# Amazing flock of broad-winged hawks over Houston this evening..



## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

Amazing sight this evening, we saw thousands of what I believe where broad-winged hawks. Can anyone verify the ID from the pic? I guess the migration is underway. First time I've ever seen anything like it over Houston..

Thousand of them: HERE

Hundreds of them: HERE

Larger ID shot: HERE

Medium ID shot:









D90, 500mm AF-S hand held, F6.7, 1/500s, cropped a lot.


----------



## Huachele (Apr 19, 2009)

I can't help you with the ID. But I have seen what looks like a continuous wave of the same hawks on the west side of Houston. They stretched out as far as I could see, coming and going. I have never seen them stacked up like that, though. Very Cool!


----------



## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

I'm in Spring Branch on the West side of Houston. Probably the same flocks..


----------



## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Arlon, I forwarded the pix on to my son who is a big birder. I'll let you know (here ) what he says. Rich


----------



## Arlon (Feb 8, 2005)

Thanks Rich..


----------



## richg99 (Aug 21, 2004)

Yep..they were broadwings. My son confirmed that, and then copied me into a more official report on one of the birdwatching forums. 
***************************************************

"Subject: Broad-wings over Katy/West Houston (Harris County) this morning
(9/29)
From: Kathie Shultz <kathieshultz AT SBCGLOBAL.NET>
Date: Tue, 29 Sep 2009 12:11:25 -0500

Just a follow-up to Al's posting last night regarding Broad-wings
along the western edge of the Barker Reservoir in Katy/West Houston
(Harris County):

I stepped outside at 9 am, and there were already two kettles of 100+
Broad-wings overhead, with streams of individual birds flapping to
join them. I hopped on my bicycle and rode east on the Highland
Knolls hike/bike trail to the first bridge, and from that vantage
point continued to observe and count hawks for the next hour and a half.

Because of interruptions from curious passers-by, it wasn't easy to
keep a good count, but I estimate that at least 3000-4000 Broad-wings
passed by this morning. Most kettles contained 250-300 birds, and
were being fed by streams of individual birds and smaller kettles of
50-100 birds. At any one time, there were 5 or 6 of the larger
kettles in view, and they were moving steadily off to the south; this
was the case for a solid hour, so it's possible that the numbers were
much higher.

We've lived on the western edge of the Barker Reservoir (~ 12,000
acres of woods/scrub/patchy grassland) for the past ten years, and
have found that there's always at least one day towards the end of
September with extraordinary numbers of Broad-wings. We did have a
front pass through last night, and today's conditions were excellent
for hawk-watching: overcast and a north wind that seemed to keep the
birds low. Although I saw only Broad-wings this morning, last night
we had a kestrel and a few accipiters mixed in.

Kathie Shultz
Katy (Harris County), T"


----------

