Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch

Corpus Christi, Texas (Nueces County)

All reports are posted daily to the following newsgroups: 
BirdHawk, TexBirds, BirdChat, TexasBirdChat
   

So, just how do we count all those hawks!?
 

November 1, 2004:

BV's : 69
TV's : 77
Sharpies : 6
Cooper's : 2
Swainson's : 3
Peregrines : 1
Total = 158 

November 02, 2004:

11/02/04
BV's : 42
TV's : 213
Osprey : 1
Harriers : 5
Sharpies : 24
Cooper's : 3
Red-shouldered : 1
Broad-winged : 4
Swainson's : 3
Red-tailed : 3
Kestrels : 1
Peregrines : 1
U. Accip : 1
U. Raptor : 1
Bald Eagle : 1
Total = 306

Dane: The Bald Eagle was a " black-bellied " immie and this Bird put on a great show . Was right out front , and visible for 1.5 or 2 minutes !

Non-Raptors included : Sandhills , White Pelicans , Wood Storks , Greater White-fronted Geese , Roseate Spoonbills , Anhingas , Scissor-tailed Flycatchers .

Thanks, Dane!!

Update: add two more turkey vultures to the count for the day for a total of 215 tv, day total now 308.

November 03, 2004:

Dane has the count for November 3rd:

Broad-winged : 3
Red-tailed : 1
Swainson's : 8
Red-shouldered : 2
TV's : 397
BV's : 2
Sharpies : 6
Cooper's : 3
U. Accips : 2
Harris's Hawks : 2
Total = 426

Thanks, Dane! 

November 04, 2004:

Black Vulture: 1
Turkey Vulture: 1000
Northern Harrier: 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 3
Cooper's Hawk: 1
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1
Swainson's Hawk: 1
Red-tailed Hawk: 2
Unknown Accipiter: 1
Unknown Raptor: 1

TOTAL: 1012

Great non-raptors for the park today. Pyrrhuloxias were seen Wednesday evening and Thursday we were treated to a male and female Verdin right at the hawk watch site. Also a first of year Yellow-rumped Warbler for the park, and 5 Groove-billed Anis made an appearance for the first time in several weeks. - Scott

November 05, 2004:

An awesome day with many raptors that called for second looks and closer examination. A lot of unusual birds today, and 800 Turkey Vultures directly over the watch first thing in the morning, and another first for the season, Ferruginous Hawk...

Black Vulture: 21
Turkey Vulture: 2082
Northern Harrier: 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 6
Cooper's Hawk: 6
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1
Broad-winged Hawk: 22
-Dark Morph: 1
Swainson's Hawk: 10
Red-tailed Hawk: 5
Ferruginous Hawk: 2
Harris' Hawk: 1
Peregrine Falcon: 1

TOTAL: 2160

Perhaps the first drop dead gorgeous fall day of this year's watch, temps reached the mid 70's with not a cloud in the sky. We had the most Sandhill Cranes of any day so far and there were skeins of geese headed south including 30 or so Snow Geese (including 3 blue phase) and Greater White-fronteds. Kinglets, Gnatcatchers, and Phoebes in almost every tree, and we had a couple Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and finally one Flicker calling from the gully to the east.

Thanks, Scott! Great to hear the ferrugie finally showed up. We usually get at least one each fall during the count period. The weather has been just awesome this week. If only it would last! The weekend promises to be just as gorgeous.

November 6, 2004:

Dane has the report for Nov. 6th:

Turkey Vulture: 128
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 10
Cooper's Hawk: 1
Red-shouldered Hawk: 1
Broadwinged Hawk: 14 (9 in one kettle!)
Red-tailed Hawk: 1
American Kestrel: 1
TOTAL: 156 

November 7, 2004:

Scott has the report for Nov. 7th:

Turkey Vulture: 158
Northern Harrier: 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 5
Cooper's Hawk: 9
Broad-winged Hawk: 3
Swainson's Hawk: 2
Red-tailed Hawk: 5
White-tailed Hawk: 2
Harris' Hawk: 2
Unknown Buteo: 4

TOTAL: 191

Dicky birds for Saturday include a flicker; two American robins (first for the fall watch); and for best bird of the day - a barn owl that flew in from the west to a tree near the watch and was promptly harassed by two resident red-shouldered hawks! Quite a song and dance they put on!  

November 8, 2004: 

Here are results from Joel for Monday, Nov. 8:

Turkey Vulture: 106
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 4
Cooper's Hawk: 2
Broad-winged Hawk: 8
Swainson's Hawk: 4
Red-tailed Hawk: 6
American Kestrel: 1
Unknown Accipiter: 4
Unk. Buteo: 1

TOTAL: 136

Of note, a dark morph Red-tailed Hawk flew over giving excellent views!

November 9, 2004:

Here are the results from Scott for Tuesday, Nov. 9:

Turkey Vulture: 42
Northern Harrier: 3
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 4
Cooper's Hawk: 3
Peregrine Falcon: 2

TOTAL: 54

Of note, more Robins today, a cold winter ahead for south Texas?? 

November 10, 2004:

(Dane)
BV's : 6
TV's : 28
Red-tailed : 1
Total = 35

November 11, 2004:

(Dane)
BV's : 16
TV's : 275
Harriers : 2
Sharpies : 8
Cooper's : 22
Red-shouldered : 1
Broad-winged : 3
Swainson's : 1
Red-tailed : 10
White-tailed Hawks : 1
Kestrels : 3
Peregrines : 1
U. Accips : 1
U. Raptors : 1
Total = 345

Had over 100 Monarchs in last couple days, dozens of American Robins and Snow Geese flyovers, as well.

November 12, 2004:

(Scott)
It was a very slow day today, in fact we went two and a half hours this afternoon without any birds, until a certain one showed up. At 3:15, an immature Golden Eagle circled lazily by from north to south. We had just been joking about giving up for the day, and Bob said that if we left a Golden eagle would go through right after that. So it's a good thing we stuck around, huh?!!

Results:

Turkey Vulture: 28
Northern Harrier: 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk: 1
Cooper's Hawk: 2
Red-shouldered Hawk: 2
Broad-winged Hawk: 5
Red-tailed Hawk: 2
Golden Eagle: 1
TOTAL: 42

Whew!! Thanks, Dane and Scott! We're heading to the downside of watch, and those end of season goodies are still filtering through! Eagles are fun; we never get to see enough of them any way! Never fails; Murphy always hangs on the periphery, waiting to send through a good bird when our guard is down! Very glad you guys stuck it out! <laugh!> That brings our season species count up to 25 now; still a little down, but hey, with the great numbers of what we have gotten through, who can complain, eh? Kudos, boys; ya done good!

November 13, 2004:

Cooper's : 2
Sharpie : 1
Broad-winged : 1
Total = 4

November 14, 2004:

Total = 0
Watch limited to 1.5 hours due to rain and fog.

November 15, 2004:

Cooper's : 1
Total = 1
Watch limited to 5 hours by bad weather on both 11/13 and 11/14.

Hazel still giving up treats however; all 3 Kingfishers seen on 11/13, including killer looks at the Ringed ! Also, as many as 11 adult-male Hooded Mergansers on pond! Stilt Sandpiper, Roseate Spoonbills, and Sandhills seen as well !

Hazel Bazemore ROCKS !!!!!

Thanx to you Patty, for all that you do ... May Peace and Prosperity flow to all whom love the Magnificent Raptors , and the World they live in ...

Peace and Love,
The Observers, Volunteers, and Visitors - Corpus Christi Hawkwatch 2004 ....

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Aw, man ... thanks, Dane!! Right back at'cha, too, big guy; and to all of our crew this fall ... wow! I tell ya, we get more and more impressive folks on the hill every season, and it's truly an honor to work with every one of them. Time for my seasonal lament ... awwwww, it's really over for this season, isn't it? The counters are probably saying "THANK GOD IT'S OVER! Now I can get some rest and grow some new eyeballs for next season!" <laugh!>

Texas weather brought us to a close in its typically inimitable way ... deluges of rain the last three days! I'm impressed the guys hung on long enough to even get that Cooper's on the 15th. Awesome, gang! I had five inches of rain at my house that day, had to ford half a foot of water on Port Street just to get to the lab that morning on Mustang Island and had pretty much written off anything from the watch that day. Just shows to go ya!! Our guys are dedicated to the last, and if anything is flying over Hazel, it won't escape their sharp eyes! Dane has even let slip he might just come on back to the hill next fall ... we're stoked! Amanda has been kept running this fall from program to program at area schools and has done an absolutely marvelous job of getting the word out to the young ones about the importance of raptors in our lives and society. She also created some really excellent displays for the showcases put out at the park on and near the watch site, about the watch and Hazel Bazemore Park in general. Joel tells me these will stay up year round, so be sure to watch for them when you get out to the park.

I have tons of watch photos to go through and now that life will settle out a little more smoothly (heavens, I hope!), so I'll work on getting those photo albums up for this season on the web site.

From all of us at the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch at Hazel Bazemore County Park (whew, that's a mouthful!) ... thanks for your support, love, presence and chocolate (didn't think I'd leave THAT out, did ya?!) ... we had a ball and are already looking towards next fall. A million-plus raptors this fall ... wow; who'd have thunk it!? With that under our belt, we're now looking towards getting a million-plus broadies on the boards, fates and weather willing! Be safe, and keep your eyes to the skies! And don't forget the chocolate!

One last thing, if anyone wants a copy of the feature program of the Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch (the one that ran at the 2003 HMANA conference in Corpus Christi, TX), DVDs and VHS versions are now available. Email us at tailfeather@ccbirding.com for more information. Part of the proceeds from every sale goes to HawkWatch International to help support the watch effort. Blessings to all, until the spring watches fly into action! I can hardly wait already!!