Ashton Ridge Hawk Watch History
Having participated in a regular Hawk Watch for 12 years with well over 300 hours each
year, creating the first Harvey's Knob Hawk Watch website, then creating the Virginia Area Hawk Watch Sites website, developing
a knack for looking up, I did not expect to see what I did on September 19th, 2008 in my own backyard. Working on some
outside projects and part time sky watching on September 17th I counted 256 Broadwings, 2 OS, 1 CH, and 1 SS. Still
working on the projects the 18th I counted 121 BWs and 1 NH. I knew a large group of BWs were coming down from the Northeast
from making the BW maps on the VAHWS website, so I along with my wife Sharon devoted the 19th to Hawk watching.
We started late in the morning about 11:30 EDT. At once the BWs started coming over in large numbers, large kettles
and streaming almost directly overhead. It continued that way continuously until 4:00 and at 4:30 I had to quit and
mow the yard as we were leaving the next morning for NC and then Kiptopeke. The largest group 0f 800 was about
3 PM. They were taking the same track within 1/4 mile all day. The total count of BWs was 5,156, we also had 3
SS, 1 RT, 2 BE and 1 OS.
Here is a correspondence from Gene Satler of Candler's Mountain Hawk Watch which is about
10 miles ENE of this location. " I figured that there were hawks flying over Lynchburg and elsewhere readily seen
as I was seeing such good numbers out to our north over the edge of town. Your count and that of Mark Johnson in Amherst
and Madison Heights back that up".
