25 Southwest Highways
Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park has a hawk watch tower on the border with Mexico that is a must-see in late October and early November. Many birds follow the Rio Grande to mark their route, and end up here. I was surprised to learn there that some turkey vultures actually migrate south. Here in Central Texas our vultures stay year-round, but there you can watch continuous flocks of them heading into Mexico, along with many other migrants, including Broad-Winged Hawks, Swainson’s Hawks, Ospreys, Anhingas, and Wood Storks. We watched a Merlin chase a Kestrel, and dozens of swallows feeding around the tower. Many other hawks can be seen individually elsewhere in the park at this time of year, including Peregrine Falcon and Cooper’s Hawk.
Very Rare Red Phalarope
Hornsby Bend Sewage Plant, Austin, TX
September 2009
-Susan Decker
overhead. Herons, pelicans, finches, and hummingbirds also fly during the day. To see these diurnal migrants it is good to find a hawk watch tower or location that provides a clear sky view. The hawk watch in October at Hornsby Bend in Austin can be an amazing location when the weather is just right.
In October of 2009 on the 50th anniversary of the treatment plant’s first use as a birding center, those of us lucky enough to be there for the bird count saw an incredible sight. A strong north wind the day before ending with a storm late in the day had caused a fall-out of Swainson’s Hawks, and as the bird count got under way, the air warmed and soon hundreds of hawks and vultures appeared in a slow, rising vortex from the far fields. At the peak of the vortex they began to drift south, letting the winds push them on their way. Vortex after vortex rose, filling the air with beautiful Swainson’s Hawks in the thousands.