Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/28/19 (150 raptors)

Bob reports 150 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 13 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 48 Cooper’s Hawk 6 Mississippi Kite 43 Swallow-tailed Kite 4 American Kestrel 20 Peregrine Falcon 4 Merlin 5 Osprey 4 Northern Harrier 2 Three groups visited today – Galveston Ornithological Society, Houston Audubon and Golden Triangle Audubon. Volunteers include Joe Kennedy, John Whittle, Nina Sitra and … Read More

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/27/19 (53 raptors)

Bob reports 53 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 9 Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 Cooper’s Hawk 4 Mississippi Kite 25 American Kestrel 2 Merlin 2 Osprey 1 We had visits from the Nature Discovery Center and Harris County District 4. The Nature Discovery Center folks got to see a Merlin take down a passerine for dinner.

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/26/19 (207 raptors)

Bob reports 207 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 186 Red-tailed Hawk 1 Swainson’s Hawk 2 White-tailed Hawk 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Cooper’s Hawk 3 Mississippi Kite 7 Peregrine Falcon 2 Merlin 1 Also a growling gator and lots of White Ibis.

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/25/19 (181 raptors)

Bob reports 181 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 148 Swainson’s Hawk 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 Cooper’s Hawk 8 Mississippi Kite 3 American Kestrel 5 Merlin 1 Northern Harrier 3 Bald Eagle 1 (adult) Not much else happening. There’s a cold front forecast for late next week. I’m betting it brings a lot of raptors!

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/24/19 (18 raptors)

Joe reports 18 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 7 Swainson’s Hawk 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Cooper’s Hawk 4 Mississippi Kite 3 American Kestrel 1 Lots of hummers but not much else. Where are the raptors?!

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/23/19 (425 raptors)

Bob reports 425 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 157 Swainson’s Hawk 10 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Cooper’s Hawk 3 Mississippi Kite 246 American Kestrel 3 Merlin 1 Bald Eagle 1 (adult) Despite the southeast winds, the birds came through today.

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/22/19 (59 raptors)

Bob reports 59 migrating raptors today. Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 Mississippi Kite 50 Swallow-tailed Kite 3 American Kestrel 1 Peregrine Falcon 1 Osprey 1 Lots of hummers! It is unheard of that there were no Broad-wings this late in September. Where are they?

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/21/19 (50 raptors)

Bob reports 50 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 27 Swainson’s Hawk 1 Cooper’s Hawk 2 Mississippi Kite 12 Swallow-tailed Kite 3 American Kestrel 2 Merlin 1 Osprey 1 Northern Harrier 1 Lots of hummingbirds in the morning, a gator sighting, and a visit from a Houston Audubon group rounded out the day.