Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Borrego Hawkwatch January 18, 2012-First TV's of the year

The first Turkey Vultures of the migration season were spotted moving northwest through Borrego Valley today.  They were observed roosting on telephone posts on Palm Canyon Drive. By the end of January kettles of TV's will make their way through the valley. We are fortunate to have dependable spotters living at the Roadrunner Mobile Park and campers at The Springs RV Park. I will often get calls with the location of roosting sites. Swainson's Hawks are on the way as well. They often migrate with the TV's. We anxiously await the SW's.

Keep Watching,

Hal

Saturday, January 7, 2012

Borrego Hawkwatch January 7, 2012-Welcome

Part of a kettle of over 500 Swainson's Hawks-March 2011
Welcome to Borrego Valley Hawkwatch Blog. You may access the blog at http://www. borregohawkwatch.blogspot.com/

The hawkwatch season in Borrego Springs begins officially February 15, 2012 and continues until April 15, 2012. Last year we recorded almost 9,000 migrating Swainson's Hawks.

The new blog will be updated almost daily, depending on the migration pattern. A unique aspect of the Borrego Valley Hawkwatch is the opportunity to watch Swainson's Hawks from very close vantage points. Most of the hawks roost in Borrego Springs and depart the valley the following morning. The blog will alert watchers the evening before departure to the whereabouts of the hawks.

The hawkwatch is sponsored by Anza-Borrego Foundation and Roadrunner Tree Farm. You may contact Hal Cohen at Raptorhal3@gmail.com for further information about the watch. We also are seeking volunteers to assist on a regular basis. A training session will be scheduled sometime in February to educate those interested in helping gather data concerning the 11 species of hawks that migrate through the valley. Contact Hal at the address above if you are interested in volunteering for the watch.