On September 20, a volunteer counter on the grassy end of the old Inn at Afton grounds logged 4,385 Broad-winged Hawks in five and a half hours of watching. Most of those birds came through in the kettles that made Rockfish Gap famous. The day's total was 4,431 raptors, the biggest day on HawkCount's September 2026 table.
Last fall, the watch's new records came later in the season. A record season total of Bald Eagles built through October and November. On Thanksgiving Day and the day after, counters set a single-day record for Red-shouldered Hawks and a season record for Rough-legged Hawks. The count runs through November 30, so for anyone who lives within sight of Afton Mountain, the weeks that produced those records are still ahead this year.
Fifty Falls From One Corner of the Gap
The watch started small. HawkCount's site history says a small group logged 765 raptors in six hours one September day in 1976. The next year they counted 1,233 over four days, and by 1980 the count was well established. The watch's 2026 visitor notice calls this year its 50th anniversary and says it is one of the longest-running hawk watches in North America.
Volunteers still do all of the work. Vic Laubach coordinates the count. The Augusta Bird Club supports it, and the watch also lists the Piedmont Virginia Bird Club and the Rockingham Bird Club as supporters. Daily tallies go to HawkCount, the database run by the Hawk Migration Association of North America. That is why every bird counted at Rockfish Gap can be looked up online.
Counters sit at the grassy northwest end of the Inn at Afton property, on the north side of the building facing I-64. In November they sometimes move to the parking lot next to it. The spot works because migrating raptors follow the Blue Ridge south and funnel through the gap. In 2025, the coordinator's summary blamed that year's weak September on Atlantic storms. They pushed northeast winds across the mid-Atlantic and broke up the usual big flight down the ridge.
Where the 2025 Season Shifted
The site's own guide says Broad-winged Hawks typically make up about 85 percent of a year's raptors. Other species pass from roughly the second week of September into the third week of November. In 2025 the broad-wings fell short. The watch counted 10,550 of them, less than half its 15-year average of 24,801, and the season total came to 14,545 raptors against an average of 28,894.
The later months did not fall short. Here is how the mix changed from month to month in the 2025 HawkCount tallies:
| Month, 2025 | Leading species counted |
|---|---|
| September | 8,175 Broad-winged Hawks |
| October | 2,238 Broad-winged Hawks, 711 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 216 Red-tailed Hawks |
| November | 699 Red-tailed Hawks, 207 Bald Eagles, 92 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 57 Red-shouldered Hawks, 51 Cooper's Hawks, 15 Golden Eagles, 4 Rough-legged Hawks, 1 American Goshawk |
November had far fewer birds than September, but they were bigger and rarer. Red-tailed Hawks finished the season at 982, well above the 15-year average of 804. Laubach's summary describes single-digit daily counts through October that rose to double digits every day in November.
October 31 and the Thanksgiving Front
Two dates stand out in last season's count.
On October 31, 2025, counters logged 38 Bald Eagles. That was the season's biggest eagle day and second in the watch's history only to 83 on September 18, 2018. The same day brought 105 Red-tailed Hawks, the season high for that species.
Bald Eagles ended 2025 at 635, far past the previous season record of 496 set the year before and roughly double the 15-year average of 310. Of those 635, 509 were adults. Laubach wrote that their numbers have climbed steadily over the past 15 years.
The second date was November 27, Thanksgiving Day, along with the day after. A strong cold front came through with high northwest winds and clouds. Over those two days the count included 26 Bald Eagles, 100 Red-tails, 6 Golden Eagles, an American Goshawk and a late Osprey. Tundra Swans, Snow Geese, Common Loons and Ring-necked Ducks came through as well. The 24 Red-shouldered Hawks on November 27 beat the single-day record of 23 that had stood since October 31, 2016. All four of the season's Rough-legged Hawks, two on each day, set a new season record over the three seen in 2020. The goshawk was the first at the site in three seasons.
Golden Eagles also peak late. The 2025 season had 22, the most since 2018. The best day was five on November 28, and the last raptor counted all season was a Golden Eagle at 2:40 p.m. on November 29.
What 2026 Has Logged So Far
September 2026 ended with 8,217 raptors, including 7,041 Broad-winged Hawks. The September 20 flight provided most of those broad-wings. On September 24, after three days with no count, the watch logged 819 raptors, including 34 Bald Eagles and 40 Ospreys.
When we checked HawkCount on October 11, 2026, its fall-to-date row showed a season total of 9,160 raptors. That includes 305 Bald Eagles, 978 Sharp-shinned Hawks and 210 Ospreys. The eagle count matters most here. With seven weeks of the season left, 2026 has nearly reached the watch's 15-year full-season average of 310 Bald Eagles. Last year, 207 of the season's eagles came in November.
Only four Golden Eagles and no Rough-legged Hawks are on the 2026 board so far. In 2025, those birds came with the late November fronts.
Getting Up the Hill This Season
Visiting works differently in 2026, and the change has nothing to do with birds. The watch's 2026 visitor notice explains that the road up from Route 250 now has a gate, put in to keep vandals from driving up at night. Here is how a visit works now:
- Check the watch's online Teamup calendar first. It shows the days and hours when a counter will be on site. Volunteers sometimes sign up the night before or the morning of, and if no one signs up, the watch is closed and the gate stays shut.
- Drive up from Route 250. The Route 610 access to the Inn is blocked, so older directions that send drivers that way no longer work.
- Expect the counter to open the gate in the morning on count days. The September 14, 2026 Augusta Bird Club minutes say that during counting hours the gate may look closed but is not locked, and ask visitors to close it behind them.
- Plan to leave by early evening. Visitors can keep watching after the count ends for the day, but the Inn's caretaker has all vehicles leave so the gate can be locked overnight.
- Stay off the back of the building. The sidewalk around the corner toward the patio is closed because of broken glass on the ground and overhead.
There is a portable toilet on site through November 30 and no other amenities. The watch suggests bringing food, water, a hat, sunscreen, a chair or blanket, binoculars and a spotting scope if you have one, because many of the raptors pass at a distance. Outside the August 15 to November 30 season, access to the Inn is expected to stay blocked around the clock.
The Building Behind the Counters
The gate and the off-limits patio are both results of the property's condition. Laubach's 2025 season summary says the watch skipped its annual Open House again because of the state of the Inn, the parking lot and the access road. It also says the site's future "still remains unknown." The 2026 notice says the old Inn is still deteriorating.
In June 2025, the Crozet Gazette reported on the top of the mountain. The family owners of Skyline Swannanoa Corporation told the paper they did not want to sell. They hoped to bring the property back and were considering partnership ideas that included retail, a hotel and restaurants. Augusta County had applied for a $100,000 grant to fund a master plan for the site, and the application was turned down. We found no later reporting on a decision, permits or construction.
For now, the old buildings are part of the migration too. At the September 14, 2026 meeting, Augusta Bird Club members reported seeing 300 to 400 Chimney Swifts going down the chimney of the old Howard Johnson's on Afton. Not everything about the season is pleasant. Last year's summary says Spotted Lanternflies sometimes filled the sky and covered spotting scopes on warm September days. That is one more reason to go in late October or November.
Our team has spent many years watching how changes on Afton Mountain affect the people who live near it, and this season's count is one of the best reasons to drive up to the gap. If you'd like to talk about life in Afton, from the hawk watch calendar to the future of the old Inn site, Denise Ramey Real Estate is glad to help. Contact Us.
