Our view of two great hawk watches

 

That's Associate Editor and Web Wizard (and hawk watcher) Matt Mendenhall, taking a close look at the Birder's World website on his computer screen. 

The reason? Our website is now where he and all you other raptor freaks can read about two of the coolest hawk watches we know about:

-- The Florida Keys Raptor Migration Project located in Curry Hammock State Park, Little Crawl Key, Florida. (Yes, those Florida Keys. Think bright sunshine, blue water, palm trees, drinks with little umbrellas in them...) Bird guide and Key West resident Mark Hedden writes that more Peregrine Falcons are counted there each fall than at any other North American count site, about 10-12 percent of the combined total population in North America.

-- And the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch at Hazel Bazemore County Park in Corpus Christi, Texas. Watch coordinator and official observer Joel Simon writes that there's good reason why it's been described as a world-class watch site: Last year, almost 650,000 raptors were tallied there -- including more than half a million Broad-winged Hawks. Sure wish I were there now.

Both articles tell when to visit, what birds to expect, and how to get there. You can find them in our October 2008 issue, and on our website -- thanks to Matt. --C.H.