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

Tuesday, October 9, 2018

Another Merlin!! Nice Early Fall Mix

Soddy Mountain Hawk Totals
Tues., Oct. 9, 2018
         
Bill's report :
     
"Sometimes You’ve Gotta Play a Hunch!
 
We had 100% cloud cover in downtown Chattanooga today, but I could feel some heat from the sun penetrating the thin cloud cover.  I suspected there might be some hawks flying, so I took some time off and dashed up to the hawk lookout.  When I arrived on the lookout, there was actually a small amount of blue sky to the north, although the lookout proper never saw any sunshine. Ended up with an interesting mix of migrants!
 
Coverage: (all times EST): 1145 – 1315 = 1.5 hours
Counter: Bill Haley
 
Weather:
1100: Clouds 95%, wind ESE 5-12, temp. 77 F, hum. 57%, baro. 30.13, visib. 65K.
1200: Clouds 90%, wind E 10-15, temp. 78 F, hum. 53%, baro. 30.12.
1300: Clouds 99%.
 
Hawks by the hour:
1100: SS 2
1200: BE 1 (ad.), SS 2, BW 2, ML 1
1300: CH 1
   
10/9/18       
SS 4
BE 1 AD
BW 2
ML 1
CH 1
___________     
Total raptors: 9
 
Migrant butterflies: Monarch 14
 
Other birds: One non-hawk that deserves mention is a Red-breasted Nuthatch I heard in the pines behind the lookout. A first for this fall.
 
Reporting: William G. Haley, Jr. "
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