Hello from The Hill! It's Wednesday, October 11, 2000.

Slow day, but at least there was something to see. Rainy all along the coast today ...

Northern harrier 4
Sharpshinned hawk 20
Cooper's hawk 2
Broadwinged hawk 6
Swainson's hawk 2
Unid falcon 1
Unid raptor 4
TOTAL 39

Other species noted: black-throated green warblers, gray catbird, american redstart; 1 monarch

Beth says they got to duck out and see some stranded Swainson's on FM624 about a mile past FM666 (which is about 13 miles due west of the Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch main site and close to the Westlake remote site), just after a culvert in a field. They counted just over 200. Beth notes it was a real treat for the counters to see them on the ground and in trees, and a good chance to see the plumage variation of that species.

Since it's another slow day, on the eve of waiting out Kirk's Pennsylvania Express broadie train, I thought I'd insert my own Mustang Island Hawk Watch report tonight. Kind of a tongue-in-cheek appellation; not a formal watch in the usual sense, other than the fact that I do it every day of the year. The winter raptors are moving in the area as well for Mustang Island, a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico, of which the resort port city of Port Aransas occupies the northern tip. I survey the island twice a day on my commutes to and from work from south Corpus Christi along the full length of the island to my research lab in Port Aransas. Been doing it for some years; hawk watching year round on the island sure makes the drive go by much more pleasantly. Saw the winter merlin on Mustang this morning for the first time; she's a bit early. Usually don't get her on her regular territory (the Mustang Island State Park property) until November. Been coming on territory on Mustang Island for some years. Five peregrines (including "Mustang", the big female anatum, and the Tundra Twins) have been on their territories as well for a few weeks, mixing in sociably with the large local white-tailed hawk population (16 or so at last count for the 19-mile island; looks like another good hatch and survival year. A good mix of adults, hatch year and second year birds). Winter osprey have moved in as well in all the bay systems. Aside from our full-time resident osprey on Mustang Island, we now have three more on site. Harriers have been on territory for over a month; males and females and immatures. Kestrels are starting to increase a little; the biggest push for them yet to come. The Mustang Island winter family's slowing coming together. Only major one missing is our ferrugie ... still a little early for her. Or him. Depending on which one takes Mustang Island this winter (one takes Mustang; the other takes the north end of Padre Island, south of Mustang Island; it appears that they switch territories every so often). Last year we didn't have any red-tailed hawks to speak of on Mustang Island, when years before we had quite a few. Doubt we'll see many if any red-tailed hawks again this winter; the white-tailed hawk population just seems too high again this year to stretch the territories  and the prey base that far. Although we did have a banner season this spring for mice and snakes on Mustang Island ... we had more invade the wet lab building (where our seawater tanks are housed) this spring and summer than in any other year in recent memory. Even some snakes moved into our lab for awhile to feast on the mice crops (any snake that eats mice is always welcome in our wet lab building!). The lab cat just gave up on any sort of rodent control and let the snakes have the mice; the most recent snake moved in this past Friday. The cat can usually be seen sunning himself, or being chased by me back to the back building away from his favorite game of hunting down my ground squirrels and snacking on them (yes, I feed the cute little ground squirrels, too; so sue me! <grin!>).

Birds are falling out of the sky this week with the switchover from the earlier incoming cold front to the backed up warmer cold front that rained on us today. Today my research lab in Port Aransas had a female redstart, blue-headed vireos, a female painted bunting, Nashville warblers, a Myrtle warbler (yellow-rump) some other warblers I never got a close look at, and an immature red-headed woodpecker in the oak trees out front today. Even the cardinal pair came out for a quick bite in the rain (I put out black oil sunflower seeds, dove mix and water for visitors ... two legged or two winged). A hummingbird buzzed me on the way to the front entrance, but I had no feeder for it; gotta remember to bring one tomorrow.

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Fall 2000 hawk watch crew: watch coordinator, Joel Simon (email: jsimon@electrotex.com); counters Jo Creglow, Scott Rush, Beth Hahn; and education director Thom Benedict. Plus a cast of many, many volunteers, whose help over the years is so gratefully appreciated!
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The Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch appreciates the many volunteers and supporters that have helped bring the watch into the forefront of migration studies. Thanks to Electrotex, Inc. for sponsoring our web site; Hawk Watch International for their on-going support and sponsorship of the watch efforts. Also to the Northwest Business Association; Central and South West Services, Inc./Central Power and Light; Nature's Bird Center; Margaret Cullinan Wray Charitable Trust; the Trull Foundation; the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi; Haynes Realty; H.E.B. Food Stores; Charter Bank; and Tejas Veterinary Clinic.
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Hazel Bazemore County Park is in western Nueces County, Texas, west of the central Gulf Coast city of Corpus Christi. To find it, take FM624 west from SH77 for about 1 mile to the road on the right with a park sign marking it (past a Dollar Store and cancer treatment center, on the right). The park road is just on the west side of the water canal that crosses FM624. Across the street is a car wash. Turn north and take the park road; go one half mile to the park entrance gate. To reach the fall hawk watching spot, take the park entrance, make a left as soon as you get across the speed bump, and follow the winding road to the crest of the hill (past the restrooms, a covered picnic pavilion and around the next bend). Where the road makes a bend to the left, start looking for a place to park. Watch times: 8:30am-5:00pm, Texas time.
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Cheers from your roving hawk watch reporter,
Patty Beasley, Corpus Christi, TX
Email: pbeasley@electrotex.com
Web: http://www.electrotex.com/aoc/