Migration is a huge part of life for many animals. Every year, birds of all kinds, and even some butterflies, leave their habitats to seek warmer weather for the winter. Luckily for the Coastal Bend, the area is perfectly situated to observe the migration of the incredible group of birds called raptors.
HawkWatch International (HWI), an organization dedicated to observing and conserving raptor populations, has significantly grown in scope since its inception in 1986. The organization’s work educates over 40,000 people annually, and its volunteers and staff observe at eight HWI sites.
Every year, HWI hosts special events in Corpus Christi and Mexico to celebrate the wonderful creatures, and the Celebration of Flight at Hazel Bazemore Park is one of them. The park along the Nueces River is an ideal place to observe hawk migrations—counts at this site often exceed one million raptors of up to 28 species, ranking as some of the largest and most diverse counts ever recorded in North America.
Kirsten Elliott, development and communications director for HWI, reminisced on her time as a watcher. “Migration is magical,” she shared. “Raptors are all around us everywhere we are, making them a really easy way to connect with nature.” Elliott said observing raptor migrations can give us a better understanding of the health of raptor populations and their environment.
Unfortunately, the HWI community suffered a sudden and devastating loss in 2023. Dane Ferrell was a nature educator at the Nueces Delta Preserve for many years and longtime volunteer counter who had a deep love for birds and touched many hearts with his sheer enthusiasm. He is survived by his wife, Libby Even, who carries on his HWI legacy as a great birder in her own right.
“Dane made hawkwatching fun for everyone,” Even said. “He was so enthusiastic about birds in general, and raptors in particular, that you couldn’t help but smile if you were with him on the platform. That enthusiasm made him a great teacher of the young and old alike.”
Now entering her 20th year as a counter, Even loves sharing her experiences with new and longtime birders, and is grateful to the HWI community for supporting her in her time of grief. “This is the time of year I am embraced by my HawkWatch family, without whom I would not have survived the loss of my soulmate,” she said.
This year’s Celebration of Flight event, occurring Sept. 26-28, promises fun, learning and of course, hawk watching. Each morning features a guided bird walk with a seasoned birder. Learn the difference between hawks and falcons at the “Parade of Raptors” programs or join the “Reading with Raptors” program to hear a family-friendly story and meet a Raptor Ambassador.
Speaking of Raptor Ambassadors, the HWI is excited to introduce these birds to the public. “For the first time ever, our birds will be making their own epic migration journey to Corpus Christi, offering visitors the opportunity to see a bird of prey up close,” Elliott said.
Every Celebration of Flight ends with a Native American blessing ceremony and dance with an intertribal drum circle. About this ceremony, Even said, “Many years during the drumming, we have had bald eagles and large groups of migrating hawks fly over, as if the drums called them to us.”
Hazel Bazemore County Park, 4343 County Road 69
