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

Friday, November 20, 2020

NOVEMBER 19 2020

I am struggling with getting the posts up. My very old technology has about gone it's last mile. And possibly this blog is about to be too old too. I will continue as long as I can figure out a way to this year, but may have to post next year into an entirely new blog. I have archived as much as time has permitted and will continue to try to capture everything. Hoping we make it to the end of season limping along. Bill's report for Thursday:

Wednesday, November 18, 2020

COMPUTER ISSUES ... 3 DAYS IN ONE , JUST IN CASE

As of November 18, 2020 I am no longer able to make new posts under this format. I don't know if it's a fluke for now or will be permenant. So for as long as I can I will just update on this single post the final data of the year. It is possible for next year I will have to make an entirely new blog, and possibly link to this one until I can transfer data. I hope all will not be lost eventually. I have archived some of the years, and will try to capture all of it as I am able and have time. I have captured the pages and some of the side bar material. But for now I w will simply keep adding the daily pics. And KEEP LOOKING UP. (note: I found that changing the browser, allowed for more posts. but still in runon.}
Bill says the winds calmed down on Wednesday, so I'll put up his post here as well. Some computer/blog issues, so this is Wednesday first, than Tuesday.

Tuesday, November 17, 2020

NIGHT TIME TEMPS WILL DROP - THE PUSH IS ON

Bill recently mentioned that some Bald Eagles cannot be counted this time of year, due to it being time for them to begin pairing and raising young. So, some have come down from the north possibly to nest here. The same situation will occur for the Ret-tails and Red-shoulders. so as in the early days of Hawk season, some hawks may not be counted in the late season. But the numbers continue to rise of birds on the move. This week the dropping temps will push anything wishing to migrate to get busy going south. Migration will continue until mid-December. Monday's report:

Sunday, November 15, 2020

WARM FALL DAYS LINGER til tomorrow...

As I post this on Sunday morning, the skies were rosy golden red, and the winds have become blustery, shedding the leaves on trees that have hung on stubbornly in the late November warmth. Several cold nights are ahead this week. So I'm wondering what the November push will reveal of the Big Daddy hawks...Red-tails, Red-shoulders, Turkey Vultures and Blacks all shift south late season. Bill has seen them i in relative comfort so far as warm weather has blessed him. But as cold comes rushing in this week, and winds pick up, even the big daddy's may be a challenge. Not for the birds...because the vultures LOVE the winds. Keep your binocs up as long as you are able, and expect to see the largest of the raptors with a few of their smaller fellows scattered in the midst.

Friday, November 6, 2020

6000 hAWKS THIS SEASON

Bill either crossed this line or is within less than 30 hawks of this goal. We have to ck the numbers to be sure which day, but Jimmy's numbers had today's totals being the raptors which crossed the line. These are the reports for Thursday and Friday:
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!

Tuesday, November 3, 2020

THE MARCH OF THE BIG RAPTORS IS IN FULL SWING

The easiest to see of the raptors on our hawk watch are usually the Vultures and the Red-tailed hawks. November is classically their month. They don't tend to migrate as far as some, like Broadwings for instance. So it is called a SHIFT. Yet it can equate to hundreds of miles and make cold and windy days easier to bear if they don't raise to great heights on cooler air. But haze and smoke can make late fall sightings difficult, so a year like this one, with good numbers of visible raptors makes it rewardings. Bill's numbers continue to rise toward 6000 raptors. May the flights continue to be blessed.
KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!

Sunday, November 1, 2020

HAWKCOUNT DOT ORG CHART FOR END OF OCTOBER W GR TOTALS OF FALL 2020 SO FAR

Still some watch days in November for more TVs and Red-tails. Some good numbers may put Bill over 6,000 raptors for this fall. Hope he makes the numbers, for an excellent year. KEEP LOOKING UP!!!!

Halloween Closes Out The October Reports

KEEP LOOKING UP!!