1	0	2	0	0	0	1163	0	0	0	0	0	0	1168
22	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
23	5.5	1	0	0	2	0	0	0	35	0	0	0	0	0	0	38
24	6.5	3	2	0	1	0	0	0	378	0	0	0	0	0	0	384
25	rain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
26	rain	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0
27	5	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	74	1	0	0	0	0	0	77
28	5	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	17	0	0	0	0	0	0	18
29	3	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	114	0	0	0	0	0	0	114
30	3	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	8	0	0	0	0	0	0	9
SEPT 2009	Hrs	OS	BE	NH	SS	CH	NG	RS	BW	RT	GE	AK	ML	PG	UR	Total
Totals	117	20	8	2	18	5	0	0	2590	9	0	1	0	1	3	2657

03 Sep 2009  Adult Bald Eagle @ 11:35 EDT 07 Sep 2009 - Unidentified Eagle 1:26PM, no white observed 11 Sep 2009  Adult Bald Eagle @ 1:04 EDT  Called by Sharon 15 Sep 2009 Adult Bald Eagle @ 11:44 AM EDT 16 Sep 2009  Adult Bald Eagle @ 1:41 EDT 19 Sep 2009  Adult Bald Eagle @ 12:46 EDT 21 Sep 2009  Immature Bald Eagle @ 2:58 EDT 24 Sep 2009  Adult Bald Eagle @ 1:44 EDT 24 Sep 2009  Immature Bald Eagle @ 2:34 EDT

What I think I have learned this year counting at Ashton Ridge about Broad Winged Hawks as it pertains to this area:   Overall they are influenced with the need to go southwest.  The winds influence their direction southwest from day to day.  The thermals influence their route and elevation hour-by-hour and minute-by-minute.   I believe Lynchburg or all large cities generate hefty thermals and that is a magnate to Broad Wings.   Ashton Ridge is located about 12 miles southwest from the center of Lynchburg and about 5 miles southwest from the edge of Lynchburg.   If the thermals are not as strong between Lynchburg and Ashton Ridge, the opportunity exists to see large numbers as in 2008.  The winds were also favorable in 2008, not so much in 2009 as they had been from the east all month and that influenced larger numbers against the ridges.  The elevation is 900 feet at AR and it is easy for the large numbers to be high out of sight.  This was observed this year many times, BWs disappearing into higher elevations working thermals.    Close coordination was carried out between Ashton Ridge and Candler's Mountain.  Interesting data was collected.  Perhaps Gene Satler will make some observations of that data in the future.   It was interesting to see the number of Eagles and Ospreys; that was not expected.