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Birdwatching with Phyllis Yochem
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Tuesday, October 19, 1999
At least 31 prairie falcons sighted at Hawk Watch
These hawks have never been sighted before in Hazel Bazemore Park
Several unexpected species have turned up on the Hazel Bazemore Hawk Watch this year. Some of them are so different, in fact, that seasoned watchers questioned if the counters had seen what they allowed. Beyond a doubt there have been changes in bird populations in recent years. The peregrine falcon population, for instance, has increased sufficiently for this species to be removed from the endangered birds list.
One of the surprise birds of the 1999 Watch, a relative of the peregrine, is the prairie falcon, a bird that has itself been on the Audubon blue list. An adult, male prairie falcon is pale overall with black axillaries. (Axillaries are the feathers under the wing, in the bird's "armpit.") A narrow, dark mustache line is another field mark. In the field guides they are described as brownish above and whitish below, with square, blocky, pale heads. They soar with wings flat.
This hawk is resident in arid hills and mountains of the west. In winter some individuals move southwest and east. They are said to be casual in eastern United States. Never have they been seen flying over Hazel Bazemore Park before. This year 31 of them were recorded, beginning on Sept. 12 and continuing until Oct. 1.
Joel Simon, coordinator of the Watch, said that after the first shock of their occurrence watchers noted that some of them were not flying purposefully north, as is the habit of migratory raptors. Reports of prairies in the area started coming in and after that watchers counted only birds with what was called a "good attitude," meaning an intent to migrate. His opinion as to why they are being seen in the Coastal Bend and not on the Upper Texas Coast is that this is simply the limit of their extra marginal migration route.
Another rare hawk seen this year was a rough-legged hawk of which two individuals occurred, one on Sept. 30, the other Oct. 1. This bird is a large, long-winged buteo, a winter visitor to southern Canada and northern United States. For these birds there was a single previous precedent. Both the earlier sighting and the sightings during this season have been carefully documented by watchers.
Unexpected, but not without precedent, was the sighting of a bald eagle. Yet another incredible hawk species, an adult, probably a female northern goshawk, made its appearance on Oct. 10.
Simon says that all of these unusual records will be duly reported with all details to the Texas Bird Record Committee, which has final say in all such sightings.
This year's spectacular watch, which began on Aug. 14, will officially close on Nov. 15. Migrations are slowing, with falcons, sharp-shinned hawks, and Cooper's hawks bringing up the rear. As of Oct. 12, the count of broad-winged hawks was 636,926. Anyone interested in more details, and with access to the Internet, can read fascinating daily reports, produced by Patty Beasley, at Web site http://www.electrotex.com/aoc/.
Phyllis Yochem, a Corpus Christi resident, has studied birds of Texas since 1960.
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