DATA IS DATA

Yesterday was a tough day to keep our eyes to the skies.  Intense blue skies and sun taxed us a bit, although fading numbers in Broad-wing counts, gave way to increasing numbers of Accipiters, and others. For several days the hawk count died about 3:30 to 3:45.  Although we stayed later a couple of those days, without much luck, we left yesterday, just because we were tired.  All in all, the coverage this year has been phenominal.  Someone has spent some time on the hill, even on days we could not be there, and when weather broke late in the day as well.  Almost every possible hour has been covered.

On one of the good days last week, we stayed past 6:00pm and were still seeing hawks at heights streaming through 2 or 3 at a time; and one slow day we stayed only to see a Harrier around 6.  This is unusual for most days, because I dont' remember anyone saying they had steady counts through til that late before. 

We are attempting to help all our hawk watch friends understand...Data is Data.  Positive or negative.  High numbers or few.  Each bit of the puzzle helps us understand which days are promising, and which will require skill and long slow hours.  There are no promises to see hawks on any day, but due to data, we find we can still expect the cold fronts during late September, to still indicate good watch days to follow.

One of my favorite bits of information this year, has been an answer to the question:
"If we aren't seeing hawks, are they moving through to the north and west of us, possibly in as large numbers as we have seen in past years?"  The answer is in this year's data.  Although our YTD totals for Broad-wings is lower this year than we hoped, the extremely large group of hawks we were able to see but not count in the NW skies, was proof that there were hawks moving through,  NW of us. In large numbers.

The second question we often ask is:
"Do they ever get up into the clouds, and therefore are not within view?" We saw evidence of this in a previous year, when we actually saw a kettle disappear into the clouds at a distance, and about time they reached our air space, they could be seen dropping from between the clouds where we counted almost exactly the number we extimated had gone into the clouds.  But we once again saw this on numerous occasions this season, to the extent that our visitors remarked several times that they were seeing the thermaling hawks disappering into the clouds.

That brings about the 3rd question we often hear, and have wondered about:
"Do the hawks fly above the clouds so we can't count them?"  And again, the answer is "yes."
We see evidence of this fact when hawks suddenly materialize into view, dropping through the clouds at close range. We often see hawks rise into the skies until they are such tiny specks that very few can still see them. Seeing hawks disappear, when they are much larger than specks, lets us know that they have the capacity to get much higher than some of the lower clouds that sometimes blanket our viewing area. Today was a day like that, so we were asked a couple of times by visitors, could the hawks be flying above this, to which the answer is yes.

Were there likely large numbers we missed over the last two days.  We don't think so.  And at least, my primary reason for that belief is the direction of the winds.  SW winds are extrememly difficult winds for Broad-wings, or any migrating bird to confront, if that is the direction the migration is taking them.  (Fall)  It would be excellent riding winds in Spring on the return journey however.

We watched a Kestral today, which would flap contantly into the wind, but the second it stopped flapping, it dropped 15 to 25 feet as though it had hit a brick wall, and would begin to flap again, and get lift back toward it's path, only to experience the same 30 or 40 feet later.  Over and over that poor bird attempted to cross from the ridge to our location, just to have the wind knock it back.  It finally, just took a nose dive into the trees on the ridge and we didn't see it again all day.

A Broad-wing late in the day, had plenty of altitude, but was blown back as it turned it's usual soaring loops, so much that we had to watch it carefully to be sure it wasn't a kiting Red-Tailed Hawk.  But, after watching it struggle to get lift against the winds, it finally tucked and bulleted into the SW taking advantage of that wind to keep it aloft.  It was obvious that both these birds were having to expend way too much energy for the distance they traveled. SW winds don't benefit the migrating hawk which needs the ease of thermals to lessen the stress.

The last 3 days have given us low numbers, but great looks at some of the birds.  And they have reminded us that even negative data, is good data.

Here are the stats:

Friday, 9/27/2013
41 BW's
 3 CH
 2 S/S
 1  AK
 2  OSP
  2 BE
_____________________
Total Countable Raptors: 51            

Our daylist was 20 birds: included Bluebirds, Hummers, and a chipping Thrush we couldn't see to ID.
Watchers: J&C, Harold Birch, Bill Holt, and visitor Jeffrey Schaarschmidt.


Saturday, 9/28/2013
24 BW
 1  CH
 6 S/S
  1 NH
  2 RT including one very dark, still mulling over exact call.
  1 BE
____________________
Total Countable Raptors 35

Our daylist included 19 species with a Rose-breasted Grosbeak being new to the list.
Watchers were: Harold Birch, J&C, and Bill Holt

Sunday 9/29/2013
 8 BW
 2 S/S
 1 CH
 1 PG
 1 Osp
 3 BE
_____________________
Total Countable Raptors  16

Our daylist included 19 species again, and we figured out that the tiny chip note were field sparrows in the grass.  (Note: we actually saw a few things Jimmy failed to list, but I can't fault him, because he stays pretty busy keeping stats, checking and recording weather data, and  keeping up with our flow of visitors. He occasionally actually gets to scan the skies for a while.)

Watchers and visitors: J&C, David and Jackie Boykin of Statesboro, GA with Jennifer Taylor, Jackie's sister, and their Mom; Mark McShane & Pat Markey, both of GA,  and friends and regulars, Ruth Ann Henry and Charles Murray.  Also, Jeffrey Schaarschmidt was able to get by this evening.

Charles came with a request to see a Peregrine Falcon that wasn't a speck and was happily rewarded. Ruth Ann desired a Bald Eagle and got two.  But Jeffrey's request for a Northern Harrier for his life list didn't happen. Sorry.  David Boykin only wanted to see a small kettle and we couldn't pull one out of the skies today.  Had wanted to meet Pat because he is from the county we once lived in, where we have family, and look forward to visiting him when we are there.  And Mark was with us on one of our really big days in the past and forgave us for not producing a repeat performance today. LOL 

Many thanks to all our friends who have come by from all over 3 states.  Some traveled a very long way to drop by the Hill.  I sincerely hope all who didn't get to see the kettles coming through will not give up, and will come again!

Today is the final day of our manning the post with the intensity of almost daily presense.  We are sorry to say, we will need to approach October and November with a go when we can attitude. Please don't let it stop any of you from taking a chair and visiting a while with your friends, or a relaxing hour or two alone.  Just please always leave the area clean and comment here, or by email* what you were able to see.  Happy Hawking to ALL.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

Reach Jimmy at TenacBirder@comcast.net

Thanks to all!!!!

Never a Bad Day

Like many of the watches farther north of us, the number of hawks seen dimenished greatly. Much to Jimmy's surprise, the lack of lift early in the morning, didn't equate to lower flying hawks.  So either they got up into the deep blue, or there simply weren't as many hawks flying near our location.  With great help, Harold Birch and Bill Holt, we should have seen something moving through above us at visible levels. 

We did manage to have a total of 51 raptors migrating, of which 41 were Broad-wings.  Two beautiful Adult Bald Eagles meandered South at a slower speed than the upper winds have carried them in recent days, so we were able to watch them for a little while.  The sun made their lovely tails and heads simply neon white!  So all in all, though we are getting a bit weary, seeing hawks moving through makes the day a success.  And on any day we weren't hoping for hundreds...51 which included a Kestral, and Eagles...was a great Hawk day.

A few clouds this morning.  Wish we were able to be there a little earlier.  Gotta go!

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

Good Morning

Just a comment - Layered Clothing is a must if you come to the hill these days.  Cool mornings can feel a bit cooler if winds blow at the higher elevation, but direct sun warms to unbearable temps, when you are out in it with no shelter, even at only 80 degrees.  Prepare for at least a 20 degree change over the day.  Mostly sunny....Pray for a few clouds.

It Pays to Watch the Weather Channel!

Today was another banner Hawk-day, even though the fog and clouds were almost noon lifting higher than the ridge and burning off in the valley.  We arrived early, while it was still socked in, because we hoped to spend some time focusing on the accipiters, and falcons that we knew would not mind flying  early, or low across the tree tops.  That's exactly what happened. The first raptors of the morning were accipiters which accompanined a lone BW, and danced along the tree tops on the ridge, and disappeared on the other side, so we couldn't see them migrate through. Not countable, but just what we expected to see. 

We spend a lot of time giving great conditions for the large movements of Broad-winged Hawks and sometimes neglect to tell you, that accipiters, falcons, harriers, osprey and eagles, don't rely solely on those conditions to fly through on migration.  They also may avoid the kettles and thermals all together, never relying strictly on lift and rising wind currents.  Many zip through on the high winds, and some just wing their way past.  The Bald Eagles seem to defy gravity, seldom needing to flap. But if they need to, they will.  So don't be confused by the information we give that applies most ususally to BW's, and think you can't see other hawks on less than great conditions.  Rainy days are just miserable to everyone, hawks included.  But low clouds, and drizzle don't always prevent us from having a great accipiter/falcon day.

Loved having visitors today, and Jimmy said to tell Carolyn that she was there during the time we saw 454 Broad-wings. Just an FYI.  Welcome to you and Phil (the Snows, from Loudon Co. TN), and their guests Iva Kate and Tony Hopper, from Alabama. We were thrilled that Charles Murray, who comes faithfully every chance he gets, was finally able to see a nice size kettle and quite a few streaming through.  It was a joy to see his persistance pay off.  Late in the day, Lora McBride was able to drop in from work.  She came on a day when picking specs streaming through got her hooked, and she got us on another Peregrine Falcon, her first on the hill, and possibly a life bird.

Our counts just couldn't get accurately done without more eyes than just mine and Jimmy's, and we owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to the fact that Harold Birch was really in hawk watch mode today.  We are all tired, but he was getting on the incoming steams of BW's one after another.  THANK YOU, SO MUCH, for being by our side. He continued to hold up his binocs even after his neck was hurting, when I just couldn't.  We owe a lot of today's count to him.

So here are the numbers, and I thought that it would be interesting to you, who are not able to be there, to see how the hours went.  I'll just break down the Broadies.  Jimmy puts the numbers from each viewing into parentheses, with the time beside it.  I will not do the minute by minute... but will give you a glimpse into the hour by hour:

• 12:00 hr. ____ 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 38, 105, 23, 3, 8, 2________Total:185
• 1:00   hr. ____ 1, 116, 23, 30, 90, 73, 71, 18, 3, 29_____ Total:454
• 2:00   hr. ____ 2, 2, 25, 16, 17_____________________ Total: 62
• 3:00   hr  ____ 1, 22, 15, 1, 4, 3,22,2,25,4____________Total: 100
• at 3:38 the BW's ceased to fly through at heights we could see them.  Or they were flying further west of us...if there were any.

Total Broad-winged Hawks for the day was 801.

Now if you add my above listed numbers and don't get Jimmy's totals, just know I missed something, but you get the general picture.  Today was a "general rule" breaker.  Our largest number of hawks came through during what we often call "the lull." The usual middle of the day, when Bw's are too high or in the blue to see them.  We sometimes take that time to eat, rather than strain for the birds sometimes too difficult to ID. Also, the sun is right there!  Not good to land binoculars into that very often. That is not to say we don't try to keep an eye to the sky.  Many a tuna sandwich has lured in a couple hundred hawks that can't be missed! LOL And today was one of those days.  Mainly, because the weather broke late, the hawks hadn't gotten to extreme heights.

We began to count Red-Shouldereds and one Red-tailed Hawk today, as well.  There have been an abundance of them hanging around like locals lately.  But the ones we counted were very high, and went from sky to sky sailing like they were late to the party.  They were meaning business.  It was obvious they were on migration.

These are the totals for the day;
BW's                  801
RS                          2
RT                          1
S/S                          3
CH                          2
PG                          2
Un ID'd Raptor       1
B/E                          5
N/H                         1
__________________
Total countable    818

Highlight for me today, were the two Peregrine Falcon's, and the late in the day Northern Harrier.

For info on the abbreviations used above, see the Raptor Species link on the right side of the page.

We are a lot off our big numbers from last year, in spite of a lot of coverage.  But after checking previous years, some of our best days were September 27- 29th.  So we aren't counting this year out just yet.

The next two day may bring many more hawks coursing over us.  Just hope we have enough clouds to see them.  Happy Hawking!

THINGS KEEP LOOKING UP!
                          

THE FINAL PUSH FOR BROAD-WINGED HAWKS

A mix of clouds and sun, with light winds out of the North, following a front which produced no flight rains ---
By now you may know that it means there may be hawks sitting north of us waiting for some thermals, or anxious to come through along the updrafts from the ridge.  A little too much wind and they will zip past in a few moments, but which ever way they are flying today..we must be there to see them.

This week will wind down our intense manning of the hawk watch, as we hope to see the great final push of Broad Wings in migration this season.  There should be an increase in the numbers of certain other raptors, with far less kettling and thermalling and congregating going on.  Now through the weekend will be some of the last few days Jimmy and I can man the hours intensely. Historically, the greatest numbers of BWs have already past us.  But who knows how warmer weather will affect the numbers coming past us this season.  Did we miss the big numbers because blue skies camoflauged the streaming flights of hundreds at great heights last week? Did they fly along an eastern or western ridge? Or are they yet to come? 

It's those kinds of questions that keep us going back.  Always hoping to see more of the amazing journey of life that has gone on for centuries on end. We hope some of our visitors are getting hooked on helping to know the answers.  If you only select one week to look for Broadwings kettling in your neck of the woods, consider where you are in relation to the hawk watch. Are you a couple of hours north of us? Focus your prime week a few days earlier than ours.  Georgia and Alabama friends, maybe this will be YOUR big week, if hawks seen along more easterly ridges are sitting somewhere waiting to make their westerly push over your state.  Without watchers, we cannot know.  So keep looking up.

We hope to arrive this morning by about 10am.  Clouds and a chance of rain this morning will slow things down a bit.  But we want to be sitting there as it clears. If you arrive early,  watch the ridge and the valley for the accipiters which love to hug the bank.  Practice your skills of looking for the flap, flap glide of their flight pattern.  Sharpies and Coopers Hawks are the accipiters, small with long tails.  Coopers are the ones with the white edge along the tip of its curving tail.  If the white rump patch is very large, the illusion is that the bird is towing a ball. Their classic sillouette, is wings often look swept back, making a round bullet tip shape when they are not flapping.  You may not see the clear outline of the head of a Sharp-shinned extending beyond that wind arc.(at a distance)  But you ususally can see a little of the head on the Cooper's Hawk.  The Sharp-shinned Hawk has a more squared end to it's tail, and often appears longer in proportion because it lacks the white on the end.  It too can have a dominant white area on the tail near the body.  Remember that males and females are significantly different in color in many hawk pairs.  Come prepared to look for different behavoir in accipiters than in Broad-wings.

They will make the large kettling circles too, to get lift, but generally not in such great numbers in our area.  Remember, that other hawk watches may observe a variable set of hawks and circumstances than ours.  Some of the things we teach about our watch, may be significantly different at another place.  Hawks may come through a coastal watch in a much different way than over a ridge for instance. And by the time they are streaming through lower Texas, they aren't seen casually flipping dipsy-doodles to eat dragon flies, like we see. They are on a mission by then to get out of Dodge. LOL
Bring your TUNA sandwiches!!!

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

Conditions Not So Good

Hawks may not be so inclined to move over the next two days.  It's entirely socked in here this morning at the house.  We expect rain to the west by days end.  If they move they may move along a N/S line.  Most open skies may be E of us.  But if they make their Westerly turn near our watch, we could see them slipping in to rest on the plateau to sit out the rains in the early afternoon. Not the best conditions...but it all depends on where the hawks are and  how dense the clouds.  Midday may allow for some viewing.  Probably a short day today. Tommorow, we are taking a break for the rain.

10:00 am update - Due to rain in the valley, where it continues to be entirely socked in, we have not left for the hill.  There appears to be such a small window for hawk flight it is discrectionary to wait. If conditions don't improve, we may not use the gas today for a couple of hours of viewing.  If you made your way there anyway.  Please let us know what you see, even if it is nothing.  All reports have value.

421 Broad-winged Hawks Makes over 1000 in 2 Days

Monday, 9/23/2013
We began the day, arriving about 10:30 with virtually clear skies from horizon to horizon.  The morning temps of  about 57* rose into the 70's quickly.  But it was after noon before we began to see kettles of BW's.  A kettle of 19 blinked in and out of the haze over the ridge, and we thought we had lost it, until it suddenly appeared in the skies just to our right and slightly south of us, as so many other birds had done all day.  Their flight path changed very little today, and we spent a lot of time looking over our shoulder, or turned to the South to catch them dropping from the heights before they headed W/SW. Harold Birch was once again our wingman.  It was a good day. 421 Broadies put us over the 1500 mark. We need 275 to go past 2000 for this year.  Wednesday rains, may mean another banner day on Thursday.  We will watch the fronts.  Big misses so far include a Harrier. We will be on the lookout. Only a few days to go.

• 421 Broad Wings
•     2 Sharpies
•     2 Coopers
•      1 Bald Eagle

HAPPY HAWKING!   THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

Our daily birds have included several great looks at Red-headed Woodpeckers. Always a treat.

We Are 150 Away from 1500 BW's YTD

Jimmy posted the following to TNBIRD:

Monday 9-16-13 We saw 191 Broad-winged Hawks   Harold Birch and Jimmy & Cynthia Wilkerson  (5.75 hours)

Tuesday 9-17  Harold Birch counted 18 Broad-winged Hawks and 1 Osprey   (4.75 hours)

Wednesday 9-18  Jimmy & Cynthia were visited by Pete & Marg Krampee  we saw 171 Broadie's  (5.00 hours)

Thursday 9-19  Harold Birch and Jimmy & Cynthia were visited by Lenny Kafka and Charlie and Susan Corn. We saw 44 Broad-winged Hawks and also counted an early Red-shouldered Hawk

Friday 9-20  Harold and Jimmy & Cynthia saw: 15 Broad-winged Hawks, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 2 Cooper's Hawks and 1 Osprey

Saturday 9-21 was pretty much a total rain out until the last hour of the day.  Bill Holt and Lora McBride had about one half hour of blue skies but never saw any migrants.

Sunday 9-22-13 was our best day so far this season!  The skies were washed clean of haze earlier in the day.

• Temps were from 66 degrees at 1000 up to 77 degrees at 1800.
• Barometric Pressure 29.90 dropped to 29.87
•  Humidity dropped from 65% down to 43%
• Wind was variable at times but mostly from the North to Northeast up to 12 MPH
• Visibility ranged from 40 kilometers to 45 K and then back to 40 K
• Cloud Cover was off and on from 0% to 5% making it extremely hard to see birds in the clear blue skies.

We had many wonderful visitors to include: Lora McBride, Bob Saunders and Millie his wonder dog, Pete & Marg Krampee, Ruth Ann Henry, Kathy Andregg who drove up from Acworth, Georgia, Charles Murray and Carla Quinn brought her parents Martha and Ben Hall.

 Jimmy & Cynthia along with Bill Holt logged: 622 Broad-winged Hawks, 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Osprey and 3 adult Bald Eagles.(assisted by our count helpers)

...SPECIAL RECOGNITION needs to go out to Lora McBride who helped us get on so many of the single specks as well as several kettles.  Pete Krampee no doubt has a special ability to just look up and see specks the rest of us needed binoculars to see.  Marge Krampee also got on a group of near 100 birds while others were looking at another 100 in the opposite direction.  

Year to date we have seen:

• 1353  Broad-winged Hawks
• 4  Osprey
• 11  Sharp-shinned Hawks
• 3  Cooper's Hawks
• 2  American Kestrels
• 1  Peregrine Falcon
• 5  Bald Eagles < 4 adults, 1 sub adult, 4th. year >
• 1  early Red-shouldered Hawk
• 1 un-identified accipiter

If you've stuck with me thus far, from the bottom of our hearts THANK YOU! to Louise Zepp for her wonderfully spectacular article in THE TENNESSEE CONSERVATIONIST  about our special place we call Soddy Mountain Hawk Lookout.  She is a unique writer and was factual to the last degree in every word she wrote and also the photo layout she selected. [Thanks Vicki Henderson for your  great kettle of BW’s(pic), C.]

Jimmy Wilkerson

Hamilton Co., Hixson, TN

_____________________________________________________

Note: Visitors to the watch came in response to the article in THE TENNESSEE CONSERVATIONIST , TnBird, and GABO posts, and from the TOS membership.  We appreciate the opportunity to reach interested watchers from these groups.  We also had motorcyclists, hikers, and bicyclists today.  So many of our watchers, also love butterflies, wildflowers, and birding .  It’s so lovely to find the variety of inspirations and reasons why people come. Was so much fun seeing our "newbies" see kettles of BW's, and great close up's of Red-Tailed Hawk locals. Welcome and Come again!   C.

Highlight of the day for me, was the adult Bald Eagle that led us to a kettle of Broadies in blue skies. Simply beautiful!

 THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

THIS IS THE DAY!

This is the kind of day we talk so much about on the hawk watch.

• Cold Front moving through
• Socked in by rain the day before
• NE to NNE winds,10mph or less
• A few clouds
• A drop in temps
• September 20 thru September 30

Broadwings have traditionally made an appearance in years past on these dates under these conditions. Rain usually backs them up north of us,because they don't fly in heavy rains. The cooling temps seem to trigger their inner urge to migrate.  Winds out of the N/NE give lift and lesson head winds resistance.  Sun warmed pavement near the ridge provide thermals that the feilds and trees don't after a rain.  And a few clouds help us see them as they get high. 

If there are Broad Wings ready to move through our area, conditions could be perfect today for seeing them.  Just hope we don't have too much blue sky, or too many foggy/hazy conditions either.  Don't expect much until after 11 am today, but who knows.  Also, Jimmy is banking on late today, or tomorrow because the hawks may need time to fly down to here.

We will see!

On Friday, September 20, we saw 15 BW's all day, under cruel blue skies. But, there was also some movement among the other species: 2 Sharp-shinned, 2 Cooper's, and 1 Osprey were countable.  1 Bald Eagle and 2 more Sharpies were not.

Saturday was a rainout.

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

The greatest Mass of BW's ever!!! But NO COUNT

This week has been a little slower than we expected because we have primarily been counting Broad-wings as singles up to 3 or 4 at once, generally flying across the sky without pausing to thermal.  Many have been far along the horizons and along the tree tops rather than overhead. 

On Tuesday, Sept. 17, our long time partner and friend, Harold Birch  filled in a few hours and saw 18 BW's and 1 Osprey.

On Wednesday Sept 18, we had 171 BW's and I have a story to tell you about the uncountables.

And today, Thursday Sept. 19, we struggled to pull out 44 BW's and we counted 1 Red-shouldered Hawk.

Yesterday morning, we stayed about an hour and saw one BW before the skies became totally socked in with clouds.  Knowing how uninclined hawks are to flying on a truly cloudy day, we decided to drive west and stop at the Hang-gliding Flight Port of the Tennessee Tree Toppers Club, to look off into the Sequatchie Valley and see how far the cloud cover went.  There was no sky visible for as far as we could see in any direction, so after checking out Window Rock, we drove back East on 111 expecting to go home.  But when we neared Jones Gap Road, the skies were beginning to clear. We decided to drive back out to the hawk watch, and sit long enough to eat lunch, then decide whether to stay.  As the skies continued to clear, we began to see a few Broad-Wings, so we settled in for the count.  No large kettles,but a semi steady flow of a few at a time kept us busy.

I scanned behind me, and sat back into my chair late in the afternoon, and spotted a very distant Red-tailed local kiting near the electric pole on the hill.  I strained to look at it between the wires, just to be sure, and saw deep in the haze behind him, what we have come to call, a kettle of hawk specs "blinking" in and out of the haze and clouds.  I really strained to see the tiny hawks, whose entire kettle fit into a tiny oval between the wires.  I commented that I didn't know how to count hawks I really couldn't see. And as we have done in the past I verbally noted that we needed to keep an eye on them watchng to see if they came out of the haze so we could see them well enough to get an accurate count.

Jimmy was having difficulty getting on my RT, much less the blinking BW's, so I swung my Binocs back to the pole to give him reference points. I noticed a much larger field of blinking hawks. As I helped Jimmy with bearings, I realized that if I could see any of these hawks, I really needed to count as many as I could.  Back to the original kettle which had gained enough altitude to be coming out of the haze, I actually counted 33 and followed by counting down through the remainder of the kettle to get an estimate before they were forever lost into the clouds. 10- 20-30 etc to 100. 133 and they were gone.  Straining to see if they emmerged higher Jimmy was able to count 40 of them through a break  in the clouds before they once again dissappeared. I saw where he was counting from, and thought, just maybe we could see them again in a bit if they flew SW.  As I scanned back along the SW horizon, the mass of shadowy silhouettes milling about in the hazy soup took my breath away. All I could say was, OMG! From about half way from the house to at least that far again past the pole, and half the height of the pole up into the sky above it was a massive cloud of indecernable hawks.  They were so dense in the sky that the haze looked like it was crawling, and writhing.  There were glittering flashes of the wings, but the birds were transparent in the haze.  When I compared the tiny spot in the sky where I just counted 130 hawks, I realized there were at least 15 times that many hawks out there, and possibly hundrends more!  Because of the haze and clouds and the extreme distance, I couldn't even see individuals, much less count them.

I wondered if we could see some of them before they totally vanished by looking through the scope, but by the time Jimmy was able to focus it in their direction, the clouds had encompassed the entire mass.  Jimmy asked me how many could I guess were there, and all I could do was feel an overwhelming loss.  How do you guess or estimate or even assume you could possibly know how many there were when: 1. I have never seen that many hawks  at one time on our hawk watch, and 2. I literally never actually saw a single one of those blinking in the haze.  All I could see was what looked like the sky was moving and the glitter of what could have been 3000 or more sets of wings, which were flashing in the sun. I genuinely believe that we missed seeing the most remarkable number of hawks ever recorded at our site, but I have no idea how to honestly say how many there might have been.

I have always said I was just waiting for the day that we had more hawks than we could actually count.  But I never really wanted to go home knowing we had more hawks than we could actually count, but we actually could not even see them to count them. I have had those shadowy kettles of hawks that I was remorseful over them slipping away into the heights of the blue sky, or the morning haze, or the afternoon clouds.  But never have I had so many, that it was actually the largest number of hawks I ever saw at one time outside of Texas. I knew they were there because I could see their movement.  I have seen that many times before and watched and waited for the distant birds to come nearer. But these were not on a path to come nearer. They had slipped in from behind clouds along the ridge, and were aready heading west/SW getting harder and harder to see even the flashing of their wings, and the white flash of their under belly as they banked and turned.  There were no shapes to make out. Just a huge irregular writhing mass.

Jimmy wanted to write them down as 500+ but even that would be a gross under estimate.  But we genuinely don't know any way to put an actual number to them.  So they may not go down in the records at all.  It's only right. What you can't count, or at least give an educated estimate...you can't list.  I just know I will forever want to see that again, only close enough to have the dilemma of how to count all the ones I can see. LOL
Happy Hawking ---THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!  

Update for the Week 9/17

Jimmy posted the following to TNBird, to update through Sunday.  A little more info there than I have listed so far.  Add to it the 191 BW's from Moday Sept. 16 (see yesterday's post)  And you can catch up for the week. Therefore I am copying his post to here. Sorry we can't be on the hill today.(Tuesday.) But we expect to fill our chairs Thursday.    Need a break from the sun anyway.

If you go up, sit awhile and email, or comment below on what you saw while you were there. Non raptor species also accepted.
Happy Hawking!
___________________________________________________________________
Soddy Mtn. Hawk Watch
Hamilton co.
near Chattanooga, Tn.

We began out first weeks watch on Tuesday Sept. 10, 2013 I saw: 1- Broad-winged Hawk (6.25 hours) Jimmy Wilkerson
Wednesday Sept. 11 we saw: 1- Broad-winged Hawk (4.25 hours) Jimmy & Cynthia
Thursday Sept. 12 we saw: 3- Broad-winged Hawks and 2- Sharp-shinned Hawks (3.50 hours) Harold Birch, Jimmy & Cynthia
Friday Sept. 13 nothing seen; (0.50 hours) coverage due to Doctor appointments I later was informed Phil & Carolyn Snow stopped by for 20 minutes but no one was there.
Saturday Sept.14 we saw: 170 Broad-winged Hawks; 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks; 2 American Kestrels; 1 peregrine Falcon and 1 Ad. Bald Eagle (8.00 hours)
Saturday Sept. 15 was also a Chattanooga Chapter field trip in which Andrew Theus joined regular counters Bill Holt and Jimmy & Cynthia
Sunday Sept. 16 we saw: 117 Broad-winged Hawks; 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk; 2 Osprey and a 4th year Bald Eagle (5.50 hours) Ruth Ann Henry and Charles Murrray
joined Jimmy and Cynthia.

Directions: from downtown Chattanooga take Hwy. 27 for approximately 20 miles. At Soddy Lake park the road will split with 27 going toward Dayton. Hwy 111 also splits left here going toward Dunlap. Take Hwy. 111. At the top of the mountain (1st. exit) which is Jones Gap Road exit, turn left and cross over the bridge, in 2.1 miles Jones Gap will make an unexpected left turn, make that left turn, continue for .2 miles to the dead end. We are up the hill on flat ground. note: if you had continued on you would then be on Burchard Road. Do not continue on Burchard Road!

Jimmy Wilkerson
Hixson, Tn.

Monday, September 16th - A Broadwing Parade

A NOTE: IF YOU ARE SEEING WORDS DOUBLE UNDERLINED ON THIS BLOG OR ANY OF MY OTHER SITES, PLEASE NOTE THESE LINKS ARE NOT BEING PLACED BY JIMMY OR MYSELF, AND WE DON'T RECOMMEND YOU GO TO THEM!!!

 Today on the hawk watch hill, Jimmy, Harold Birch and I (Cynthia) watched a consistant parade of Broad-winged Hawks and only BW's flow silently through on their yearly trek almost nonstop. It began with only one, which appeared to lift from the trees behid us, on the ridge along the hill through which Hwy.111 is cut.  It was large and close and beautiful in the morning sun that was still low in the sky.  We seldom went more than a few minutes before spotting at least one more BW crossing the not so helpful sky.  There was very little lift, anywhere along their path.  The earliest birds would wander around in a small thermal, gaining a couple of hundred feet for all their effort, only to lose it all almost as soon as they flew off the top in their more westerly directions. 

After midday, we no longer could see most of them with our bare eyes, and at least one kettle formed and kettled to good heights out over the valley, as we looked in the directon of the Watts Bar Nuclear plants rising steam.  There were lots of nice clouds scattered about. I felt that we wouldn't miss birds for lack of perfect viewing conditions.  But as this kettle of BW's gained height, it disappeared into the clouds so far out that we couldn't count them, because they didn't fly off the top and stream into our direction before the entire kettle disappeared. We could only hope they flew in our direction instead of heading due west, if we had any chance of seeing them again.  Jimmy asked me to estimate how many, which after all the years of doing this I am becoming more confident to do. But we wouldn't record the number just yet. We would wait and hope to see them again. I guessed 34, maybe 35, 36.

Within 15 minutes a stream of birds appeared, on approach directly toward us, as if they were dropping in on a gentle glide from the top of a very high thermal. It soon became obvious this was the kettle we watched disappear into the heights, as pepper flake specs, minutes before.  We counted them several times, because they flew through slowly spread apart across the path they took, and we scanned across their path determined to capture every one for the record.  There were 36.  I believe it was our largest kettle.  But this kettle was the prime example of how we counted most of our birds today.

Most seldom kettled, at least not for long. Rather they streamed through often 3 here and 2-4 there, led by a single bird, and followed by a single bird, scattered widely across the sky. They seemed in no hurry, but once they made that turn that typically proved they were in migration, they tucked wings and bulleted into the west or southwest  as tiny specs once again. Some paused just behind us to gain a little elevation before moving on, just as the first bird of the morning had.

Some which were close, skirted the tree tops, as if dancing along their tops.  I wished we had a new birder with whom to share the experience. No one who would have come today, would have left not having seen their fill of lovely Broad-wings.

THE TOTAL: 199 BW Hawks

That's it. Oddly...no other migraing hawks or raptors.  Not an osprey, or falcon, or accipitor that we could count.
There were local Red-tailed Hawks kiting, a Red-shouldered Hawk calling behind us which never showed its face, and one local Cooper's which dive bombed a Turkey Vulture like a falcon dropping out of the sky.  Many Blacks and Turkey Vultures tested the wind and sought out food.  And there were butterflies, dragonflies, Hummingbirds, and Chimney Swifts darting about everywhere.  Seldom a boring minute today.  Just a neck breaking, arm aching wonderful day!

Can't be there tomorrow, (Tuesday), so anyone who gets up there, please stay, and report what you see while you are there.  Thanks for your continued interest. 

THINGS ARE LOOKING UP!

Opening Week for the 2013 Season

This week on the watch has been slow. But it's early. This week has been our first official week of the 2013 season.  We were rained out on two afternoons and were not able to be there on Friday. Jimmy was up alone on Tuesday as his first day. Only 1 Broad-winged Hawk.

On Wednesday, I joined him and again we had only 1 Broad-winged Hawk. 

On Thursday, September 12, Harold Birch was there when we arrived. Things were looking up. (No pun intended. LOL) We saw 3 Broad-winged Hawks, and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks, before the rains shut down our afternoon.  If it were prime season, we might have sat the rains out in the car, but numbers weren't promising.

On Friday, September 13, we were unable to be there due to previously scheduled doctors' appointments.

But today, September 14, was a successful count day.  We began the day, just Jimmy and I, wondering if we would see anything, because the skies were totally blue.  And clear all the way to Kingston, where the ghostly twin stacks stood as the furthest thing on the north horizon.  Watts Bar was visible to the naked eye, as were all the layers of mountains from the Texas Knobs toward Lookout Mtn.  There was almost no wind, and there were few of the usual dragonflies, butterflies and Hummingbirds that capture our attention away from the hawk specks.  Bill Holt joined us about 11:00 and we teased him for ordering the blue skies, but were incredibly happy for the new set of eyes.
 Also joining us today was a student at Collegedale, Andrew Theus, who proved to be a quick study of what to look for and where. An 11 year birder from Columbus, Georgia, his skills proved to be invaluable today.  He helped get us on a number of birds we might have missed otherwise. Since he had never visited a hawk watch before, he left saying how amazing the "blink-in/blink-out" magic act of whole kettles of hawk could be.  Hawks seemingly appeared in the sky,kettled as if they wanted us to notice, and promptly dissolved into the atmosphere.  Not unusual in blue skies, but certainly a learning experience for a newby's first day. Great Job Andrew!
We also had two neighbors drop by to visit just as we were able to show them a small kettle.  They will certainly have high expectations next time they drop by.
For the entire day, we viewed more hawks looking behind us than from our ususal north facing stance. We couldn't figure out how so many could consistently get past us and suddenly appear out of nowhere to  the south. 

We had 170 Broad-winged Hawks
                2  Sharp Shinned
                2 American Kestrals
                1 Adult Bald Eagle
                1 Peregrine Falcon
                1 unidentified Accipiter
                Total Countable Raptors: 177

Our total birdcount, which included songbirds and raptors was 25 species. 

Be sure to contact us if you are on the hill and see Hawks when we are not there!

NEW HAWK WATCHERS: bring a chair, water, snacks, lunch, and binoculars if possible.  By all means don't forget the sunscreen and most protective lip gloss you can find.  There is no shade, there are no public facilities.  Some bring shaded chairs or strap umbrellas to their scopes. Be prepared for possible cooler temps, and wind.  Expect to sit a couple of hours for hopes of seeing something.  Even then, there is no guarantee. Make special plans for the day after a cold front, especially if it rains for one entire day. The backed up hawks will be anxious to get moving south.