[texbirds] Re: Best Winter (and spring) Hawk-watching in Texas?
- From: "Rita Clements" <rclements001@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drbirdie@xxxxxxx>, <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 13 Mar 2014 12:38:52 -0500
I have a falconer friend that was driving thru Lockhart, Tx, Sunday, 9th of
this month, on Hwy 183, about a mile north (very close to where the toll
road goes left and 183 (free) goes right, he thought he saw a Krider's
Red-tailed Hawk but he was driving and didn't get a chance to see it real
well. I (not nearly as experienced as he is) went the next day (Monday) and
there were about 6 Red-tailed Hawks in the area north of Lockhart off of
183, in about a 4 mile drive. I don't think I saw what he saw but I was
very surprised there were so many. You can't get over just anywhere but it
was pretty safe.
I realize this isn't exactly what you meant or asked for but I was so
surprised to see so many I had to mention it.
Rita Clements
Dale, Tx (Bastrop County)
512-940-4260 (cell)
-----Original Message-----
From: texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:texbirds-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx]
On Behalf Of drbirdie@xxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, March 13, 2014 12:00 PM
To: texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [texbirds] Best Winter (and spring) Hawk-watching in Texas?
Hi Texbirders,
This winter has been a pretty good season for variety and abundance of
diurnal raptors in Williamson County between Georgetown and the area north
of Granger Lake. We have had multiple varieties of Red-tails, including a
juvie Krider's, at least 2 dark-morph Harlan's and a light-morph Harlan's
photographed once out near CR 352. There was also a juvie Ferruginous Hawk
that persisted for over a month, and an adult Ferrugie photographed in
November in Milam County just a few miles away. Not many accipiters, but
that is often the case in these parts in winter. It has been so good, in
fact, that it has been hard for me to want to go elsewhere for
hawk-watching, but I did get down to Matagorda and Wharton Counties last
weekend and saw quite a few White-tailed Hawks, a White-tailed Kite and more
Bald Eagles in Wharton County than I think I have ever seen in a day in
Texas.
It got me to wondering, though, whether some of the rest of you might have
thoughts about particularly good places in Texas to observe and / or
photograph winter raptors. I know the lower RGV can be very good in winter,
and the trans-Pecos is especially good for Prairie Falcons and a good mix of
buteos. The panhandle and south Plains probably offer the best bet for
Rough-legged Hawks and may be about as good as the trans-Pecos for Prairie
Falcons. I have the impression that the DFW area can be good for accips, and
I seem to have heard something about a huge winter roost of Harriers on the
UTC earlier in the year. I wondered, though, whether any of you have
nominations or simply favorite locations for winter hawk-watching in Texas,
even if the locale is mainly good for a few target species.
I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this, and if you are
willing to post the info publicly, I'm sure that others would be interested,
too.
While we are at it, I wondered if any of you have thoughts about
particularly good locations for photographing migrant raptors in the spring.
I know that Hazel Bazemore can offer good numbers in the spring, although
not necessarily close views. Smith Point can be excellent in the fall for
good views of a variety of raptors, but I'm not so sure that is true in the
spring.
In any event, I'd be interested to hear your nominations for "Best" or
simply "Favorite" hawk-watching spots in Texas in winter and spring.
Thanks and good birding,
Byron Stone, Austin
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