Smith Point Hawk Watch 8/21/19 (16 raptors)

Bob reports 16 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 5 Swainson’s Hawk 5 Cooper’s Hawk 2 Mississippi Kite 3 Swallow-tailed Kite 1 The highlight of the day was four Olive-sided Flycatchers sitting up on the various perches sticking above the oak mottes. Smith Point is the best place I know to see an Olive-sided Flycatcher in the fall. They just love … Read More

Smith Point Hawk Watch 8/20/19 (21 raptors)

Tad reports 21 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 2 Swainson’s Hawk 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 Mississippi Kite 1 Swallow-tailed Kite 16 Marvin Masters and Tad Finnell had the watch today giving Bob his day off. Storms systems surrounded the tower most of the day but very little rain fell. Highlight was the first group of nine Swallow-tailed Kites coming in … Read More

Smith Point Hawk Watch 9/19/19 (6 raptors)

Bob reports 6 migrating raptors today. Broad-winged Hawk 1 Swainson’s Hawk 1 Swallow-tailed Kite 3 White-tailed Kite 1 First White-tailed Kite of the season but the three Swallow-tails in the sky together was the highlight. Still need a 21 inch tv for the trailer so Bob can watch football this fall! Anybody?

Smith Point Hawk Watch 8/17/19 (17 raptors)

Bob reports 17 migrating raptors today. Swainson’s Hawk 6 Cooper’s Hawk 1 Mississippi Kite 4 Swallow-tailed Kite 5 Northern Harrier 1 Strong south winds retarded the flight but 19 flyover Wilson’s Phalaropes and a single Dickcissel were nice fall migrants. Thanks to Joe Kennedy for his help today and for visitor’s David Sarkozi and John Berner.

Smith Point Hawk Watch 8/16/19 (29 raptors)

Slow day after the big start yesterday. Only 29 birds today. Broad-winged Hawk 20 Swainson’s Hawk 3 Mississippi Kite 3 Swallow-tailed Kite 2 Osprey 1 Bob reports the tv in the trailer is on the fritz. Any one want to donate a small one to his cause?

Smith Point Hawk Watch 8/15/19 (737 raptors)

Well we’re off to a great start! Bob counted 737 raptors on the first day of the count. Broad-winged Hawk 15 Swainson’s Hawk 2 Mississippi Kite 716 Swallow-tailed Kite 4 Other birds included a couple of local Cooper’s Hawks, a local Red-shouldered Hawk, three Magnificent Frigatebirds and lots of White Ibis. Come on down and enjoy the count!

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 19

By Susan Heath Well folks, there’s good news and bad news. I was joined on Wednesday, July 3 by Alan Wilde, Amanda Hackney, and my sister Kay Heath to monitor the skimmers and the remaining oystercatcher activity.  Unfortunately the weather did not allow us to get much done. I checked the radar when I woke up at 6:00 and there … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 18

By Susan Heath I’m beginning to get a complex about the weather. This season has just been awful with wind and now rain. I wasn’t able to go to Drum Bay on Tuesday to check on the chick there because there were heavy thunderstorms all day. I rescheduled that for Friday in combination with East Matagorda Bay which would mean … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 17

By Susan Heath I had some non-negotiable commitments on Tuesday and Wednesday this week which of course were the two days with the best weather. It was a tossup between Thursday and Friday. Neither looked very good from a wind perspective but Alan and I made a go of it on Friday. It was too rough to go check on … Read More

Oystercatcher Diaries 2019: Field Week 16

By Susan Heath On Tuesday, Alan Wilde and I went out to do a reef survey in Bastrop and Drum Bays both of which border parts of Brazoria NWR. The refuge biologist Jennifer Wilson and I have been talking about building some oystercatcher nesting platforms out there because the habitat is so eroded. The refuge doesn’t encompass the small islands … Read More