Sept. 20, 2014 "The Wait" Begins

We began "TheWait" for a Broad-winged Hawk on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2014.  The teams are ready.  The equipment is all charged.  The bags are packed.......

It is now Monday, Sept. 22.  Yesterday, was a terrific year for the migration.  More than 500 raptors were counted on Hawk Hill.  The banders had a great day...... but No Broadwings!!!  And so "The Wait" continues.........

Apprentice Training, Sept 12, 2014

Mapping and Plotting Practice during Training

Apprentice Training, Sept 12, 2014

We have a bumper crop of bright, eager apprentices. 

September 11, 2014

Gearing Up for a New Tracking Year

How time flies, when we're ............ you know how it goes!  Well, I'm not exactly having fun working on permits, phone lists, organizing work days and trainings; but soon it will be more exciting and rewarding, when all of this is behind us and we're ready to hit the tracking road.  Yes, it's time to start gearing up for a new year of tracking raptors throughout California.  We've got a great group of apprentices to train, and a terrific group of dedicated trackers.  Trackers who will go to the ends of the earth...... or almost.  Each year we add to our knowledge base of how raptors move through California.  We'll be starting with a stand-by period ~September 20, waiting for a Broad-winged Hawk to stop by for a transmitter.  And then, hopefully, the teams will follow the hawk southward, to the Mexican Border.  Will he/she follow the ways of Zoe and Marathon and head for Tecate, or will the hawk stick to the coast all the way to the border?  We hope to find out during the next month.  Stay tuned for the real story.