Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch, Fall 1998

Report Date:  10/31/98

Poor Joel! He's still smarting over missing the Bald Eagles yesterday.  Pundits are already suggesting he go make a few more phone calls and see if golden eagles and ferruginous hawks and zone-tailed hawks show up, too, ha! Joel says he is actually rotating off watch after today, so Glenn will probably get all the other neat raptors, ha!

Good news on the rehabilitation front, for those interested: the merlin is still in the park and still running the territory. Joel says it made an appearance at 10:20 this morning. Hopefully it's hunting well; Michelle says it's skills and will to hunt appeared very strong when fed in the holding pens before release. Joel says it came up from the pond and flew to the picnic area.  The broken central tail feathers give it away.

Joel also notes the two Merlins on today's count were seen harassing TV's as they passed over. 

Four Green Jays made a noisy appearance late this afternoon.

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Species.................Today...(Season-to-date)
Black Vultures..........26......(111)
Turkey Vultures.........895.....(3,742)
Osprey..................2.......(178)
Swallow-tailed Kite.....0.......(6)
WT/BS Kite..............0.......(6)
Mississippi Kite........0.......(3,583)
Bald Eagle..............0.......(2)
No. Harrier.............0.......(172)
Sharp-shinned Hawk......2.......(1,170)
Cooper's Hawk...........4.......(245)
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.........2.......(6,781)
................................(NOTE: 1 dm on 10-3
................................(NOTE: 1 choc morph 10-7)
................................(NOTE: 1 dm on 10-9)
White-tailed Hawk.......0.......(4)
Red-tailed Hawk.........1.......(119)
Crested Caracara........0.......(1)
Am. Kestrel.............0.......(436)
Merlin..................2.......(29)
Peregrine Falcon........0.......(160)
Prairie Falcon..........0.......(6)
Unidentified Accip......0.......(303)
Unidentified Buteo......0.......(25)
Unidentified Falcon.....0.......(37)
Unidentified Raptor.....0.......(4,368)
Today's total...........934.....(1,008,747)

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Keep that chocolate flowing!

- Patty Beasley, Joel Simon, Glenn Swartz and Greg Rider