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 21, 2023

First Timer Luck!

Our Bald Eagle numbers are really on the rise. Our largest season total was a whopping 41, with the second being 36. We have several years with 35, and many with numbers over 20. As of this report we now have 21. I remember a single day once when we had 15. This is a great year so far for Bald Eagles, since there has been at least 1 every day except 2. Let's keep an eye on that number and maybe hope for a record breaking BE year. Bill had a great day. Not exhausting numbers yet, but exciting constant evidence of hawks on the move. But the plus was that a new visitor to the watch for the first time, had excellent beginners luck. Here's the report: (note an error occurs in the hour 1300 - 1400. 13 = 5 should read only 135)
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