SITE DESCRIPTION

SITE DESCRIPTION:
"The Soddy Mountain hawk lookout is located in southeast Tennessee on the eastern face of Walden's Ridge (the Cumberland Escarpment) in Hamilton County, a short distance north of the town of Soddy-Daisy, TN. It lies at the eastern terminus of Jones Gap Road atop a bluff overloooking Hwy. 111 and the beautiful Tennessee River Valley to the east. The hawk lookout location is state-owned land, and there are currently no restroom or eating facilities nearby. Hawk watchers are advised to bring their own folding lawn chair, sunscreen, a hat, and drinking water, as well as binoculars and a field guide. Caution should be used at all times, especially if children are present, as there is no fence to prevent a fall off the nearby 75 foot bluff. The hawk lookout proper is level ground." *

No Shelter is available, and parking is on a level below the lookout grounds. The climb to the watch site is up a steep bank about 8' high. Other helpful tools might include an umbrella or spotting scope, although on a good day, you might not find time to use either.*

Courtesy of William G. (Bill) Haley, compiler and author of the brochure, Soddy Mountain Hawk Lookout, produced for TOS.

Red-tailed Hawk

Red-tailed Hawk
Falconer Mr. Johnson's Red-tail

Sunday, November 26, 2017

Post Thanksgiving Raptors On The Move!

I have a couple, at least, of posts from Bill from over the holidays, which I need to put here today. But before I transfer his emails, I just wanted to tell you a quick story.

 Jimmy went to the mailbox Saturday. We have placed a couple of lawn seats at the end of the walkway where it joins the drive. Jimmy sat a moment to open the mail and rest before coming on up the hill.  He has a good view of he North sky from there, so he noticed a kettle of vultures forming over our neighbors roof line.  He decided to watch and see where they went. In just a little while he had counted more and more as small groups formed in that same area.

I began to wonder if he was OK, so I went to sit with him. And he told me about the vultures as he opened the mail.  In no time we were seeing more. I watched with him as each new group peeled off the top, heading south and sometimes formed up again as they got just past our SW roofline. But they could be seen streaming south strung out across the southern skies. At one point the skies to the south had a vulture anywhere you looked. Since we seldom see more than 4 or 5 Vultures over our area in a day, it was obvious these were migrants. We stayed until he was tired of looking up, but he had asked for a pen and kept a tally.  So here is our report from the yard. LOL

Saturday
11/25/2017
Wilkerson Home Watch

30% clouds, temps - hi 60's,  slight N winds at ground, faster at cloud level, moving clouds quickly through.

TV - 19, 9, 15, 2, 2, 2, 2 - 53
IM BE - 1
BV - 34, 10, 1 - 45

Total Raptors 99 :)
3:45 to 4:45 p.m.
Jimmy and Cynthia Wilkerson

________________________________

Now for the real counts:
Wednesday
11/22/2017
 
"Weather: Clouds 0%, Wind: ENE 5-10, Temperature : 52 F, Barometric pressure : 30.14, Humidity: 46%, Visibility : 45K.
Hawks by the hour:
1:45-2:00 - 0
2:00-3:00 - RT 2
Counter: Bill Haley,  1:45-3:00
 
Reporting : Bill Haley"

&
Thanksgiving Day
Thursday
11/23/2017

"Weather: Clouds: 65% @ 9:45, 75% @ 11:00, 85% @ 12:00. Wind : E 5-10 @ 9:45, changing to NE 2-5 @ 11:00. Temperature : 37 F @ 10:00, 45 F @ 11:00. Barometric pressure: 30.12. Humidity : 73%.Visibility: 40 - 45K. 
No migrant raptors today. Saw two local Bald Eagles, one local Sharp-shinned Hawk and one local Red-tailed Hawk. On the bright side, while taking a bathroom break in the pines south of the lookout I spotted a bird species that  has never been documented at the lookout. I noticed a couple of small birds dining on pine seeds and they proved to be Pine Siskins!
Sandhill Cranes - 14. 
American Robin - (35) 10:45, (57) 10: 50.
Also saw a Common Checkered Skipper butterfly.
Counter: Bill Haley,  9:45-12:00
Reporting : Bill Haley"
____________________________________

Of course we won't include our home count in the Soddy Lookout Count because we are quite a few miles away.  But what we always say, is you can count from where you are.  Our view on the mountain affords us wonderful views of migrants taking advantage of the updrafts formed along the ridges.  But many migrants don't specifically seek the mountainsides, all the time.  Vultures are one of those species which can be readily seen anywhere along their migration, much as you would see Sandhills for instance. Our experience shows that anyone can enjoy the miracle of migration if you ___

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!


Tuesday, November 21, 2017

Thanksgiving Week Data



Bill has sent a couple more days. We'll get caught up and now and again after Thanksgiving.  Let me say in advance that I hope everyone has a wonderful time Thursday, good food and family.  I am certain our family has much to be thankful for! 

Bill's reports:
Friday
November 17, 2017

When I saw an eagle in a glide coming straight for the lookout, I wondered if it might be the Golden I have been hoping for. The head was a light color, but was it golden or white? Turned out to be mostly white, on a probable 3rd or 4th year Bald Eagle. Tail was white at the base with a pretty distinct dark terminal band.Still a nice sight as it turned one circle right at the lookout and then sailed on south. I swear it turned its head to look my way!

Weather: Clouds : 10% @ 10:15, increasing to 20% for the rest of the time I was there. Wind: very light, from calm to NE 1-3, Temperature : 49 F - 52 F. Barometric pressure: 30.21. Humidity: 71% - 61%. Visibility: 40K.

Raptors by the hour:
10:15-11:00 - TV 9, RT 2
11:00-12:00 - TV 5, BE 1, RS 1, RT 2

TOTAL RAPTORS: 20 (TV 14, BE 1, RS 1, RT 4)

Counter: Bill Haley,  10:15-12:000

Reporting : Bill Haley
 
------------------------------------------------------
 
Sunday
November 19, 2017
 
Strong wind out of the NW this afternoon, usually not great for us. Thankfully, I didn't get  skunked! Batteries on my weather radio quit, so weather reports are minimal. Winds were NW 5-10, with some stronger gusts. Clouds were 60% @ 1:00, 30% @ 2:00. Tenperature 49 F. Visibility was 45 K.

Hawks by the hour :
1:00-2:00 - NH 1, RT 1
2:00-3:00 - RT 1
TOTAL HAWKS - 3

All three hawks came through very high.

Counter: Bill Haley,  1:00-3:00

Reporting : Bill Haley
 
 
_____________________________________
 
These 23 birds push us over 2900 Raptors counted for the season.  A couple of good pushes of TV's could get us into the 3000 bird category. 
 
Happy Thanksgiving! Everyone.
 
Take a minute to be thankful for the grand world God made, and the assurances that each season will come and go, and migrations will continue as they have for thousand of years.  I am thankful I got to see its evidence with my own eyes. And all it took was a commitment to
 
KEEP LOOKIN UP!!!
 
Cynthia for All of us on the Hawk Watch Team!

Friday, November 17, 2017

Over the Hill in November

This was the middle week of November, 2017 fall season.  Bill had a number of hours to get to the watch this week, so he has sent several reports since I was able to concentrate on getting them up.  So forgive, please the marathon of info.

Jimmy had a biopsy done on his muscles Thursday of this week, in an attempt to put a name to what's making him so weak.  Several good things have happened, in that we have stopped the rapid decline in weight, he no longer spends half his day in the restroom, he is thinking and speaking more clearly, (thank God), and they have brought the mass of medication he was on to something more manageable, and a little easier to see what was hurting him and what actually helped.

 It turned out he was on Diabetes Meds in addition to several others that he no longer needed, due to his weight loss.  His sugars are basically not an issue at this point.  That is a tremendous blessing, and his blood pressure and heart rates have become far more stable.  I generally don't speak of these things here, but I know many of our readers would like to know.  And I needed to explain why I have been neglectful this week.  He remains unable to walk without tremendous effort, and has fallen more. So it will be very helpful if we can just know a diagnosis.  I hate Statin drugs now, because they seem to have put this whole thing in motion, but his Neurologist seems to think the "disease" part of his problems may have been silently growing before his Rhabdo occurred, thus making the Rhabdo so much worse than it might have been.  Enough of the details, but thank you all for caring and praying and asking about him. 

Now for the real post!

I will just let Bill tell you his results through his own emails and pictures.  It's a blessing that our numbers continue to rise, showing what he always said, that the migration isn't over when the Broad-wings are gone.  In the first note, he recognized an error in addition, adding one more to the previous totals.  I just want to say that, I will always copy paste someone's report, unless we were also doing totals.  So I don't ck for errors. But when Jimmy fills in the charts on Hawkcount.org, it will recognize for us an addition error. But in the past Jimmy has checked and double checked our numbers, both through out the season and at season's end, to be sure of accuracy.  We check his numbers against mine, and we add both forward and backwards, as well as page by page, and month by month.  Just so people may know we make every effort to be accurate when we report to you our final numbers. But it is seldom that the numbers are more than a couple or two off.  The guys have done a great job with numbers down through the years!

Bill's Reports and pics:

"Monday November 13 Correction Note:
Hey, I just realized I had 28 total raptors on Nov. 13, not 27. One of these days I'll learn to count! 25 TV + 2 RT + 1 BE = 28.
Still waiting on that good day, but I just don't think it has gotten nasty enough up north yet For the RT's to move in numbers. Hardly saw any vultures at all today, and certainly no migrants.
Bill
 
 
Tuesday
Nov 14, 2017
Weather: Clouds: 90% @ 11:30, 55% @ 12:00, 35% @ 1:00, 5% $ 2:00. Wind: SE 1-3 @11:30, ENE 1-3 @ 12:00, E SE 2-8 @ 1:00. Temperature: 50 - 56 F. Barometric pressure: 30.33 @ 11:30 gradually falling to 30.23 @ 2:00. Humidity: 63%-57%. Visibility: 40K-50K.

Couldn't really see the bird in my phone view, but I could see the cloud. I got lucky. As this adult Bald Eagle streamed south, it was in a glide from the time I saw it over the north ridge to when it disappeared to the south. By Bill Haley
[Note: We have talked about distant BE's coming in with wings flat as a board. Here we see a different stance, as the Eagle captures the wind beneath it's wings in a look that resembles an M of an Osprey.   Notice the wing size compared to the bird's body. Now imagine that spread out flat. Even less body to wing! CW]

Raptors by hour: 
11:30-12:00 - RT 2
12:00-1:00 - 0
1:00'2:00 - BE 1 (ad), RT 1
2:00-2:30 - 0

TOTAL RAPTORS: 4
 
Found this Common Buckey caterpillar today, Nov. 14, at the hawk lookout.  It was on Narrow - leaved Plantain, it's larval host plant. I never realized how fuzzy this plant's leaves are.
Saw a Sleepy Orange butterfly up there yesterday. by Bill Haley


Counter: Bill Haley, 11:30-2:30
 
___________________________________________
 
Wednesday
November 15, 2017
 
Walked onto the lookout at 9:45. Set my binoculars on a cell tower to make sure I'd have the proper long focus and began to scan the horizon over the north ridge and in less than 45 seconds, BAM! A female Northern Harrier cresting the ridge. She then dropped low and I got to watch from above as she made her way down the fog covered valley with a good bit of flapping. I can't recall ever being able to watch one from above. They usually gain height and pass high overhead. An omen?

Weather: Clouds : 50% @ 9:45, increasing to 85% by 12:00, and 95% @ 1:00. Light rain @ 1:15. Wind WNW  5-10 @ 9:45, SSW 10-20 for the rest of the day. Temperature: 42 F @ 9:45, 53 F @ 11:00, 56 F @ 12:00 and 1:00. Humidity : 82%-55%. Visibility 55K,  gradually increasing to 20K. 

Raptors by the hour:
9:45-10:00 - NH 1
10:00-11:00 - 0
11:00-12:00 - BW 10, TV 7, RS 1, RT - 3
12:00-1:00 - TV 19,  BE 1, SS 1, RT 1
1:00-1:15 - 0

TOTAL RAPTORS: 44
(BV 10, TV 26, BE 1, NH 1, SS 1, RS 1, RT 4)
 
One of two Red-tails that came through at 11:56 today, Bill Haley
[Note: strong petal shaped wings, as we've discussed in silhouettes CW]
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 
 
At 11:07 there were 14 Eastern Bluebirds,  7 American Robins.and 4 Cedar Waxwings on the wires in front of me. Many flew to land on or near a large Eastern Red Cedar at the south edge of the lookout and all were feeding on the abundant berries. At 11:20 an adult Sharp-shinned Hawk shot up over the edge of the bluff about 20 feet in front of me. It was hoping to surprise one of the bird's behind me. Instead it was only me that got surprised! The luckless hunter darted into the trees behind the lookout. A gorgeous bird with rufus belly and gun metal blue-gray back. I've seen this local bird numerous times this fall, and suspect it has better luck when I'm not around to distract it.

The sharpie I counted, I thought at first might be the same bird contemplating a second try, but it soared up and passed very high overhead, continuing south.

The Black Vultures were all in one group and all headed south. First ones I've counted this fall.

Bald Eagle was a 4th year bird. White head, very little white on body or under wings, white tail with a dark terminal band.

I was surprised as I neared Chattanooga and the sun was shining. I wonder if all these migrants were in a hurry to get out from under the cloud cover and sprinkles and head a few miles south to sunny skies?

Painted Lady butterfly 1

Counter: Bill Haley,  9:45-1:15
__________________________________________
 
Thursday
November 16, 2017

This was the most pleasant day this week, but it must have been just as pleasant to our north, because the hawks weren't coming past the lookout.

Weather: Clouds: 40% @ 9:00 (high, thin cirrus and jet contrails), 30% @ 11:00, 30% @ 12:00, 15% @ 1:00. Wind: Calm @ 9:00, ENE 3-5 @ 10:00, NNW 2-5 @ 12:00, NW 5-15 @1:00. Temperature: 65F,  gradually increasing to 61F. Barometric pressure: 30.17 @ 9:00? 30.18 @ 10:00, decreasing to 30.14 @ 1:00. Humidity: 77%-54%. Visibility starting @ 50K, ending @ 65 K.

Hawks by the hour:
9:00-10:00 - 0
10:00-11:00 - RT 1
11:00-12:00 - RT 1
12:00-1:00 - 0
1:00-1:30 - 0

TOTAL HAWKS: 2

Biggest excitement was a 4 - point buck Whitetail Deer that ran past the pole in front of me with its white flag of a tail raised. It then darted into the thick pines nearby. Looked like it had escaped a hunter.

Ladybug beetles starting to swarm on the lookout as night temperatures approach freezing.

Counter: Bill Haley 9:00-1:30
 
Bill Haley - Reporting"
____________________________________
 
Jimmy had also noted and shared with me that several sites in the north, report rather large numbers of Golden Eagles this time of year, most of them every year.  Check out the Pennsylvania Hawkcount.org numbers for watches up there and at site a little further south.
 
Alleghany Front, for instance: 11/15/17
In just one day - 50 GE
BVTVOSBENHSSCHNGRSBWRTRLGEAKMLPGUAUBUFUEURMKSKTotal
030202100025050000000000083
 
 
We have begun to wonder where those numbers of GEs go?  May be ready for a chapter on
 just that bird.  But, since we see so few here, do they migrate down the coastline?Maybe they just do a shift out of Canada to our North Eastern climes.   Or maybe head west sooner than reaching our area of TN? 
 
 Maybe YOU would like to have a little fun, and do a research quest yourself.
But we need you to Report any Golden Eagles you may see. PLEASE report to the facebook page, with pics if possible. THANKS
 
One more reason to
KEEP LOOKING UP!
 

 

Tuesday, November 14, 2017

Now At Over 2800 Raptors



Hawk Crew
by Bill Haley

With only 5 Vultures for the day, our 2017 fall season total, inched up to 2803 with Bill's 11/12/17, Sunday afternoon post.  His Monday post puts the count at 2830. LOL  100 more Raptors for the year +_ would put this year right between the records for seasons 2004 and 2013, both at over 2900 Raptors for their seasons.

Those records, for those who don't see it on their phone "sidebars" are on the page link,  STATS FROM THE PAST . On my phone, there is a small arrow at the top of the right side of my phone blog.  Tapping that arrow will bring down a list of pages that provide additional and stationary info relevant to the blog, and Soddy Mountain Hawk Watch in general. On my computer the pages appear both on the left and right sidebars, at different distances down the blog page for easy access. On a computer one can view small running totals for both the season and Grand Totals to the right and left of the main blog page. I don't always catch them up each report but bring them up to date every few days. At the end of our Season, I will try to remember to Blog the Grand Totals as well. 

 I just added the new page, which will continuously reference the research I am finding on WHERE DO HAWKS GO to Winter. I posted links to the first 2 Blogs for easy future reference and will continue to add blog pages or new links as I find them. On all the pages,  I've tried to answer questions we've often heard on the watch, and make quick links to our stats, directions, history,   ID info for distance calls, the Rehab/Release program by Happinest Rehab, and others.  There's quite a few years of collected info there.

Here are Bill's last 2 Reports, for Sunday and Monday:

Sunday
November 12, 2017

 Complete cloud cover about says it all. Not much going on today.

Weather: Clouds 100%, Wind SE 2-10, Temperature: 54-56 F. Barometric pressure : 30.35 - 30.31. Humidity: 77%. Visibility: 30K.

Raptors by the hour:
12:15-1:00 - 0
1:00-2:00 - TV 5
Total raptors: 5
Counter: Bill Haley -  12:15-2:00

Reporting: Bill Haley
_______________________________
 
November Day with the pole
Bill Haley
 
Monday
November 13, 2017
 
Weather: Clouds: 85% @ 9:45. 75% @ 10:00, 60% @ 11:00, 40% @ 12:00, 25% @ 1:00. Wind: NNW 10-15 @ 9:45, changing to N 10-15 for the rest of the day. Temperature: 51 - 55F. Barometric pressure: 30.39 @ 9:45, going up to 30.40 @ 12:00 . Humidity: 80% - 55%.

Coldest day on the lookout so far with a brisk 10-15 mph wind in my face all day. Clearing took much of the morning.

Raptors by hour: 
9:45-10:00 - 0
10:00-11:00 - BE 1 (imm)
11:00-12:00 - TV 25, RT 1
12:00-1:00 - RT  1

Total raptors: 27 (TV 25, BE 1, RT 2) 

 
Counter: Bill Haley - 9:45-1:00

Reporting: Bill Haley 
__________________________
 
Remember, these cold and sometimes windy days, still have many Raptors in migration.  Don't even think it's time to put those binocs down!
 
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
 
 

Sunday, November 12, 2017

Northern Goshawk - Need I Say More?

Yep, you are reading it right!  If you had to read it twice to be sure, that's how Bill felt on the call.  He simply had to satisfy himself it was the right call.  That's the way it sometimes is, when you know you are seeing a wonderful spot alone.  You even second guess yourself...but the details bear out and you know! And he knew he had seen a wonderful bird to report.

Jimmy and I had discussed before this year's season, that the sightings for Northern Goshawk completely surrounded our state, so why weren't we getting an  occasional one.  There was one hawk last year that we simply couldn't get our head around, which we always wondered - might it have been?.  So we had actually studied the bird some just in case.  But when I asked, why might we be missing it? Jimmy replied that it might have something to do with the time of year. And he was right.

Was this one so unique or was coverage over the last several years, not being all day, everyday, like during BW season, cheating us out of an occasional Goshawk?  Well, the roll of the dice was truly nice for Bill. And we are excited to report that he was there on a lucky or divinely blessed day! Our last report for one was in 1995!

Here's the report - What other sightings did the Goshawk overshadow in 6 hours? Read it to find out! Wow!!!

Saturday
November 11, 2017


"Very high barometric pressure today. The "heavier" air can sometimes put a damper on the hawk flight.

Weather: Clouds: 25% @ 9:30 (high, thin cirrus), increasing to 50% @ 2:00 and 60% @ 3:00. Wind: N 1-2 @ 9:30, changing  by 10:00 to SE 2-5 and staying there for the rest of the day. Temperature : 40F @ 9:30,  gradually increasing to 60F @ 3:00. Barometric pressure: 30.40 - 30.41 from 9:30 - 11:00, 30.39 @ 12:00, 30.36 @ 1:00, 30.33 @ 2:00, 30.31 @ 2:00. Humidity: 73% - 50%. Visibility : 60 - 65K. 

Raptors by the hour:
9:30-10:00 - 0
10:00-11:00 - 0
11:00-12:00 - TV 34, NH 1, NG 1 
12:00-1:00 - TV 11, RT 1
1:00-2:00 - TV 4, BE 1, RS 1, RT 4
2:00-3:00 - SS 1
3:00-3:30 - 0

TOTAL RAPTORS: 59 
(TV 49, BE 1, NH 1, SS 1, NG 1, RS 1, RT 5)

I struggled with the Northern Goshawk call. It is not a species we usually expect at Soddy Mountain. I first spotted it in the distance and soaring very high, and initially I had it pegged as a sharpie. However, as it came in high over the lookout this bird appeared quite large - bigger and bulkier than a Cooper's Hawk - so large that for awhile I thought it was a Red-shouldered Hawk. It flapped and glided accipiter-like, but so do Red-shoulders at times. I looked close for "windows" in the wings. There were none. The configuration of the wings in a glide was also different than Cooper's, with primaries that dropped back considerably behind the trailing edge of the wings. The tail was long - longer than a Red-shoulder ' s would be,  and wide - wider than Cooper's. The head projected like a Cooper's, but It just didn't have that long "stretched-out" look I associate with a Cooper's Hawk. I wish it could have been closer and the light better, as I couldn't make out any plumage field marks. It just looked all dark. It passed overhead, but high. I'll admit I was puzzled, and just couldn't call it a commonly - seen Cooper's Hawk, so I consulted "Hawks in Flight", "Hawks at a Distance", and "Hawks From Every Angle".  In "Hawks in Flight"  Pete Dunne states, "Rule of thumb: If you initially identify a bird as a buteo,  but the closer it gets you realize it is an accipiter,  think Goshawk."  I'm making the call of Northern Goshawk, based on everything I saw. 

The adult Bald Eagle  at 1:30 was a much easier identification. It sailed down the valley 100 feet under the lookout. It was a real treat to see it from above as it sailed over the countryside below.

The Northern Harrier was an immature. The Red-shouldered Hawk was an adult.

Other notable birds: Seen fairly close over north ridge - Canada Geese (5), followed by one lone Snow Goose. It was striking how much smaller the Snow Goose was. It was having to work hard to keep up. A strange grouping. Wonder what it was doing following the larger Canada's?

Sandhill Cranes: 17 total -first seen this fall.

Monarch butterfly 1

Counter: Bill Haley,  9:30-3:30

Reporting: Bill Haley"
 
______________________________________
 
GO BILL!
 
Jimmy told me last night that when he posted the data to Hawkcount.org, he noticed large numbers of Golden Eagles had been posted all along the Eastern Counts.  If you can stand the cold, and sometimes the cold winds, now is an amazing time to go Hawk Watching. But at least check out the Hawkcount site.  It's great fun to see what is being reported by other sites as well.
 
At the very least, where ever you are today and for all of November-
 
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!
 
 

Friday, November 10, 2017

Monarchs in Record Numbers Overshadow Hawk Migration

Monarch Butterflies are arriving at times later than ever before, say numerous articles coming from South of the Border.  Some say the numbers are records in several counts.  New York recorded 25 in one location on one bush. A record for them.  And the late flight is not over. Keep reading Bill's reports for the 9th and 10th of November, and see if you can pick out the rare report< hint, hint.

If you love butterflies, Check out the wonderful pictures of the skies filled with them as they arrive on wintering grounds by the thousands.  NOvember sightings should be reported. Pictures are a plus.

https://learner.org/jnorth/monarchs/news/fall-2017/110917-monarch-butterfly-overwintering-season-begins

Thursday
November 9 2017
"Clearing this afternoon after several cloudy, rainy days. Turkey Vultures in two groups of 39 and 12 came through between 2:12 and 2:17. Clear weather predicted tomorrow, so I will try to get up to the lookout for awhile if possible.

Weather: Clouds: 35% @ 2:00, 15% @ 3:00. Wind: NE 2-5 @ 2:00, NE 1-2 @ 3:00. Temperature: 59 - 61F. Barometric pressure: 30.12 - 30.11. Humidity: 64% - 55%. Visibility;  50K.

Raptors by the hour:
2:00-3:00: TV 51, SS 1, RS 1, RT 2
3:00-3:15: 0

Total raptors: 55

Counter: Bill Haley,  2:00-3:15

Reporting: Bill Haley"
 
 
Friday
November 10 2017
"I was able to man the lookout for two very short periods today, 9:45-10:15 and 1:15-2:00.

Weather: Clouds: 15% @ 9:45, 35% @ 1:15. Wind NE 5-10. Temperature: 48 F @ 9:45, 57 F @ 1:15. Barometric pressure: 30.31-30.30. Humidity: 63% - 59%. Visibility;  25 K @ 9:45, 35 K @ 1:15.

Raptors by the hour:
9:45-10:00 - RT 1
10:00-10:15 - RT 1
1:15-2:00 - TV 11

Total raptors: 13 (TV 11, RT 2)

Counter: Bill Haley, 9:45-10:15,  1:15-2:00

Reporting : Bill Haley"
________________________________
 
Then we got this email: SUBJECT:
 



  
-add 1 Monarch today, 11-10-17-

"This late date is notable!"
___________________________________
 
So good to hear that monarchs are setting their own records this year, after recent years of reports of dropping numbers.  It's great news to see the increase in both Monarch arrivals and  finds of eggs laid, on the counts, etc.  other reports.  Go Monarchs!
 
 
 
 
 

 KEEP LOOKING UP!!!



 
 

 

Thursday, November 2, 2017

ANOTHER MERLIN!

Hawks are definitely still moving through in migration.  Don't underestimate what a few hours of looking up can yield! What might be noted is that unlike with Broad-wing  counts, this time of year the numbers can be good in the middle of the day.  Accipiters aren't set on achieving heights, they are just keen on getting where they are going.  They are often moving very fast, often as singles, and at just enough distance to need to know their silhouettes, wing beats, and other Identification attitudes, etc.  No midday lull expected.   And if you are alone on the watch, an awful lot of scanning the sky for long hours. Comfortable weather, midday today.   Great report!

Bill's report for today-

Thursday
November 2, 2017

"Almost complete cloud cover today. The bad news is that I saw only a few hawks. The good news is that I saw a few hawks. It is certainly not a given that you'll see any migrants on such a day.

Weather: Clouds: 100% @ 10:45, 98% @ 12:00, 90% @ 1:00, back to 100% by 2:00 and for the rest of the day. Wind; S 2-10 mph. Temperature: 61F,  gradually increasing to 70F. Barometric pressure: 30.21 gradually decreasing to 30.17. Humidity: 83%-67%. Visibility: 10K- 20K. 

Hawks by the hour:
10:45-11:00 - 0
11:00-12:00 - SS 1
12:00-1:00 - TV 5, SS 2
1:00-2:00 - TV 10, BE 1, SS 1, ML 1
2:00-3:00 - SS 1

Total raptors: 22 (TV 15, BE 1, SS 5, ML 1)

Two sharpies came through at 12:46. I would have never seen one, but it dove on the bird I was watching. Then they both came south. The Merlin flew very fast and low down the valley. Bald Eagle was probably a 3rd year bird. 

Counter: Bill Haley,  10:45-3:00

Reporting: Bill Haley"

Until Bill calls the season he will

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!

Wednesday, November 1, 2017

Great Halloween Flights!



Huge numbers of Broad-wings, Swainsons Hawks and Turkey Vultures are arriving at the Southernmost Panama in the last few days.  Almost breaking their best records.  Check the record for this Halloween count for Cerro-Ancon, Panama. They counted over 890,000 birds. I noticed that a tower further inland, counted no where near this many hawks on the same day. That is how it works. Hawks pass, but not always where you are at a watch. You can miss them by as little as 3 miles easily. I have actually been  in that position  to see it happen. Driving only 3 miles W from Corpus Christi in Texas, we saw (as I have  told you before) over 20,000 more hawks than were being seen at Corpus, and that in just 20 minutes or so.  Corpus had only 1.  This was happening in the  Panama yesterday.

So, although some sites in the US report near to average/year volume,  the hawks passed somewhere in record numbers and never got counted earlier in the states.  Cerro-Ancon is the narrowest area before the hawks enter South America. The huge TV count causes me to question a bit the older thinking about how and where Turkey Vultures migrate.  We on our watch expect Turkey Vulture migration and count it as such.  We sometimes expect the TV flights to look a bit like BW movement, because they kettle and form into large social groups in much the same way. But we've only counted their migration at SMHW for a couple or so weeks (10/15/17). Yesterday, 715, 500+ of them were headed into northern South America. And that is way ahead of sites in the US getting their TV counts well underway.  We expect more to come.

 Might be interesting to watch those numbers at Cerro-Ancon in future reports this year. I am going to check the monthlies for a few western American watches, and see who was seeing the most Vultures, the earliest, and answer my curiosity, as to whether any of  the 715,000 could have come through the US earlier.  And how fast are they moving? Might do the  same for BW's.

Don't miss an opportunity to browse the other sites reporting to Hawkcount.org.  This was the one Jimmy found most interesting last evening as he entered Bill's Halloween report. BW's are now finding their way into S. America.... I didn't get a chance to  look back at what those numbers have looked like and for how long. But we get a sense of about how long it takes US BW's to get there.

Meanwhile, in Eastern Tennessee, our Soddy Mountain Hawk Watch, is experiencing the second half of 2017's fall movement.  As you know we simply don't have the man-power to keep daily reports going out to you. So each time Bill is able to find the time to do what he loves, experience the non-broad-wing flights, and show that the migration continues well into November, he wishes we could find reporters who love the cool temps and slower pace...(that could be debated, considering the no bird BW season days).  It always leaves us wondering,  what came through when...?
Bill's Halloween Day report follows:

TUESDAY
10/31/2017

"Weather: Clouds 1% @ 1:30, 5% @ 2:00, 0% @ 3:00. Wind : S 1-4 mph, changing to E SE 1-4 @ 2:00. Barometric pressure: 30.21 @ 1:30, 30.17 @ 2:00, 30.14 @ 3:00. Humidity: 44%-38%. Visibility 60K.

Raptors by hour:
1:30-2:00 - NH 1, SS 1, CH 1, RT 1
2:00-3:00 - TV 11, SS 2, RT 1
3:00-4:00 - SS 1, CH 1

Total raptors: 20
(TV 11, NH 1, SS 4, CH 2, RT 2)

I wonder what came by the lookout before I arrived at 1:30?

Counter: Bill Haley,  1:30-4:00

Reporting: Bill Haley"
 
__________________________________________________
 
Cape May reported 74 Raptors, 38 of which are Sharpies still making their way south, before noon today.
 
Finally, I want to post our October monthly totals via the Hawkcount.org chart.
 
Month Summary:Oct, 2017

  
Black Vulture
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Northern Goshawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
American Kestrel
Merlin
Peregrine Falcon
Unknown Accipiter
Unknown Buteo
Unknown Falcon
Unknown Eagle
Unknown Raptor
 
DateObsHrsBVTVOSBENHSSCHNGRSBWRTRLGEAKMLPGUAUBUFUEURTOTAL
2017-10-013.75








1










1
2017-10-061.5





1













1
2017-10-070




















0
2017-10-080




















0
2017-10-093




2








1




3
2017-10-101.5




1







11




3
2017-10-114.75




21













3
2017-10-126.5




92

11

1






14
2017-10-137



111








1




13
2017-10-144.75




8








1




9
2017-10-154.75
611
2593

1


431




135
2017-10-168
8


4














12
2017-10-207




















0
2017-10-214.25





1













1
2017-10-222.75
62
1
















63
DateObsHrsBVTVOSBENHSSCHNGRSBWRTRLGEAKMLPGUAUBUFUEURTOTAL
2017-10-242




















0
2017-10-261.75



131


1









6
2017-10-312.5
11

142


2









20
Total:
Oct 2017
65.75hours01421151031100340054500000284
Total:
Fall 2017
242.25hours0142211510125200122754009917001002649
 
Notice the total Fall counts and hours etc. also appear on the chart.
 
Might need to change the way this chart is posted depending on how it views.  If it doesn't work, I'll edit the post to a screen shot pic.  But this might be more readable.
 
Thanks to all who keep up with our reports. The side bar info doesn't appear on the phone site for our Blog, so I plan to put up the records shown there at the 2017 final.  Hope I remember.
 
Not sure too many hours will be covered in Nov/Dec. but I am not disappointed with our numbers this year.  Couldn't be, since we couldn't help much, but even so, I am just proud that there is a 25th year...even if Bill stops the watch all together.  The numbers this year bring a quarter century of value to the effort.
 
But any where we go, we will never forget to
 
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!