Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch, Fall 1998

Report Date:  10/29/98

Every once in awhile, we're privileged to witness an all-too-rare event. This morning was such a day. 40 days of careful rehabilitation and exacting care were justified when a falcon injured during early fall migration was once again set free to continue southward. Michelle Setter, rehabilitation specialist for the Texas State Aquarium, cared for and rehabilitated the merlin after a broken wing bone was set. The merlin's successful recovery and subsequent release back to the wild marks one of those occasions that rejuvenate those involved in animal care and monitoring; knowing that we CAN make a difference and that even raptors ... especially raptors ... deserve a second chance. All too often, injured raptors are not returnable to the wild due to the often severe nature of their injuries. Every once in awhile, you get a good candidate, and good care and a treatable fracture allowed this merlin to rejoin the wild population.

In searching for appropriate habitat and protection for the merlin's release, Hazel Bazemore County Park was selected as the release spot, with the habitat and conditions needed to acclimate and protect the merlin until she's ready to continue her migration southward. The merlin's release flight was strong and breathtaking to watch to the few on hand to witness the merlin's quiet return and acclimation to the wild. She perched for the first few moments of her freedom flight at the top of a nearby oak tree, and proceeded to proclaim loudly to the rest of the park that she was now on site! A few more short test flights, cuts and dips later, she retired back to the protection of another tree to rest and get her bearings. A winter resident kestrel escorted her to that last tree, making sure she knew someone else had staked out that territory, but then left her alone after the short display flights. Hawk watch counter Joel Simon reports the merlin made one more appearance late in the afternoon:

"The release of the Merlin was the highlight of the day; that is, until it showed back up at 3:10 pm. It came up out of the picnic grounds (down on the flood plain) and made one loop forty feet out at eye level and then dove toward the pond.  Doves and yellow-legs flew out in a panic; it may not have been hunting but the other birds sure didn't know it!"

You go, girl! That falcon's going to be all right. Michelle says she was a vocal little falcon during recovery; spunky and eating well, and very active as her injured wing grew stronger each day. The merlin is not banded, but has a deep vee-shaped notch in her tail feathers, due to wear from the rehab pens and perches, so she should be pretty easy to identify. If anyone sees her headed southward (special heads-up to our watchers in the Texas brush and ranch country to the south and watchers in the Texas valley), please let us know immediately. We'd like to monitor her progress as long as possible.

Large kudos and very sincere appreciation from all of us at the Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch and the raptor community at large to Michelle Setter and to the Texas State Aquarium (TSA), for making the investment in time and resources to these magnificent animals. Michelle also maintains care for several other rehabilitated but non-releasable raptors for the TSA's educational programs, including a special raptor enclosure on the Aquarium grounds commons for some of the raptors to be viewable by Aquarium visitors.

I also strongly urge everyone to volunteer and support, however you can, any and all of your local rehabbers (and if you don't know who they are, go find out! Now!). It's not a glamor job, but it IS critically important to the survival and preservation of the raptors that we all do what we can, where we can. Because days like today are more reward for the efforts than you can imagine ... the privilege of watching freedom restored to one more soul ...

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Species.................Today...(Season-to-date)
Black Vultures..........0.......(85)
Turkey Vultures.........547.....(2,110)
Osprey..................0.......(176)
Swallow-tailed Kite.....0.......(6)
WT/BS Kite..............0.......(6)
Mississippi Kite........0.......(3,583)
No. Harrier.............0.......(172)
Sharp-shinned Hawk......1.......(1,168)
Cooper's Hawk...........1.......(240)
Harris's Hawk...........0.......(5)
Red-shouldered Hawk.....0.......(38)
Broad-winged Hawk.......0.......(987,220)
................................(NOTE: 1 dm on 9-27, 13 on 10-8)
................................(NOTE: 184 dm on 10-9!)
................................(NOTE: 15 dm on 10-10!)
Swainson's Hawk.........0.......(6,779)
................................(NOTE: 1 dm on 10-3
................................(NOTE: 1 choc morph 10-7)
................................(NOTE: 1 dm on 10-9)
White-tailed Hawk.......1.......(4)
Red-tailed Hawk.........2.......(118)
Crested Caracara........0.......(1)
Am. Kestrel.............1.......(436)
Merlin..................0.......(27)
Peregrine Falcon........0.......(159)
Prairie Falcon..........0.......(6)
Unidentified Accip......0.......(298)
Unidentified Buteo......0.......(25)
Unidentified Falcon.....0.......(37)
Unidentified Raptor.....0.......(4,368)
Today's total...........553.....(1,007,069)

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No dicky birds list today ... other than those spooked by the merlin!

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Keep that chocolate flowing!

- Patty, Joel, Glenn and Greg