Other Raptors
Cooper’s Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Kestrel
After an appropriate amount of time for birders to mill about and claim their optimal viewing spot, we opened today's Raptor Show with a dazzling display, as a Merlin rocketed in from the south, sped over the weedy field to our west and surprised us with a low, slow loop over the crowd. A Zonetail soon followed a similar path just a tad higher. I looked south again expecting to find the Blue Angels approaching. Instead the next performance appeared from the north as the Black Hawk we had positioned at the Tubac bridge last night lumbered up and south over the park. The Caracara, released from the Community Center for those on the regular Tubac Nature Center Tuesday bird walk, developed engine trouble and aborted its scheduled Hawk Watch flyover. Maybe next show.
The rest of the day the counters were flummoxed and perplexed trying to figure out what the Black Hawks were doing. Some lifted off, thought better of it and settled back down. Rinse, repeat. Others slowly drifted over in small groups disappearing north, feigning migration just cleverly enough to be counted. Winds were often northerly, but not strong at ground level. I estimated it was okay weather for Black Hawk migration. Each Black Hawk we saw made a different, mysterious calculation. The chaos spooked one of our best local hawk watchers so much that she fled the park, unable to cope with such Black Hawk disorder.
We were relieved that a late afternoon setdown of Black Hawks failed to develop. I’m not sure we could have endured that. We tried to recover by mostly ignoring the 50 Turkey Vultures that danced around the park, daring us to count them as we closed the watch.
