When I first started loving birds, I was fascinated with how people understood migration. I wanted since I was a child to understand what people were seeing to even know that birds moved south for the winter and north for nesting. With an opportunity to be a part of a hawk migration, I was thrilled to think I might see even 500 hawks pass by on migration in a season. Yet I didn't realize what an eyes-to-the-skies watch it would have to be. Like most, I didn't realize that to see the hawk and get accurate counts, I would be counting very tiny distant specks for a large part of the count. Which brings to mind, the question that I still have - did our fore-father "counters" even realize there were thousands passing over their heads, without the binoculars available? The answer lies in communication about what WAS being seen.
When there were so many birds in migration seasons, over their heads, we know from written records that hunters went to mountain tops and shot migrating birds for food or sport. They certainly at some time must have seen an occasional kettle of hawks that streamed 100 or more birds. If someone was in Texas, they saw thousands, and communication between areas, would confirm that if places in the North were seeing hundreds and Texans were seeing thousands, it was easy to conclude that the migrators were moving through Texas upon leaving the states.
This sort of thing happened for centuries around the world with greater concentrations in certain areas at certain times. Coupled with the appearance and disappearance of certain birds from an area whether north or south, people were sometimes able to set the dates in primitive times based on when birds arrived or left their area, and sometimes even festivals were based around the arrival.
So now, after 24 years of some kind of involvement, and particularly after the last several years of continuous coverage at Soddy Mtn Hawk Watch, I have seen more hawks than I ever dreamed I would or could. So even though this year is a dramatic drop from last year, Bill reminds us that last year was for us a once in 24 year miracle of sorts. We were privileged and blessed to see great numbers once. And blessed and privileged to "see" what we saw this year.
Were there fewer hawks passing by us? I for one don't think there were so many fewer. The weather just put the hawks higher, and maybe and a more favorable situation for them, to fly high with less effort in this heat. Few clouds for days on end, and no substantial fronts to slow or gather them into slowly rising visible kettles near us doesn't mean they weren't there. It just means we couldn't see them from our watch.
Many sites with greater elevation saw thousands. So the population is healthy and well. And we played a small part in documenting that, in a way that we could invite others to take part, or get a glimpse into that part of our natural world's cycles. It is for us a joy to watch it, but also a pleasure to have some of you come join us, keep us going, and add some "eyes-to-the-skies".
Watchers were: Justin and Robin Nation from Lebanon, Chuck Estes, Kent Dubois, Charles Murray, Bill Haley, and Jimmy and Cynthia Wilkerson (me). I have been remiss at times in posting names. I must go back soon and thank you ALL.
I have two days of data to share in this post and in tonight's post I want to tell you a story or two about the other natural wonders happening around us over the last 3 days. Warblers and wasps and flowers and...well, let's wait til then.
What we've seen:
THURSDAY 9/29/16
71 BW
4 SS
1 NH
1 ML
Tot: 77 Raptors
FRIDAY 9/30/16
18 BW
4 SS
3OS
Tot: 25 Raptors
Grand Total: 1388
We are 12 birds from seeing 1400 raptors in 15 days. Although not phenomenal, still amazing and wonderful. Although very difficult this year.
It is never too late to participate. You can start today and -
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!
ps. no time to edit read...hope this doesn't seem to ramble too much.
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