[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch Monday

From: Joseph Kennedy <josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx>
To: 4 Texbirds Maillist <texbirds@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2012 16:41:54 -0500
Monday was scheduled to be a 3rd day of great hawks and other birds but
someone turned off the spigot at the tower and there were only a couple
hundred hawks and the same number of turkey vultures. Of course 2 bald
eagles and a very molty harris's hawk did make for a little excitement.
Tried to figure out why there were not many hawks with great wind not only
at the tower but in all areas that would bring birds to the tower and can
only guess that the pulse of birds that came with or were grounded ahead of
the front moved on and there were not many around to be seen.

Still lots of good birds with a constant string of white pelicans and a few
anhingas. Not many geese either. Most of the land birds from the weekend
also had moved on with the exception of the eastern phoebes.

Phoebe numbers were down along Hawkins Camp with only 50 birds or so a mile
along the fences and adjacent trees compared to double that number a day
earlier. Lots of birds had moved into the mottes where they were not common
on the weekend. They really liked the inside of the northwest motte early
where there was a hatch of ephemera that provided great food. Good paths
mowed in these two mottes but the east motte was not mowed and lots of
problems with the walking.

Land birds in the mottes included the usual red-breasted nuthatches,
golden-crowned kinglets, brown creepers etc.
One black-throated green warbler was with the yellow-rumps. A couple of
yellow-breasted sapsuckers were also around.

A couple of siskins went over the tower calling and a bit later a single
goldfinch bounced by coming from behind the tower. Swallow numbers were
down but a large group of mostly cave swallows were at the sewage ponds
early but spread out to feed. Some were returning late in the day.

Most of the savannah sparrows had moved on but there were still some around
along with a few white-throated and white-crowned sparrows. A first of the
fall song sparrow called near the tower. The singing house wren at the
tower is still singing away.

A common loon swum by the tower going up-bay. Lots of hermit thrushes were
out there but were rather quiet due to the hawk count. The northeast motte
had 2 cooper's hawks plus one other bird that froze a thrush in the middle
of the path. The northwest motte had 7 cooper's and 1 broad-winged hawks
that were actively hunting. The hawks hunting in the mottes were mainly
females while males predominated overhead.

On the way home, only a few turkey vultures were going to roost at
Whitehead's and no accipters were out and about in contrast to the previous
day. Many of the red-tails on poles in the am were gone in the pm.

A day to wonder how one can predict flights. The lack of a flight had no
logical reason from a hawks viewpoint so what was the reason.

-- 
Joseph C. Kennedy
on Buffalo Bayou in West Houston
Josephkennedy36@xxxxxxxxx
[texbirds] Smith Point Hawk Watch Monday

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