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

Tuesday, October 21, 2025

Before The Storm Some Good Hawks

October 21, 2025 It went from sunny to storm in a jiffy in the early afternoon here in the valley. Bill was the recipient of those heavy rains a bit later than us. So it shut down the watch. But there were some great viewings prior to the storm I suppose the hawks were trying to get ahead of it? On a side note, I heard a YouTube birder say today that the there were more Merlins this year than The Kings Troops, or something to that nature. It's true. Merlins are in force, but where are the American Kestrals. Well according to him, there were still tons of Kestrals and Peregrin Falcons hunting over the Rivers and Marshes in Canada. Staying a little too warm and allowing for good eats up there this year. Here's the report:
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