Hawks Continue to Fly

Lately, if Bill only spends a few hours, his hawk count is successful.  It's because the steady migration of hawks expected to come this time of year is just that.  So much is said about the September hawks, and the big kettle numbers of Broad-wings on occasion, that the other months are sometimes forgotten.  Bill stays constant in his efforts to put in a few hours any day possible, even into November or early December, because he has always contended that hawk watching is a sport that covers several months, not just September.  It is kind of nice this year to be lacking in the big kettles of Broad-wings, just to see what the count looks like without them with only the effort that one man is able to put into this count.  Those numbers are remarkable, now.  Imagine what full coverage beginning in August until early December might reveal? 

In the morning snow this morning,  a large adult Red-shouldered Hawk sat on the wires running from our house out to the pole, with it's feathers puffed out so much he looked huggable. LOL I hope he didn't eat my chipmunk.  But there were no foraging small birds the whole time.  We are unable to keep up bird feeders right now, so it wasn't there because we have lots of little birds foraging the ground anymore.  But maybe one day in a past year, there was.  I looked at him and wondered how many years he had made a migration trek, and was he possibly on one now. Or had he arrived from the north recently?  Most of our locals have left or will be soon. Some may stay and defend territory from Northern migrants moving from the extremes. But stop and think when you see hawks these days.  Are you here til spring? Or are you moving on? Bid them well, because you may never know how far they've come or how far they may go. Enjoy them while they are here. Maybe they've passed this way before, or maybe this is the first time they are hunting in your yard.  Every living thing out there, would like a nice warm meal before hunkering down for a night like tonight.  20 degrees, I am glad those fluffy feathers looked like a warm coat.  I hope it is very warm. Good luck guy!

Here's Bill's report for Monday.

Soddy Mountain, TN hawk report
Monday, Nov. 11, 2019

Time on lookout: 0945-1115 = 1.5 hrs.

Counter: Bill Haley

Weather: 0945 Clouds 15%, wind ESE 2-5, visib. 40K, temp. 51 F. 1100 Clouds 45%, wind S 5-10, temp. 55F. (Clouds increased to 80% by 1115.)

Raptors by hour:

0945-1000: 0

1000-1100: NH 1, SS 1, RT 1

1100-1115: RT 1

NH 1

SS 1

RT 2

______________

Total Raptors: 4

Other sightings: 

- Sandhill Crane (15) 1055

- American Robin (62) flocks of 19, 27 & 25.

- Cedar Waxwing (87), flocks of 28, 20, 15, 17 & 7. This is the first day I've seen Cedar Waxwings in the large red cedar at the south end of the lookout. Two flocks (27) landed and gorged on the numerous cedar berries. It is amazing they know a very hard freeze is coming tonight! Temperatures are predicted in the 20's, and they are preparing.

- Gulf Fritillary butterfly (1)

- Common Buckeye butterfly (3)

Reporting: William G. (Bill) Haley