Harvey's Knob Hawkwatch
Established in 1977 by Myriam Moore 1912-2006
Located on the Botetourt-Bedford County line near Roanoke, Virginia between mile markers 95 and 96 on the Blue Ridge Parkway.
Thank you Google for making this site possible for free!
Contact Here
Coopers-Sharpie
Migratory Red Tail
TRY THIS: There once was a birder named Kinzie Who was subject to an occasional whimsy: His E-form to Birdhawk said: "I saw an Eagle with a red head!" And sent HMANA into a frenzy........
Hawk Gone
Perhaps one in a million of the populous Is a hawkwatcher, (not entirely obnoxious), He sits in his chair, Sticks his nose in the air And recites the Levavi Oculos.
A Reappraisal: The CROW
There once was a hawkwatcher named Wilbur
Who had binoculars made out of silver
His calls were murky and fast -
The right eye was actually a flask -
And some said it was filled with pilsner.
The Legend Begins:
On the last Thursday of October, 2009, on BlueSky Joyce's watch, three hikers appeared suddenly and began a search in the woods near the AT trail. After apparent failure in their search, they informed the hawkwatchers that a bottle of bourbon (Old Peregrine, I believe it was) had been left for them behind the Second Tree. They were unable to find the bottle and no one knows exactly what the "Second Tree" means. There is some suspicion that it was buried. Although none of the hawkwatchers expresses interest in this matter, several holes have been noted behind trees in the area. Numbers of hawks are down uncharacteristically as well as license tag totals. Please remember to keep your eyes on the skies. If it is foggy in the morning, go ahead and have a look. Please do not bring tools as the Park Service frowns on digging activities and Dillard: You had to know the backhoe was a bad idea!
HERE'S an ad for "The Legend of Pale Male" the movie! Be sure to look at the CLIPS!
HMANA Blog about Costa Rica - Let's
Where does all the garbage go?
Interesting THREAD from Virginia Bird About Hawkwatches Up-dated 11/10 with a mention of US!
How High the Bird? From the HMANA blog.
The strongest Eagles grow up on the Chesapeake BAY!
ITHACA - Oldest Golden Eagle
I found this moving from the HMANA Blog (A good site to Bookmark also)
TRAVELS WITH BARON HERE
We passed 8,000 Hawks on September 23! I mean 8,000 Hawks passed us! And now 9,000!
John Williamson has a nice site with links to all Virginia hawkwatch sites, included his
NOTE:
I have nominated Count Baron to be Hawkwatcher of September
I will be choosing Hawkwatcher of the Year in the near future.
(It's good to be king.....)
Any nominees for King of the Mountain?
51 Ospreys
on 9/19/09 is a new FALL site record! Congratulations Ospreys and site sighters too!!!
For the two summer 09 articles about Harvey's Knob:
Thanks so much Amanda!
David's Engineering Feat Foot: (Will blow up large with a click)
Dr. Holt had his shins sharpened up a bit ...........
The Premier Hawkwatch Site in the US
Hanging Rock Raptor
Virginia Eagles
Mouth to Beak Resuscitation,
JAMES the Peregrine:
Chicken Migration Article
Rap Music for Birders? Never thought I'd See the Day, But It's
Fall Riddle:
Who Marches in like an M But leaves like a W? And who, if you've no fins, Will dare not trouble you? And whose prey (Ah!) Respect he is showing, By orienting him such that He sees where he's going?
Very nice Christmas Eagle story
Osprey Tracking by UNC Charlotte
UFO or WHAT: (11/8/08) [Click on the photos]
("Could I be too?", Tom asked stealthily.)
FALL:
But alas, Fall falls and Leaves leave:
And Pat's chopping wood: (click to see him)
And Red Tails move:
Say "Hi" to the squirrels sometimes:
And then pose for the cover of Sibley's book:
Red Days (11/708):
Shouldered:
Tailed: (Full crop, on the move)
(Red Tail in November blue)
Alert:
Visitors Diane & Ben:
Diane's First Scan:
Diane's First Bird:
HEADLINE:
Bird Has Seizure:
(After having salad of same name)
Then Recovers:
Some recent fliers in the blue sky:
Silhouettes:
Tina ID'd this one above.
And you know Fall has arrived when these lines meander by:
You think the Broadwing migration is long - check this
Barry's Annual
Biscuit avec Gravy de Sausage
was September 21!
Great Food!
Some Birds!
Like this:
And this:
Full of Gravy (Barry forgot to add Lipitor) and Birds:
Mr. September himself!
Thanks Barry!
Coming Soon:
Dillard's Guide to Hawk Watching Fashion:
And Look soon for Dillard's Guide to Hawkwatching equipment and spotting, scanning and other technical challenges!
Group Day At Harvey's on 9/17!
We had students from area Home Schooling:
Hollins University:
Virginia Western:
And the largest group of all:
Buteo Platypterus
3646
Total Hawks for the day with a Great Late Flight
Imm. RT over the South Shenandoah Valley: 9/13 Click:
9/14 Imm. BE
Judy (the skeptic)'s Eagle (9/14):
What's that in the road, a head?
No mistaking this image:
AK:
9/1/08 Eagle:
9/03:
It's Migration Time (August) at the James': (Click on the photo to enlarge)
All our cars are Coopers...
Ravens recognize us?
Chimney Swifts:
Daily Totals for September, 07
Redtail and Rattlesnake: Here
Albino Golden Eagle: HERE
BABY VULTURE IN REHAB: HERE
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Why would anyone climb a besmirched Vulture roosting tower on this mountain (Purgatory)?
Who would have the gumption to make that climb?
(Hawk Migration Association of North America)
Season 2009 total:
Purgatory: TS IDA
November, 2009
 Last 5 Augusts
(Note BE and OS!):
{Click on Photo}
Last 5 Years:
{Click on Photo}
Biggest Osprey Hour:
Hawkwatcher's Toolkit: WEBCAM ON MILL MOUNTAIN:
6 Day Wind Movie
BUCHANAN WEATHER: CLICK
UPPER GOOSE CREEK VALLEY: CLICK
by Baron (in process)
For record high and lows, averages, time graphs of species over the past six years, scroll down This great photo was taken by Mark Mullins of Claytor Lake who helped us find hawks on September 21st. I am not sure
when and where, but here it is: CLICK ON IT:
Here's another from Mark of our favorite insect: Click on it - you won't believe the clarity!
We continue her inquiry into the understanding of the behavior of hawks in migration: Blog of Migration Issues and More The archives of the weblog are here: BlogArchives
The Knob 
Click any link to go there and any Hawk to get closer.
Here are the counts for the years of observation by years and species with handsome graphs:  
(Click above to see the Broadwings in the cloud) A Boy and His Dog:
 Click here to see counts all across the continent including Harvey's Knob (in season):
Coming soon: Counters Friends Identifying Hawks Woodpecker Ridge Nature Center KnobLore Photos Clouds, Weather and Hawks. Harveys Knob highest yearly counts by species: Records Peregrinations
Saw this Osprey and Moon 4/6/08: (Click on it!)
Bill Tucker was taking this photo of an Accipiter and the Moon when I photographed him below:
Balancing Acts:
Obviously, a dangerous carry-over from the Olympics!
Can you name the accomplished bird watchers above (5)?
New Record: 12,039 As of 11/30/07
According to DataMaster Baron, the Fall Harvey's Knob record for total hawks is: 11,893 set in 1996. FLASH!
The Record Falls!
Representing all HK hawkwatchers past and present in anticipation of the record breaking hawk are Baron, Mike, Tad and Katie. And here it comes:
Number 11,894 MILESTONE2: 12,000 for the Year!
"I SMELL A SLAM" 9/15/09 E-mail from TAD:
(Once in a while, he would get one...really)
I know it's on the way, and should be in the next couple of days.
Man, this is when it really hurts. And, no, you're not Tadless! I'm with you in spirit if not almost willing myself there. I had a great time tonight going through the website, and I hadn't read the daily summaries for about a week. The Eagle tally is great! Looking like another record breaker. Glad to see you have Dillard finally contributing. I really like seeing his name up there as the head honcho! Just keep editing his reports to keep the accipiter talleys accurate. I know I owe everyone there long letters (especially John and Eunice- I'll never get another hug) but you all know by now that I'm pretty terrible about writing. I guess I should know that if I'm ever going to find out all the gossip and rumors I should write, but know that strangely enough, I think of everybody up there more often than they would think. Well, Billy, I started this off as a short note to you, but now it's starting to look like a "pass arounder". I guess it should be time for "breakfast" up there pretty soon, maybe
this weekend??? That's another thing I have grown to miss. Maybe one of my biggest misses has to be, as you so appropriately labeled him, The Goffling. I imagine he's still trying to grow a couple more inches and still learning how to hit a golf ball, and I bet his mom can still take him. How many more vehicles have they run through by now? I've done a bit of hawkwatching. I've been to Smith Point several times and that place has been nothing but a disappointment. Its boss is the Gulf Coast Bird Observatory, manned by Hawkwatch International hawkwatchers, similiar to Kiptopeake. That's who Sue, my new partner for those who don't know already, works for. One of the girls manning the watch is a 21 yr. old cutie from California that I wouldn't get close to Harvey's. You read that, Baron! I've also been to Hazel Bazemore, and know all their people well. One worked at Smith Point last year. That site is pretty cool, but nothing really to look at. It's like watching from a park in town, and all the birds are microdots. I some- times wonder how they are identified to species. Not the Coops, though, Dillard. Got them down. Well, Texas is pretty wonderful, awfully hot, terribly dry, and has loads of places to just take off to. And I have been all over. As I told a few people I am doing a thing this year called Bird a Day (Bird-a-Day.net) where I have to find a new specie of bird for each day that passes, never using one already used again. That means a lot of traveling and a lot of planning ahead. I have still quite a few hawks to get, which reminds me. Another of the many things that constantly reminds me of the folks back home are the Mississippi Kites around here in the summer. There are several families nesting around our neighborhood and they're in or flying through/over the yard all the time, and you get so used to hearing them call it's almost like hearing something like Blue Jays all the time outside. I could go on and on telling stories about the last year down here but I'll save them for the time in the not tooooo distant future when I'll drive up, pull the old yellow chair out of the trunk, and put my feet up on the stones, yelling for the gnats to come and get it. You guys just count a lot of hawks, try to keep Purdy's cholesterol level down, smack Baron to keep him awake, and hug all the gals in my memory. I miss you and, as I said, think of you often. Tad
Directions to Harveys Knob:
For The Birds Store in Blacksburg
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