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

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.
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