United We Stand
In memory of September 11, 2001

 

The Corpus Christi Hawk Watch
at Hazel Bazemore County Park

Corpus Christi, Texas (Nueces County)
2008 Spring migration observations
 
Some of your local hawk watchers could not wait for Fall to give our new hawk watching platform a trial run. Joel & Vicki Simon, Art & Barbara Olsen, Mike Clifford, Bob & Jo Creglow and myself were out various times April 5th, 6th and 7th to see what raptors were on the move.

Saturday, April 5th, I arrived just after noon and my clicker was smoking before I could get my chair out of the car. Mike arrived shortly after to see our largest broad-winged kettle of 2750. We spent the typical mid-day lull catching up and were rewarded with another 1000 raptors in the last hour. Totals for the day: BW 4334; Swainson's 22; Red-tails 2; TV 53; Cooper's 3; Sharp-shin 3; Kestrels 3; and Miss. Kites 2.

The first bird on Sunday was a familiar looking Zone-tailed Hawk following near the same path as the one which spent most of last fall with us. A few Swainson's and Harriers were followed by the star of the day: a Swallow-tailed Kite (STKI), spotted southwest of us and headed east directly over the platform. What a treat! Totals for the day: BW 1734; Swainson's 40; TV 36; Cooper's 2; Sharp-shin 1; Kestrel 1; Miss. Kites 3; Harriers 2; Osprey 1; and, of course one full adult, gorgeous STKI.

Some of us played hooky Monday afternoon and in a few hours with clear but hazy blue skies grabbed these totals for the day: BW 650; Swainson's 6; Red-tail 1; TV 79; Cooper's 1; Kestrel 1; Miss. Kites 9.

I think we all secured our raptor "fix" and can now wait a little more patiently for August. I can tell you the platform provides a most pleasant hawk watching environment. We enjoyed solid shade, a constant breeze, less bugs, great sky views and no distractions from constant auto traffic. The platform is attracting a positive general interest in birds and particularly in raptor migration. If you have not yet seen it, please visit soon!

- Libby Even
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