Before The Storm Some Good Hawks

October 21, 2025 It went from sunny to storm in a jiffy in the early afternoon here in the valley. Bill was the recipient of those heavy rains a bit later than us. So it shut down the watch. But there were some great viewings prior to the storm I suppose the hawks were trying to get ahead of it? On a side note, I heard a YouTube birder say today that the there were more Merlins this year than The Kings Troops, or something to that nature. It's true. Merlins are in force, but where are the American Kestrals. Well according to him, there were still tons of Kestrals and Peregrin Falcons hunting over the Rivers and Marshes in Canada. Staying a little too warm and allowing for good eats up there this year. Here's the report:

Adding the Red-tailed Hawk for the First Time This Season

October 20, 2025 Nearing the end of the month and it's time to add the Red-tailed Hawk. And one came through with a migratory mind, so Bill could count it. LOL It flew South or SW from beginning to end, is what that means. Here's the report:

Looking Back to the Same Dates in 2018

By accident, I landed on the posts for this week when a random search in our search bar for Bald Eagle put me precisely on the same date as I was posting. Maybe an accident for me, but search is probably set up that way? But I just had to post it. It will probably run all together since the Blog changed a couple of years ago and I missed the deadline. I hope it is still readable: Soddy Mountain hawk totals Thurs., Oct. 18, 2018 Coverage (all times EST): 0800 - 1515 = 7.25 hrs. Counter: Bill Haley Helper: Ian Riley Weather: Clouds (thin Cirrus) 40% @ 0800, decreasing to 20% @ 0900, and gradually to 10% @ 1200. At 1300 clouds were 20%, but they were all behind us. Some clouds began forming in front of us @1400, 25%. By 1500 they were thicker "mackerel clouds" at 75%. Wind was N all day 5-15 mph. Temperature ranged from 53 F - 65 F. Barometric pressure started 30.40, was 30.43 from 1000-1200, then went down to 30.37 by 1500. Humidity 59% - 44%. Visibility was an excellent 70 K all day. Hawks: (all times EST) 0800: SS 2 0900: TV 31, SS 1 1000: 0 1100: SS 3, RS 1 1200: OS 1, SS 2, CH 1 1300: TV 7 1400: NH 1, SS 1 Raptor totals: 10/18/18 Turkey Vulture 38 Osprey 1 Northern Harrier 1 Sharp-shinned 9 Cooper's 1 Red-shouldered 1 _______________ Total Raptors = 51 Other sightings: Blue Jay 43 Monarch butterfly 5 I welcomed Ian Riley to the lookout for his first visit today. He has very sharp eyes and found several birds I would have missed. It was good to have his help and I will look forward to seeing him up there again. I shared some ID pointers and filled him in on the origins and history of the sport of hawkwatching. He first heard of hawkwatching when he stopped at a birding site while on a trip in Michigan and learned there was also a hawk watch nearby. This made him curious to see if there were any in Tennessee, and that's how he found us. Thanks again for the help today, Ian! You are welcome any time, and maybe the hawks will be flying better next time. Got a first large group of 31 migrant Turkey Vultures, with a later group of 7. Hope to see many more in the next few days. A late Osprey and Northern Harrier were nice too. Reporting: William G. Haley, Jr" The new numbers are up on Hawkcount.org. Jimmy had a few minutes to catch them up. Compare our numbers with other sites, and I challenge you to find out our Eagle total for the year while you are there. Turkey Vultures are beginning to move. Their numbers could really set this year's totals on a high note if someone is there to see them. Bill continues to watch through this week end. Thank you Ian! Hope you will continue to KEEP LOOKING UP!!! Posted by Soddy Mountain Hawk Watch at 8:48 PM

Saturday's Post and Sunday's Note

October 18 and 19, 2025 - Saturday and Sunday. We were preparing for the cold front the weekend brought in. Lots of rain. But Bill pulled out a few raptors just before it hit. Although it did not rain later on Sunday, winds were still pretty bad, and weather directions just weren't good for flights. Plus it was a bit much if you were unprepared for it on the hill, as a human. Bill decided to call it a day on Sunday. I'll put up both posts, Saturday first followed by Sunday:

First Golden Eagle of the Year! Oct. 17, 25

October 17, 2025 Friday: This is one of Bill's favorite kinds of days. Topped of with a Golden Eagle in the noon hour. Great looks too. YAY Here's the report:

Bill Found a Couple of Hours to Ck out the Watch

October 16, 2025 -Some days you just feel like the blue skies will have you skunked, but you go anyway just to see. This was probably how Bill felt yesterday. Not a cloud around down here in the valley. I did, however, see a lift off of Black Vultures about 9:30 from an area where they normally don't spend the night, as my daughter and I were going shopping. But even if I did suppose they were on the move. just due to that location, I wouldn't consider them migrating on that day without much closer observation. It's not often Black Vultures are counted until later in November, maybe. But on this clear blue sky day, Bill didn't get to count anything! It's OK. We have sat all day in the past years, occasionally, and not seen a single hawk.

If You Have a Couple of Hours, Copy Bill

Oct 15, 25 Wednesday. If you have a couple of hours, do what we always close the blog with - KEEP LOOKING UP! Only this time of year when you are looking at a few Turkey Vultures, take a few, minutes to determine if they are on a path to move in a SWesterly direction. If you can, watch til they get out of sight. Did they thermal a couple of times? Did they get pretty high in the sky. Did they just keep moving SW, or WEST. Did they come from pretty far in the North and just keep moving the whole time in about the same direction. Did they remain together in a group? Well, if they did all that. They probably are migrating South for the Winter. So make your self a migration book, and jot a note with the numbers. the time, the weather and the date. But be sure to make yourself a few notes of what you saw, and answer all the "dids" in your notes. Here's how we do it: (minus the notes - those are for your memories.)