Largest #s In THE COUNTRY

Bill sent a note and mentioned that he noticed something cool on the Hawkcount.org site.  Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving.  May your Holidays be amazing, and fun. Blessings to all.

Preparations will be underway for Christmas bird counts, and the focus will turn from mirgrant counts by Christmas. But until then, Bill can add a few more birds to the YTD if he has a few hours this month. Because the season isn't over until he says he's done. Again, we don't post the final until after the first of the new year. WOW! Almost 2019 shakes me up. 

Here's Bill's note:

"Jimmy and Cynthia;

I hope you had a good Thanksgiving. Just checked HawkCount and want to thank you for getting it up to date. I know it has been rough for you Jimmy. I pray you are getting better and stronger every day.

Don't know if you realized it or not, but on Nov. 16 Soddy Mountain had the biggest total birds (112) of any reporting hawk lookout in the entire COUNTRY! On Nov. 18 we were second, bested only by a site in Minnesota I never heard of prior to that.

Also see we've finally made it over 4500 for the season. I will go up there tomorrow after church, so maybe will be able to add a little more in November. 

It's back to work Monday, and it may be next weekend before I can make it up there again - to see what comes by in December. We are getting down to the wire, but I'm not quite ready to call it quits yet. I think I can squeeze a few more hawks out this season! 

Can't believe the Red-tails have stopped short of us again!!! I thought for sure all the pieces of the puzzle were there this year to trigger a good flight past Soddy Mountain. The locals have been very active and I've witnessed lots of pair bonding behavior. Very often I've seen 3-4 flying together. Remember how we used to see the locals get up and escort migrants out of their territories?  This year it's almost like they are throwing a welcoming party for migrants and nobody's showing up for the party. They are beautiful, magnificent birds, but I'm tired of looking at the locals. I'd rather see RT's passing on through, headed south.

Bill"

 

Here's hoping for some good weather, on his last hours up there, when he can eek them out.

 

Blessings ALL!!!

Keep Looking UP!!!