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

Thursday, September 26, 2019

First Kestrels, and Accipiters Putting On A Show

Soddy Mountain, TN hawk report
 Wed., Sept. 25, 2019

Time on lookout: 0930-1630 = 7.0 hr.
Counter: Bill Haley

Weather report:
0930 Clouds 30%, wind NE 1-3, visib. 65K (Kingston, TN Steam Plant smokestacks clearly visible first time this fall), temp. 67F. 1000 Clouds 50%, temp. 71F. 1100 Clouds 20%, wind N 1-3, temp. 72F. 1200 Clouds 1%, wind ESE5-8, temp. 79F. 1300 Clouds 20%, wind S 2-5, temp. 85F. 1400 clouds 50%, temp. 89F. 1500 Clouds 10%, wind E 2-5, temp. 91F. 1600 Clouds 5%, temp. 92F.

Raptors by hour:
0930-1000: 0
1000-1100: SS 2, CH 2, BW 1
1100-1200: BW 27, AK 1
1200-1300: BW 14, AK 1
1300-1400: CH 1
1400-1500: SS 2
1500-1600: BW 5
1600-1630: 0

Total raptors:
SS 4
CH 3
BW 47
AK 2
.................
56 total  

Biggest BW kettle (18) @ 1154.

Interesting aerial contest between a SS and CH this morning. As I watched sharpie over north ridge, suddenly a Cooper's hawk, which I hadn't seen flying well above it, dove straight down on the smaller sharpie, chasing it into the trees. Both appeared in a moment, and the sharpie then dove at the larger hawk. After several interactions, both eventually gained significant altitude and continued to the south.

Monarch butterflies: 19. (Best number prior to today was 4 yesterday)
Cloudless Sulphur: 14

Reporting: William G. (Bill) Haley
 
 
Thanks Bill.  Birding with you in Spirit!
 
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!
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