Come Join Us For Our Seventh Annual
CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT
for the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch
at Hazel Bazemore County Park

September 23 to 26, 2004
 

The awe-inspiring spectacle of hundreds of thousands of migrating raptors is one of the true wonders of nature. 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. This year we are pleased to announce the return of the very popular live raptor program "Last Chance Forever". It will be held at the Calallen High School Auditorium on Thursday, September 23 at 7:30 PM. This exciting program is open to the public free of charge thanks to the support of Swarovski Optik.

All the other events will be held at Hazel Bazemore Park and are also open to the public free of charge. Mini-programs will be held throughout the day Friday through Sunday. These 15 to 20 minute programs will be held during lulls and will stop for large fly-overs. Wildlife Biologist John DeLong, HawkWatch International research associate since 1991 as well as playing a central role in managing and enhancing HWI's long-term raptor migration projects in the Sandia and Monzano Mountains of central New Mexico, will present two such programs on raptor identification and the ecology of raptor migration. The Gulf Coast Indian Confederation and the Flour Bluff Circle of Thunder drum will hold a blessing of our site on Sunday, September 26 starting at noon. Volunteers will be available each day for early morning bird walks beginning at 8:00 AM and to show and identify hawks for visitors. But mostly come and experience the true stars, migrating raptors, in a celebration of flight.
 
Sponsors
The Corpus Christi Hawk Watch at Hazel Bazemore Park is a HawkWatch International (HWI) site. HWI is the only group that conducts full season counts in Texas and deserves our full support, please think about becoming a member. Funding for our full-season raptor migration project is provided by the Houston Endowment,  Trull Foundation, Audubon Outdoor Club, and the members of HWI, we greatly appreciate their support. "A Celebration of Flight" is supported by the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau, Northwest Business Association, HEB, Comfort Inn, and the many wonderful volunteers that also help man the site all season.

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 and to our event sponsor ...

 SWAROVSKI OPTIK  
   
Website
The server for the Texas Hawk Watches (THW) website is provided by Patty Waits and Bill Beasley. For information on birds in general and for the Coastal Bend, and for the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch and hawk watching in Texas, visit the Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi (AOC) and Texas Hawk Watches web sites at www.ccbirding.com. For information regarding the web sites, contact Patty Waits Beasley at patty@ccbirding.com.
   

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. Use the code words Hawk Watch to obtain special rates.

   

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 south 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 second traffic light. The entrance to the park is on the right. For more information on the park, please see the Hazel Bazemore information page. 
   

When to Come
The peak of migration occurs between September 24 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.  Below is a list of raptor species and the best times to see them.
   
Swallow-tailed Kite August 15 to September 10
Mississippi Kite August 15 to September 10
Broadwinged Hawk September 15 to October 10
Osprey September 15 to October 10
Peregrine Falcon September 20 to October 15
American Kestrel September 20 to October 15
Cooper's Hawk September 20 to October 15
Sharp-shinned Hawk September 25 to October 15
Red-tailed Hawk October 1 to November 25
Swainson's Hawk October 5 to October 20
Turkey Vulture October 15 to November 10
Black Vulture October 25 to November 15
   
For further information on "A Celebration of Flight" or to volunteer, contact Joel Simon at (361) 241-2617 or by email at jsimon@uschoice.net.
   
 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 that brings raptor education to more than 36 area schools and more than 7900 children!  Hundreds of people come out to the watch to enjoy formal programs on site.  The multiple habitats of Hazel Bazemore County Park have made it one of the local birding hotspots to not only enjoy the wonder of raptor migration in the fall and spring, but some of the best birding in the coastal bend year-round. 

   

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