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

Wednesday, November 7, 2018

Every Bird Counts!

Amidst these rainy days, a few beautiful skies have smiled.  Bill found a little time to head up to the watch, and pulled out this report for Tuesday.

"Soddy Mountain hawk totals
 Tues., Nov. 6, 2018
Coverage:
1430-1530
Counter: Bill Haley
Weather: Clouds 2% @ 1430, increasing to 20% @ 1530. Wind WNW 2-8. Temperature 68-71 F. Barometric pressure 29.99-30.00. Visibility 60K.
Hawks by hour:
1400: SS 1, RT 1
1500: 0
Hawks:
10/06/18
Sharp-shinned 1
Red-tailed 1
_____________ 
Total Raptors = 2

     The big story today was ladybugs. Not just a few ladybugs. Not hundreds. Thousands of ladybugs! It happens every year as the weather turns colder. Ladybugs swarm, looking for a snug spot to spend the winter. I continually shook ladybugs off my clothes, hat, binoculars and hands. They found my hat to be an attractive landing field and it sounded like I was being pelted by rain. They crawled down my neck and under my shirt. Ladybugs everywhere! If you've never been assaulted by a horde of ladybugs, here is a word to describe them. STINKY! With ladybugs all over you there are casualties, and squashed ladybugs stink. Do ladybugs bite? YES they do. They are beetles with mandibles and I got bit a couple times today.
      As a hawkwatcher I've trained myself to stop at dark spots as I scan the sky. Thousands of little flying specks made scanning a challenge today. Thank goodness a Sharp-shin and Red-tail showed up to represent for the hawks and keep me from getting skunked!

Monarch butterfly 1

Reporting: William G. Haley, Jr."
 
Every day I have a few minutes to be outside, I am finding myself searching the skies, because I know that especially as cold weather knocks on the door, it still pays to
 
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
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