Come Join Us In

A CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT

At the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch 

In Hazel Bazemore Park

September 27 to 30, 2001
 
Although the hawk watch runs from August 15 to November 15, the four days of the "Celebration" are set during the peak of hawk migration.  All events will be held at Hazel Bazemore Park and are open to the public, free of charge.  Mini-programs on hawk identification, migration mechanics, and raptor conservation, conducted by HawkWatch International staff, will be held throughout each day.  These 15 to 20 minute programs will be held during lulls and will stop for large fly-overs.  On Saturday, September 29, "Last Chance Forever" of The Bird of Prey Conservancy will put on live raptor programs at 10:00 AM and 2:00 PM.   The Coastal Bend Council of Native Americans will conduct a blessing of our site on Sunday, September 30 starting at 9:00 AM.  Volunteers will be available each day to show and identify hawks for visitors.  Several organizations will have booths to share information about their programs.  But mostly come and experience the true stars, migrating raptors, in a celebration of flight.
 
The Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch at Hazel Bazemore County Park near Corpus Christi, Texas (Nueces County) is a HawkWatch International (HWI) site. HWI is the only group that conducts full season counts in Texas and deserves our full support, so please think about becoming a member.  AEP / Central Power & Light has been our primary corporate sponsor for all five years of the full season watches.  They are very birder friendly and participate in many other environmental projects.  We appreciate their support.  Thanks also to our other major sponsors: the Houston Endowment, Harris and Eliza Kempner Fund, Margaret Cullinan Wray Charitable Trust, the Trull Foundation, and the Kerr Foundation, the Northwest Business Association, Audubon Outdoor Club, Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, H.E.B, The Home Depot, Equistar Chemicals LP, Comfort Inn, Tejas Veterinary Clinic, Haynes Realty, Charter Bank, Nature's Bird Center, and donations made in the memory of Richard W. Waits provide local support.
 

A special thanks to the Nueces County Parks and Recreation Department and their staff at Hazel Bazemore Park for providing such a magnificent place to watch hawks.
 
The server for the Texas Hawk Watches (THW) website is provided by Texas A&M University - Corpus Christi.  It is a work in progress and can be accessed at the following URL:   (http://tiercel.cbi.tamucc.edu/nature/falcon/thw/). 

For information on birds in general and for the Coastal Bend and this hawk watch visit the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi (AOC) website at (www.kristv.com/aoc/). The AOC site is sponsored by KRIS-TV (NBC Channel 6).
 

Where to Stay

There are many places to stay in Corpus Christi and the fine folks at the Convention and Visitors Bureau (1-800-678-6232) can provide you with all the details.  One close place is the new Comfort Inn (only one mile from Hazel) that can be reached at (361) 241-6363. Be sure and ask for the hawk watch rate. 

 

            Directions to Hazel Bazemore Park

The park is located in the northwest corner of Corpus Christi in the community of Calallen.  Highways 37 and 77 intersect and run together for a short distance, the first exit on Hwy 77, less than one half mile south of this intersection, is FM 624 (Upriver Road).  Go west on 624 for .7 mile to the entrance of the park on the right.
 

When to Come

The peak of migration occurs between September 23 and October 1 and there are usually two to three days of counts exceeding 100,000!  That's a lot of hawks…but…it is impossible to pin it down any closer.  After two years of hitting the exact days during the "Celebration" we missed it entirely last year. Below is a list by species and the best times to see them.

Swallow-tailed Kite                 August 15 to September 5

Mississippi Kite                      August 15 to September 10

Broad-winged Hawk               September 20 to October 10

Osprey                                  September 20 to October 10

Peregrine Falcon                    September 20 to October 10

American Kestrel                    September 20 to October 10

Cooper's Hawk                       September 20 to October 10

Sharp-shinned Hawk               September 25 to October 15

Swainson's Hawk                    September 25 to October 10

Turkey Vulture                        October 20 to November 10

Black Vulture                          October 20 to November 10

Red-tailed Hawk                     October 25 to November 10

 
For further information on "A Celebration of Flight" or to volunteer, please contact Joel Simon at (361) 241-2617 or by email at jsimon@electrotex.com.
 

Our Mission

We monitor and promote the conservation of eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey and strive to increase public awareness of and commitment to birds of prey and the ecosystems that support them.  We believe that by protecting raptors we are protecting ourselves, our shared environment, and our rich natural heritage.  Our staff, along with many volunteers, man the watch daily to count raptors by species and collect other important data.  We also have an active outreach education program.  Last year we gave programs in 37 area schools to over 6300 children!  Another 450 people attended formal programs on site.  Hazel Bazemore Park has also become a popular spot for local and out of area birders to enjoy the spectacle of raptor migration.