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

Monday, April 6, 2020

Broad-wings Take the Prize

It is so exciting to see the Spring numbers showing the hawks returning every day. Palm Sunday on the Hawk Watch, was a blessing.
"'Soddy Mountain, TN hawk report
Sunday, April 5, 2020

Hrs. of observation: 1000-1500 = 5.0 hr.
Counter: Bill Haley

Weather: 1000 wind ENE 2-5, clouds 10%, temp. 68F, visib. 45 K. 1100 clouds 5%, temp. 72F. 1200 clouds 1%, temp. 75F. 1300 wind switching from NE to W 5-10, (swapping back and forth last 15-20 minutes), clouds 25%, temp. 78F. 1400 wind SW 5-12, clouds 40%, temp. 81F.

Hawks by hour:
1000-1100: OS 1, BW 14
1100-1200: CH 1, BW 6
1200-1300: CH 2, BW 3
1300-1400: BE (imm.), SS 1, BW 2
1400-1500: SS 1

Totals: OS 1, BE 1, SS 1, CH 3, BW 25
Total hawks: 31

The first hour, all BW's were low and easy to see. By 1130 the thermals were heating up. Warm columns of air go up...way up. The hawks that rely on those thermals go way, way up too. 

When noon rolled around I was having flashbacks to September. Hot sun and solid blue skies and with no clouds is torture for a hawk-watcher. Probably heaven for the hawks. You know the Broad-wings are up there somewhere, but you can no longer find them. Still I occasionally managed to squeeze a hawk out of the sky. 

By 1500, the hot sun with no shade got to be too much and I decided to call it a day. Guess I'm getting soft at 66 3/4 years old!

I'm saving myself to get back up there again tomorrow.

Reporting: William G. (Bill) Haley"

All before the sun warmed up the air that lifts them so high!  Get out a little early so you too can 

find some spring Hawks returning, if you

KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!
C
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