Arrived 8:30. Noted on the way up that the smoke wasn't bad at Montlake and that gave me some hope firefighters have finally gotten the upper hand. However, I grew pessimistic as I approached Soddy Lake. Now the blazes are in Big Soddy Creek gulf, less than a mile below the lookout. Crossing the causeway over the lake I could barely see the lake for the smoke! It looked more clear on the lookout but the smoke was approaching. Temperature was 41 and pressure was 30.15. Visibility was 15K.
Here are some of my notes: 9:00 - Smoke slowly creeping up valley towards me. Visibility 10K. Can't see Soddy Lake or Soddy Lake or Sequoyah N.P. Watts Bar is visible but fading.10:00: Can't see Watts Bar anymore, but I can see steam plume barely above smoke layer. Visibility 8K. 12:00 smoke much worse! Visibility 2K. Not sure how much longer I want to breathe this smoke. Left 12:30.
Total:
American Kestrel - 1
Red-tail - 1
Bill Haley
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Friday, Nov. 18 report:
Didn't arrive until 1:30. Visibility 8K - the best of the week and nice after the last couple of trips with extremely poor visibility, sometimes less than 1K. It was clear, temperature 72, barometer 30.12 and wind from the south 5-10 MPH. I could only stay until 3:00, when it was nice short-sleeved weather of 77F - crazy this time in November!
I only counted one migrant, an adult Red-tail. As it approached in a glide I kept thinking there was something unusual about the coloration under the throat. As it got closer I realized it had a really full crop. It looked like a goiter the size of a baseball! That bird must have had a squirrel or rabbit for lunch!
Total: Red-tail - 1
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Sunday, November 20 report:
After a small rain yesterday morning and the passage of our strongest cold front yet, this was a day of contrasts compared with Friday. Arrived after church at 12:15. Clear, temperature 47, wind NW 5-15 MPH, visibility 75K, barometer 30.30.
After a t-shirt on Friday, I had to bundle up today with long-sleeved shirt, hoodie and then a windbreaker over that, thick gloves, hood up on my head and a scarf tied under my neck and over my head to protect my ears. It was still cold, but bearable.
The weather up north has finally gotten worse, with snow in some areas, and I am hoping it will bring some birds south. I may try to get up there for a couple of hours tomorrow too, when lighter northerly winds are predicted.
This is the kind of day when I think Golden Eagle is a possibility, but it wasn't to be today.
Counted one migrant adult Red-shouldered Hawk which lazily spiraled south at 12:52. Another one, also a beautiful adult, came through at 1:21. We always get some of them late in the season.
Some vultures were also on the move. Counted a group of 8 TV's all moving south together at 1:02. At 2:35 I spotted a tight kettle of 18 Black Vultures, which were also counted.
The only other sighting of note was a flyover by the local Cooper's Hawk (going the wrong way), but only around 20 feet directly over my head. It wove into the woods just past the pole. I saw it a couple of times after that, obviously hunting for a birdy snack.
I left at 3:30. Temperature had increased to a "balmy" 54F and the barometer reading was 30.23.
Totals:
Red-shoulder - 2
Turkey Vulture - 8
Black Vulture 18
Reporting: Bill Haley
Thanks, Bill!
There continues to be some smoke, but I noticed that the wind seems to be picking up ash as well and getting it into the air. But thankfully the fires are beginning to be contained. Hawk watch is winding down, but it will be great to get our yearly totals caught up and put into the record. And so proud we have more data than just September's.
As we passed the Hawk watch today coming back from Nashville, we were doing what we tell everyone to do...looking up. And two lovely Red-tails were circling just off the bluff. Can't count them, because we have no way of knowing if they moseyed on or not...but it simply pays to just--
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
ps...As we mourn the loss of the children who passed away in the School Bus Wreck yesterday, I am reminded that our motto to Keep Looking Up is sometimes all we can do, in more than a literal way. Today, I am looking up, in memory of those little souls, and also in prayer for the injured and their families too. When there is nothing else to do...I am encouraged that there are lots of reasons to keep looking up. God Bless them and give them grace.
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