Other Raptors
Golden Eagle
Zone-tailed Hawk
Cooper’s Hawk
Black Vulture
Short-tailed Hawk
Clouds were scarce. Winds were annoying. We ate more dust than donuts. Yet the first Black Hawk of the day popped up at 9:20 over the river trees across from the dog park. We had good if fleeting looks as it stayed low and rode the winds west across the north end of the park following a Harrier doing the same.
Raptors thought the weather was just fine, having no trouble gaining far too much altitude. Chairs had to be weighed down with bodies, coolers or sandbags. Hats required chin straps.
We ended the day with a respectable 13 Black Hawks.
A low Crested Caracara provided an afternoon treat.
After a tip from one of our southern lookouts, HWI counter #1 scrambled up the Mobile Hawk Watching Platform, briefly scoping a group of Mexican White Pelicans southeast of the park. Likely yesterday’s group enjoying an extended stay.
A Zonetail and a Shorttail were our last raptors, floating south along the river to end the day.
