Come Join Us For Our Tenth Annual

 CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT

At the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch 

In Hazel Bazemore Park

September 27 to 30, 2007

 

 


© Kielblock 2006

Hawk migration is a true spectacle of the natural world and the watch at Hazel Bazemore Park is the largest and most diverse in the country.  An average of 730,000 raptors are counted each fall.  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.  The "peak" is an eight-day period from Sept. 23 to 30 where single days of over one hundred thousand raptors have occurred each year. 

 

This year we are pleased to announce a partnership with the Texas State Aquarium to provide educational programs.  Their Education and Wildlife Rehabilitation Program has long worked with injured birds to return them to the wild if possible.  These birds are a part of their mission: to inspire appreciation and wise stewardship.  

 

 


© Fisher 2006

Conservation Science Director Dr. Jeff Smith, has managed the science programs of HawkWatch International (HWI) since 1999.  He will be presenting one program that highlights the work of HWI's conservation, migration studies, and research projects.  His second program will discuss our partnership with the Raptor Population Index that seeks to significantly enhance coordination, the scientific integrity, and promotion of raptor migration monitoring across North America.  All events will be held at Hazel Bazemore Park and are open to the public free of charge thanks to the support of Swarovski Optik.  Volunteers will be on hand to show and identify hawks for visitors.  But mostly come and experience the true stars, migrating raptors, in a celebration of flight.

 

 

 

Schedule of Events

Texas State Aquarium Programs - 10:00 AM, noon, and 2:00 PM Thurs. through Sun.

Get up close and personal to several species of birds that the Aquarium rehabilitated, yet are unable to return to the wild and learn about raptors.
 

Mini-Programs by Jeff Smith- 11:00 AM and 3:00 PM Fri. through Sun.

 

1.      Raptor Population Index- In this program Jeff will highlight some of the key findings of this major new report entitled "The State of North American Birds of Prey, 2007"..

2.      HawkWatch International - This non-profit organization is dedicated to monitoring and protecting hawks, eagles, other birds of prey and their environments.  Join Jeff for a discussion of long-term monitoring, conservation research, and environmental education.

3.       Blessing of the Site- Sunday at 1:30 PM. Join in the ceremony conducted by the Gulf Coast Indian Confederation in the time honored traditional blessing for our "Hazel" site
 

 

 


 

 

         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 (Northwest Blvd.).  Go west on 624 for .7 mile and take a right on County Road 69 to the entrance of the park and just follow the signs to the site. Click here for a PDF of map and directions (click here for Adobe's free Acrobat Reader program).

 

            When to Come

 

The peak of migration occurs between September 23 to 30 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.  Kites peak in August, Broad-winged Hawks in late September, falcons, accipiters, and Swainson's Hawks in early October, and vultures and Red-tailed Hawks in late October and November.

 

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.     

 

For further information on "A Celebration of Flight", contact Joel Simon at jsimon@uschoice.net.

 

            Our Mission

 

To monitor and promote the conservation of eagles, hawks, and other birds of prey and to 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 with local schools.  Last year our outreach programs at local schools reached about 5500 students.  Your donations and membership in HWI will help us continue to do this important work.

 

Eyes To The Skies!  

 

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, so please think about becoming a member.  Funding for our full-season raptor migration project is provided by the Houston Endowment, Magnolia Charitable Trust, Audubon Outdoor Club of Corpus Christi, Northwest Business Association, Flint Hills Resources and the members of HWI, we greatly appreciate their support.  The watch would not be possible without the many wonderful volunteers that 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. The event sponsor for "A Celebration of Flight" is….