Harvey's Knob Hawkwatch

Established in 1977 by Myriam Moore 1912-2006

 Thank you Google for 

making this site possible 

for free!

The photo of the

Cliff Swallow Nest 

at the 'Santana" farm taken on 

6/28/08 that Barry K. referred to is

 below:

Click on it to enlarge!

JAMES the Peregrine:

19 Years Old

Our forward observer and special correspondent

Tad C. Piter 

reports that today, April 17th, massive numbers of Broadwings are moving through Texas.  Further, Mr. Piter predicts that they will arrive in our area about Wednesday through the weekend.  If correct, his salary will be doubled!!!  Keep looking up!!  

Tad says "Hi" also.

Editor

Rap Music for Birders? 

 Never thought I'd See the

 Day, But It's 

HERE!

Spring Riddle:

Who Marches in like an M

But leaves like a W?

And who, if you've no fins,

Will dare not trouble you?

And whose prey (Ah!)

Respect he is showing,

By orienting him such that

He sees where he's going?

Tad C. Piter, our Reporter

 At Large, Reports from

 Texas (3/18/09):

Even though nobody back there knows whether I'm still alive or not,
I think about you guys all the time. The raptors here are absolutely
incredible. We used to think we had Red-Tails in the winter... ha!
you should see them on every telephone pole here, and if there is a
pole without one then there is a Kestrel perched on it. You can't go
out driving anywhere without seeing at least 2 Red-Shouldereds, and
the Kites....   ah, the Kites! From April to early Oct. there are Mississippi Kites over our house every day, and get out of town and around a brushy field Black-Shouldered Kites will be posing and flaunting their stuff, and the Swallow-Tailed... beyond description...
 We can go out anytime it seems and within a 2 hour drive (one way)
we can find Ferruginous (winter), White-Tailed, Swainsons (summer),
Harris's, the other Falcons (I even got my first good look at a Prairie in
Texas 3 weeks ago) and plenty of Caracaras. Harriers are everywhere,
and I thought B.Eagles would be tough here, but I found a nest 15 minutes from the house. 6 hours away, down in the Valley, it's become common-place to find Zone-Tailed and Gray Hawks, and even Hook Billed Kite is becoming easier to find. 

 Butterflies down here would blow you away. Don't remember if I told
you or not, but during the 9 months I was here in 2008 I saw over 100 new
butterflies in the Rio Grande Valley, 98% of them in an area 10 miles by 3
miles. You can easily have days with more than a hundred species seen.
 I could go on and on and on, which is one of the biggest reasons that I
can't seem to write anyone. Another reason I don't seem to be able to have time to do anything can be found at Bird-A-Day.net. Check that out.  But anyway, there will come a day that I'll sit down and write a long emailabout the more mundane things going on around here. Promise. For now just love (not to the guys, please, except maybe Dillard) and best wishes to all,
take care, and don't forget me.   

Ah'l Be Back

Tad

The Carvins Cove Osprey

 of March 24, 09:

Very nice Christmas Eagle 

story

 HERE

Osprey 

Tracking 

by UNC 

Charlotte

Here!

This is very neat:

UFO or WHAT:

(11/8/08)

[Click on the photos]

("Could I be too?", Tom asked stealthily.)

FALL:

But alas, Fall falls and 

 Leaves leave:

And Pat's chopping wood:

(click to see him)

And Red Tails move:

Say "Hi" to the squirrels

 sometimes:

And then pose for the

 cover of Sibley's book:

Red Days (11/708):

Shouldered:

Tailed:

(Full crop, on the move)

(Red Tail in November blue)

Alert:

Visitors Diane & Ben:

Diane's First Scan:

Diane's First Bird:

HEADLINE:

Bird Has Seizure:

(After having salad of same name)

Then Recovers:

Some recent fliers in the blue sky:

Silhouettes:

Tina ID'd this one above.

And you know Fall has arrived when these lines meander by:

You think the Broadwing

 migration is long - check

 this

 STORY

Barry's Annual 

Biscuit

 avec

 Gravy de Sausage

was September 21!

Great Food!

Some Birds!

Like this:

And this:

Full of Gravy 

(Barry forgot to add Lipitor)

and Birds:

Mr. 

September

 himself!

Thanks Barry!

Coming 

Soon:

Dillard's 

Guide to 

Hawk Watching Fashion:

And Look soon for Dillard's Guide to Hawkwatching equipment and spotting, scanning and other technical challenges!

Group Day 

At Harvey's 

on 9/17!

We had students from 

area Home Schooling:

Hollins University:

Virginia Western:

And the largest group of 

all:

Buteo Platypterus

3646 

Total Hawks for the day 

with a Great Late Flight

Imm. RT over the South Shenandoah Valley:

9/13

Click:

9/14 Imm. BE

Judy (the skeptic)'s Eagle (9/14):

What's that in the road, a head?

No mistaking this image:

AK:

9/1/08 Eagle:

9/03:

9/05:

It's Migration Time (August) at the James':

(Click on the photo to enlarge) 

 All our cars are Coopers...

Ravens recognize us?

Click

Chimney Swifts:

Go Here With Alacrity

Daily Totals for October, 07

Daily Totals for September, 07

Redtail and Rattlesnake: Here

Albino Golden Eagle: HERE

BABY VULTURE IN REHAB: HERE

TADLESS