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| Red-tailed hawks kite, hang steady in the wind, with their wings drawn in to capture the lift. Generally, it's a hunt mode, and is seen in local birds not ready to move on. |
A birding friend sent an e-mail for a couple hours spent on the watch today:
Ok to post this excerpt... "
Oct. 26: Since I was up in Soddy-Daisy today I decided to go by the hawk lookout. When I got there at 11:45 the wind was blowing really hard, maybe 10-15 miles per hour, from the south. There weren’t many clouds and my car thermometer said it was 71 degrees. I wasn’t sure I’d see anything, but wanted to give it a try. I saw a couple of Red-tails, but they were probably local birds. They were kiting on the strong winds and didn’t seem to be going anywhere. I did see a couple of hawks, one Cooper’s Hawk and one Red-tailed Hawk that went south, so figured they could be migrants. I left at 12:45.
I read Bill Haley’s account about the Osprey he saw last Sunday and thought of it when I spotted a large bird coming over the ridge. I could tell it had a white head, but as it flew into the strong headwind it was holding its wings very similar to an Osprey. For a minute that is what I thought it was, but it turned out to be an adult Bald Eagle. It soared out over the valley and I watched it for several minutes, till it finally headed back north...."
That adds -
Today's totals:
1 Cooper's hawk
1 Red-tailed hawk
____________________]
Total Raptors - 2
Thanks...every hour counts.
As we near the November hours, our traditional chart has us expecting to see fewer Bald Eagles until middle of the month. Almost no Osprey. The last of the Sharpies, but Coopers may remain steady, although few in number. This is the onset of Red-shouldered Season. And numbers of Red-tails should pick up a lot! Might spot a Golden, so be diligent. Kestrels will be gone soon. And no Peregrines are expected. But birds have wings and they will fly.
This week, my brother was visiting from Raleigh, and as we talked on the deck, a hawk screamed over our heads. My sister-in-law commented..."It's a "Screamie" exactly as my brother said, "I guess you brought "Screamie" with you.
They then explained that they had a hawk that had hung around their area at home, and did a lot of that same screaming. The same sound they use wrongly on TV and film for a Bald Eagle. It is actually a Red-tailed Hawk. Since we saw first one, then two and finally 3 Red-tails in the air, really moving on as they circled in large open soaring sweeps, we initially thought the sound was from one of them. But as the screams continued, I became aware that the drama we were watching unfold is one we frequently see on the Hill.
A local Red-tail was in the tallest tree west of our house. It was calling a territory scream to make sure the migrating hawks would continue on. Before it was over, we also saw a couple of TV's and our local RT flew out to escort them from his airspace. Problem was, Kim was describing a dark bird that screamed at her house all summer and fall, but was certain the call was the same. Once I realized she really wasn't referring to Red-shouldered hawks by mistake, I was delighted that she had either a western RT or a dark phase of some sort hanging around her house. Hoping my Brother gets a picture one day.
People want to know how it is, that we can count Red-tails, since everyone sees them all winter. The answer is that locals generally move south, and new Northern birds come in to rule the roost. Some of the change of control, will yield a good bit of "screaming" to establish authority for new birds. It may also be what encourages the locals to move south. Now is when we expect to see this happening in spades. Bill Haley wished me to make sure you also know that the locals make contact with travelers, and some will make a pairing connection. I guess it depends on which is moving through, males or females..LOL..But that's another story.
I for one am looking forward to adding more RTs to the totals.
Keep an eye out for hawks in your yard. All of the Raptors moving through in greater numbers this time of year, will also do a bit of early morning or late afternoon hunting before settling in. You may not have to have binoculars this time of year to -
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
C & J
This week, my brother was visiting from Raleigh, and as we talked on the deck, a hawk screamed over our heads. My sister-in-law commented..."It's a "Screamie" exactly as my brother said, "I guess you brought "Screamie" with you.
They then explained that they had a hawk that had hung around their area at home, and did a lot of that same screaming. The same sound they use wrongly on TV and film for a Bald Eagle. It is actually a Red-tailed Hawk. Since we saw first one, then two and finally 3 Red-tails in the air, really moving on as they circled in large open soaring sweeps, we initially thought the sound was from one of them. But as the screams continued, I became aware that the drama we were watching unfold is one we frequently see on the Hill.
A local Red-tail was in the tallest tree west of our house. It was calling a territory scream to make sure the migrating hawks would continue on. Before it was over, we also saw a couple of TV's and our local RT flew out to escort them from his airspace. Problem was, Kim was describing a dark bird that screamed at her house all summer and fall, but was certain the call was the same. Once I realized she really wasn't referring to Red-shouldered hawks by mistake, I was delighted that she had either a western RT or a dark phase of some sort hanging around her house. Hoping my Brother gets a picture one day.
People want to know how it is, that we can count Red-tails, since everyone sees them all winter. The answer is that locals generally move south, and new Northern birds come in to rule the roost. Some of the change of control, will yield a good bit of "screaming" to establish authority for new birds. It may also be what encourages the locals to move south. Now is when we expect to see this happening in spades. Bill Haley wished me to make sure you also know that the locals make contact with travelers, and some will make a pairing connection. I guess it depends on which is moving through, males or females..LOL..But that's another story.
I for one am looking forward to adding more RTs to the totals.
Keep an eye out for hawks in your yard. All of the Raptors moving through in greater numbers this time of year, will also do a bit of early morning or late afternoon hunting before settling in. You may not have to have binoculars this time of year to -
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
C & J
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