Come Join Us For Our Twelveth Annual

CELEBRATION OF FLIGHT

At the Corpus Christi Hawk Watch

In Hazel Bazemore Park

September 24 to 26, 2010

Hawk migration is a true spectacle of the natural world and the watch at Hazel Bazemore Park is the largest and most diverse in the country.  An average of 700,000 raptors are counted each fall.  Although the hawk watch runs from August 15 to November 15, the three days of the "Celebration" are set during the peak of hawk migration.  The "peak" is an eight-day period from Sept. 23 to 30 where single days of over one hundred thousand raptors have occurred most years.

This year we are pleased to announce the return of our feature guest, Brian Wheeler, noted author, artist, and photographer.  Last Chance Forever- The Bird of Prey Conservancy will provide live raptor programs.  Their work with raptor research, rehabilitation, release, and public education is nationally known.  For the first time there will be an extended vendor’s area.  The events held at Hazel Bazemore Park are open to the public free of charge thanks to the support of Swarovski Optik, Eagle Optics and the Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau.  Volunteers will be on hand to show and identify hawks for visitors.  But mostly come and experience the true stars, migrating raptors, in a “celebration of flight”.

This year we are also offering field trips to some great birding spots.  There will be a charge for these trips as well as a keynote talk by Brian Wheeler on Saturday night at the Northwest Library.

Schedule of Events at Hazel Bazemore Park

The Corpus Christi Hawk Watch- 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM daily (or whenever the hawks quit flying).  Hawks are not early risers, waiting for thermals to form before beginning their daily flight.

Last Chance Forever live raptors programs- 2:00 pm on Friday and 10:00 AM on Saturday.

Mini-Programs- These twenty minute programs on raptors and hawk migration will be held each day during lulls and of course will stop for any large flyover.

Digiscoping Class- Sunday at 7:30 AM- Clay Taylor will discuss taking pictures through  spotting scopes with digital cameras.  After some basics are covered you will get             some hands-on experience, so bring your camera.

Blessing of the Site- Sunday at 2:00 PM- join in the ceremony conducted by the Gulf Coast Indian Confederation in this time honored traditional blessing for our "Hazel" site.

Panel Discussion on Photographing Raptors- Sunday at 4:00 PM

Moderated by Brian Wheeler and Clay Taylor- it will allow you to get advice on photographing raptors from the experts.

Contact Information

For more information on the “Celebration of Flight”, to sign up for the field trips and the keynote talk by Brian Wheeler, get locations on where to stay or about Corpus Christi in general go to www.VisitCorpusChristiTX.org.

Field Trips

Three of the four field trips were specially designed for those with a special interest in raptors.  They are all half-day trips with high quality leaders. Water and snacks will be provided on all trips.  Please note that all field trips have a limited number of participants so be sure to sign up early.

Nueces River Delta Preserve- 7:00 AM to 12:00 noon- Fri. and Sat.only- cost $50.00 per   person with a limit of 20 people each day.  Participants will meet for departure in 15 passenger vans at Hazel Bazemore Park, plan to arrive at least 15 minutes before planned departure time.

This new preserve is run by the Coastal Bend Bays & Estuaries Program and Nature Conservancy and is dedicated to education.  Located only five miles from Hazel Bazemore Park, it has a riparian area long known for raptor use during   migration.  A hawk lift-off is possible.  Shorebirds along Nueces Bay and   neotropic migrants will be targeted on this half-day trip.  The special feature of this trip is that one of the leaders will be Brian Wheeler, who will also give an hour program titled “The Ultimate Challenge- Deciphering Accipiter Identification”.

King Ranch, Santa Gertrudis Division- 7:30 to 11:30 AM- Fri., Sat. & Sun.- cost $50.00 per person with a limit of 20 people.  Participants will travel on their own to the King Ranch headquarters (map will be provided).  The travel time from Hazel is one hour and fifteen minutes, plan to arrive fifteen minutes before the start time.  Transportation while on the ranch will be in two 15 passenger vans.

The King Ranch is a showcase for the incredible diversity of migratory and resident tropical birds in South Texas. This special tour for Hawk Watch will visit habitats from wetlands to brushlands looking for White-tailed Hawk, Harris’   Hawk, and Crested Caracara.  Other possible species include Least Grebe, Vermillion Flycatcher, Great Kiskadee, Green Jay, Olive Sparrow, and much more.

Fennessey Ranch- 7:30 to 11:30 AM- Friday and Sunday only- cost $50 per person with a limit of 25 people each day.   Participants will travel the one hour north on their own to the ranch gate (map will be provided).  Plan to arrive fifteen minutes before start time.  Transportation while on the ranch will be by tractor and trailer.

The Fennessey Ranch is bordered by nine miles of the Mission River.  It is on a major route for hawks, kites, and falcons that use the tall pecan and oak trees on the banks of the river for overnight roosts.  Often we get lucky and see them take off by the thousands for the day’s migration.  We will also witness kettle after kettle forming throughout most of the morning.  We can expect to see Anhinga soaring with broadwings, harriers, falcons, sharp-shinned, Cooper’s, red-tailed, red-shouldered and Swainsons.  Although a little late for swallow-tailed kite,     Mississippi and White-tailed Kites have been in the tally as well as Wood Storks.

Corpus Christi & Mustang Island- 1:30 to 6:30 PM- Fri. & Sat. only- cost $40 per person with a limit of 20 people per day.  Participants will meet at Hazel Bazemore Park for departure in 15 passenger vans, plan to arrive fifteen minutes before planned departure time.

We plan to travel east from Hazel to the migrant trap at Paradise Pond, shorebirds and waders at the birding center boardwalk and seabirds along the coast on Mustang Island.  Time permitting we will visit Blucher Park for more neotropic migrants and/or to Indian Point for more shorebirds and waders.

Brian Wheeler

Brian has had a passionate interest in raptors since an early age.  His Raptors of Eastern North America and Raptors of Western North America are widely acknowledged as the best and most thorough guides ever published.  He is also the illustrator, co-author and a photographer of Hawks of North America and a co-author and a   photographer of A Photographic Guide to North American Raptors.

Brian will serve as field trip leader and presenter for the Nueces River Delta Preserve.  He will also sit on a panel discussion on raptor photography with Clay Taylor on Sunday             afternoon at 4:00 PM.  There will be plenty of time to get to talk with Brian in his “free” time or at book signings on Friday and Saturday at 4:00 PM .

Evening Keynote Talk by Brian Wheeler- Saturday at 7:00 PM at the Northwest Library- $10 per person with a limit of 60 people.

The talk is titled “My Favorite Raptors and Raptor Spots in North America”.  Travel with Brian to discover Goshawks in Duluth or Snail Kites in Florida.  Take in the wonder of hawk migration at Cape May or the many raptor specialties of South Texas.  The library is only ten minutes from the park so you will not miss any of the day’s action.

Directions to Hazel Bazemore Park

The park is located in the northwest corner of Corpus Christi in the community of Calallen.  Highways 37 and 77 intersect and run together for a short distance, the first exit south on Hwy 77, less than one half mile south of this intersection, is FM 624 (Northwest Blvd.).  Go west on 624 for .7 mile and take a right on County Road 69 to the entrance of the park and just follow the signs to the site.

Eyes To The Skies!

The Corpus Christi Hawk Watch at Hazel Bazemore Park is a HawkWatch International (HWI) site.  HWI is the only group that conducts full season counts in Texas and deserves our full support, please think about making a donation and becoming a member.    The watch would not be possible without the many wonderful volunteers that help man the site all season.  A special thanks to the Nueces County Parks and Recreation Department and their staff at Hazel Bazemore Park for providing such a magnificent place to watch hawks and for funding our new state of the art platform.