As for CBCs I hear that Jim Rogers is no longer able to compile the Port
Orford count and is looking for a replacement, if you are interested let me
know and I can hook you up with Jim.
The Coos count will be the first Sunday of the count period, not sure on
the exact date as I type as I am in Texas and busy with vacation type stuff!
On the topic of jawdroppering bird sightings, I experienced an incredible
movement of hawks in southern Texas on the 14th. I was headed north on Hwy
77 in Kenedy County near Armstrong (south of Corpus Christi)- this is out
in the middle of nowhere in the semi-open ranchland country. It was around
0930 and I noticed a few hundred hawks kettling up and swirling in spirals
upwards right west of the Hwy. I pulled over and got out to check on
species and noticed that further to the west at varying distances were
other kettles some of them containing many hundreds of birds. I then scoped
to the SW and saw hawks as far as the eye could see in large swirling
kettles rising up seemingly everywhere miles to the SW and south. I tried
to count the birds I was seeing and figured there were easily 10,000
raptors. Most were way to far to ID to species but the close birds were
mostly Swainson's and Broad-wingeds. There were two or three large swirling
tornadoes of hawks that looked like they contained 1,000+ raptors each.
the numbers were staggering and observing it was totally mid-blowing! I
know that hawk watches often see large numbers over the period of a day- I
saw 10,000 raptors before my eyes- WOW!
On another note- the ST Flycatchers are migrating so seeing groups of 10-30
together on powerlines was common down south. I was easily seeing a couple
hundred a day! Locals told me the migration continues into next month-
just in time for the Rio Grande Birding Festival which is no doubt a really
fun one.
Headed back to Oregon soon- meanwhile,
Merry migration!
Tim Rodenkirk
currently in northern Texas
