I saw a Bald Eagle yesterday around 3:30 PM over the bridge just below the Bluestone Dam in Hinton. The eagle was flying from the Bellepoint side of the river to the By-Pass side. That is the first one I have seen flying in the area. I have seen a couple before sitting in a tree on the island across from Dairy Queen.
John Harvey of Alderson, WV
I hiked up at night to the tower on New years Eve to spend the night. (No
alcohol, just hot chocolate ). There were several Deer and also some
raccoons as well on the trail. When I stopped and turned off the lights,
I heard a variety of night bird sounds. The Owls were especially loud,
with their Hoo-Hoo-Hoooooooooo calls. A couple of them had a territorial
fight and made repeated louder and louder calls to each other that
culminated with a screeching, growling, almost meowing, encounter. Then
all was quiet. The tower was clean and beautiful in the crystal clear night
air. I observed several meteors, and the view of the Milky Way galaxy
was incredible. After midnight, a massive cloud front came through, and
the wind picked up to 40 - 50 MPH gusts. The whole tower shook with the
gusts, and you could see the lights of both Roanoke and Blacksburg
reflecting on the cloud bottoms. The temperature was around 28 at
midnight and I slept for several hours in my sleeping bag till daybreak,
when it was 15 degrees. Several people came up to greet the New year that
morning, and as usual they are always the friendliest, kindest people.
Thanks to all of you who keep the tower so clean and nice. Hope everyone
picks up after themselves, and I also hope everyone will sign in the guest
book when they visit, and record the temperature while they are there.
Also wish we could encourage people to not carve their names or scratch the
windows. Many thanks.
Regards,
Dave Smith
We have a home at the beach and the vultures sit on it every day (sometimes 40 of them). They have destroyed our flat roof area by clawing and pecking the flat roof membrane that we have. They don't seem to take the hint despite attempts to put things on the roof to scare them off. ANY SUGGESTIONS to save my home??? We are not there year round so they love it when we are gone. Our neighbors call us "The Adams Family". Advice would be welcome.
Thanks, Mike
It was unusual but interesting to visit on Monday, after the apparent crowd had been there. leaves were beautiful even through the partly cloudy/haze conditions. the gusts, I would say ESE, made it quite warm for this time of year, portending rain we hope. All in all a pleasantly haunting hike. observation: two items of litter on the trail, and a dozen 'empties' in the lot. got 'em. New sign had been partly defaced, sad comment, but still one of the great places in my world(view).
Franklin Crabtree of Zenith, WV
The last two Sundays were beautiful, beyond adequate description. Bro. davis teaches just by talking to folks. That's the most I've learned about birds/geography in the several years I've been coming. As we discussed, the watchman reported a Hanging Rock bird count in the '50 years ago' column a few weeks ago. And my mother Helen and aunt Hazel remember coming there in their youth ( (1930's).
Franklin Crabtree of Zenith, WV
While riding the bus to school this morning we spotted a bald eagle in flight on the Arna Neel farm. There were some crows and other birds flying, so he really stuck out. Beautiful!!
Tammy Hale JMHS
September 05, 2007
My husband, Mike and myself, over the past several months have been wade fishing in the grass beds below Bluestone Dam. We have seen on several occasions a large raptor with a sharp repetitive call flying high on the ridge above the river. After investigating hawk and eagle calls on the internet, we determined that it was a golden eagle. There were two adults and two young birds. However, on our trips the last several weeks we have not seen the eagles. Just wondering if anyone else has had same experience or reported similar sightings.
Was recently across Peters Mountain but did not know about the observatory until today when I was looking up info on Monroe County. Will definitely be back to check out the observatory.
Susan Shrader of Bluefield, West Virginia
Jim Phillips from Pipestem State Park conducts an eagle survey in January to determine the resident population in our area. This year we spotted 7 balds and one golden. Our breeding population is undoubtedly higher that that, so your chances of spotting an eagle in the Bluestone area are getting pretty good. I will forward your observations to Jim. Thanks for visiting our site, and I hope to see you on the hill this season.
My 9 year old daughter and I visited for the first time yesterday. We loved it! Only downside was some trash below north side. I will take a bag next time and bring some of it out. Thank you.
Lee Chitwood
What a great aerial picture of the tower by Jesse Boone! Now we know what the birds are seeing when they go by.
Jim Phillips of Pipestem, WV
It's been a year since we visited. Job relocation killed any thought of a vacation . On the Bright side ... we moved 3 hours closer to your beautiful state. Hope to visit Hanging Rock next year!
Dawn and Steven (Formerly of Rochester, New York)
I OFTEN CHECK MY E-MAIL - LATE SUNDAY NIGHT
CLARKE BLANKENSHIP of CHESTER , VA.
Hi! We just returned from a visit to Hanging Rock. What an experience! Three of us camped on 9/24-25/06 about a mile down on Peter's Mountain. We spent all afternoon on Mon., 9/25/06, and couple of hours on 9/26/06, watching the hawks come through. What a wonderful experience! We saw over 400 broadwing hawks and 8 eagles, talked with George and other birdwatching folks. The entire experience was great! We had traveled from Ohio and this was our first time to see the migration. Keep up the good work of maintaing the tower and web site. Hope to return again next year. Thanks again,
Connie DeWeese, Columbus, Ohio
Keth Coy, Cincinnati, Ohio
Steve Vollmar, Cincinnati, Ohio
It has been a week since I climbed to the tower via the Alleghaney Trail. It was the weekend following my 50 year class reunion from H.S. I suppose I am writing to say that I am blessed. I was with a very special (dear) friend who is a WV mountain man now and finds your tower the perfect spot to share with his visiting friends.
Barbara McDonald
What a fabulous site and resource! thank you from Portland Oregon!
William Perdue
I made the hike with one of my best friends, Cade. He spent 23 days in a
coma this summer and it was a miracle that we were able to make this hike.
The scenery and the moment couldn't be better.
Pamela, Bowie, Texas
During the past several years, especially during summer, I've been seeing jet fighters flying at ridge-level along the north side of the Peters Mountain ridge. They fly just several hundred feet away from the mountain...and it's quite alarming. Often times, I can't see them just above the canopy. On Wednesday, 19 July 2006, an F-18 Hornet buzzed the ridgeline, and several hours later an F-16 did the same thing. What gives? Why here? Aren't the pilots concerned about hitting the soaring turkey vultures?
Barry of Lewisburg, WV
I spent Christmas with my parents at Ballengee, WV. My dad had been seeing a Northern Harrier hunting around the farm for quite a while and I saw it several times after arriving there. Christmas Day was a mixed bag of weather…the morning rain gave way to sunshine in the afternoon. Then another brisk rain shower blew through in the late afternoon. When this shower cleared, the setting sun produced a brilliant rainbow set against dark clouds in the east. The farm was perfectly framed under the bow. After taking several photos of the rainbow, I went to the other side of the house look at the sunset. It was then that I noticed several large birds flying in the cold breeze against the bright western sky. It took me a little while to determine that they were harriers! One…two...three...four.…five….six……seven! It wasn't easy to count them, but at one point there were 7 of them! They flitted over the open field like butterflies. I watched five of them for maybe 45 minutes as the sun set and dusk settled in. At least two of the five were females. They were easy to distinguish as a male and female perched on adjacent fence posts. This was one of those birding experiences that is hard to explain with words…you had to be there. It seemed that five of the harriers might have been blown in by the rain shower and the other two might be the locals. I saw only one harrier the next morning. But it was wonderful to stand and watch these birds traversing the open field, soaring in the wind and perching on cedar trees. They were a great Christmas gift.
Eric S. Jones
Will Miller
I travel Peter's Mountain every day on my way to JMHS from Waiteville. I saw the most interesting bird yesterday morning and finally found a picture of it on the net. It was a northern goshawk. He was sitting by the road and flew off into the woods when I got close. It was a beautiful bird. Didn't know if that counts on the migration or if he is way out of his territory. JFYI. also last weekend, I saw a golden eagle at the buffalo farm in Paint Bank on a fence post. Gorgeous! I heard three were there that weekend. Keep up the good work.
Tammy Hale of Waiteville, WV
Thank
you for the information on your web-site. I was able to navigate through
the photos and recognized a hawk that's been hanging out in my backyard
recently. I live in Austin, Texas, and it's a forest-like atmosphere in my
backyard. The hawk's a really beautiful adult. Thanks for your help in
identifying
the raptor.
Carlos Sanchez of Austin Texas
We have many doves at our backyard feeder year round.Last Sunday afternoon while sitting on the back porch a local sharpie swooped down and picked off a dove leaving the feeder in midair.All that was left was a puff of feathers drifting to the ground.I guess that was Sunday dinner for the youngsters back in the nest.
Bob Muller of Rio Grande,Ohio
Hi Hanging Rock Tower,
Tim McCarthy of Southern California
GREAT SITE, GREAT PHOTOS, THANKS!!! FROM A TRUE EAGLE LOVER
Brad Smith
I live in Elgin Illinois and I saw a Turkey Buzzard at the small lake by my house I have never seen one here, only when I go to Missouri at the lake! I was wondering if he is lost?
Connie Trybus of Elgin Illinois
Your area is on the border of the turkey vulture's summer and year-round range, so you have the opportunity to see them this time of year. They may move out of your area in the winter though.
Three Rivers Avian center will release a rehabilitated bald eagle on Pipestem State Park, Summers County, WV on Saturday, May 21, 2005 at 4:30 p.m. The release site will be the Cardinal Patio of McKeever Lodge. Follow the signs from the park entrance. This is the bird that was shot in Mercer County last October.
Jim Phillips of Pipestem, WV
Hello - I live in Orlando Florida. This morning I walked out on my back patio and heard a strange noise, when I looked up I saw a big black vulture perched up on top my chimney. At first I thought maybe it was building a nest up there. I came inside for a moment, while I was gone it apparently flew away. This evening I noticed a small baby vulture on top of the chimney. I assume it was waiting for momma to bring some food as it was making some noise. I don't know how long this bird has made a home on top of my chimney, and I don't know how old this baby/or babies are (I can't tell from the ground looking up how many there might be) or what the nest even looks like. Can you tell me what I need to do get this family off my roof? I am afraid if I go up there and even look at them, the mother might abandon the nest. From a distance I couldn't tell exactly how big the baby I saw was, however it appeared to not have feathers and was mostly grayish in color.
Lois Nemec of Orlando, Florida
If your black vultures only recently hatched, I am afraid you are in for a long haul. They don't leave the nest for 10 more weeks. You can either wait it out or contact your local Dept. of Natural Resources or raptor rehabilitation facility for suggestions on how to resolve your problem. Also, I wouldn't worry about the mother abandoning the nest if you go on the roof. She won't leave, but if she is in the area, she may not take too kindly to the intrusion.
Today I looked out the window of my house in Chillicothe OH to see over 200 turkey vultures gliding the airstreams for almost an hour. I frequently see 10-15 at the same time every evening but today the sky was simply peppered with them (driving my dogs insane!). >From some research I have found we may be in the migration path of the vultures returning to Hinkley OH. Can you confirm this for me? I have 4 pictures (2 clear, 2 grainy) of them if you would be interested.
Erin Lutz of Chillicothe, Ohio
I wish I could tell someone who cares about Bald Eagles, like your do, that
we have a lot and I love it! Old Abe as I call him, comes around a lot
during the summer. Unfortunately, we don't have a high tech camera that
could take an awesome picture. All I have are friends and witnesses. The
Bald Eagle has got to have at least a six foot wing span! And our landlord
has seen him too. There are a lot of littler eagles that are constantly
flying up and down the Fisher River, which is in our back yard, if I could
say that. But, then this summer, we had a Golden Eagle land write in front
of our picture window. It was so cool, there was a small bald eagle flying
around above the river, and I watched and
all of a sudden, the Golden Eagle landed with something in his claws, just
sat there so beautiful. My son is 15 and he got up off the couch, we both
saw it together, he backed away to get the camera, but then the Golden
Eagle flew away, and I think he had a baby bunny rabbit. Then just Sunday,
a Golden Eagle was in a tree, along the river.
Ok, here is my question, I thought Golden Eagles are territorial and don't
nest too far away. Is that true? And how far will they go for food in the
winter time? But anyway, if you can find someway to send information about
sightings in to someone who can document this, I would appreciate it. I
am just a bird lover, right down to the hummingbirds.
And I really wish you could see Old Abe!
Sincerely, Sue Birch Ridgeland, WI
golden's migration route. If you have a year round resident you need to bring it to the attention of your local Dept. of Natural Resources or birding club.
Another note on bald eagles. Immature balds have longer flight feathers than the mature birds, so they shouldn't appear smaller than Old Abe. Thanks for visiting our site, and let me know if we can be of further help.
I have a few Sharp-shinned hawks close by as I live about 2 miles from the Appalachian Trail here in Washington County Maryland. Your collection of photos are great. One of them landed on my 3 tier "critter-feeder" the other day and stayed only a few minutes before leaving for better hunting. I've seen an actual kill around my feeders which happened during summertime and took the better part of 3 seconds. All that was left was some red feathers from the cardinal he harvested. It's hard to describe witnessing a shadow appearing then he was gone.
I'll have to check out where you're located as I'm about 25 miles from Martinsburg and even closer to Shepardstown, WV. Do you have an actual porch set up with a view of their hunting area? I have co-workers who live in the Parsons, Elkins, Canaan Valley Grafton area. They worked at Etam Satellite Earth Station and now work in the Washington Dc area. Nice fellas.
Thanks again for your great website. I wish you the best.
Rudy Otto of Boonsboro, MD
Eileen E. Mynes of Somerset, TX
We live on MS Coast near a state to state power line where turkey buzzards
have always perched on the high voltage poles..The last three months they
have invaded our back yard, our back porch, our roof, and drag plant
coverings and cloths all over the yard...also messing on porch and
walkways. We don't know how to persuade them to leave and
know it's against the law to shoot them. We've called WRAPS locally but
they don't know what to do. We're tried balloons, tin plates, but those
don't bother them. Do they nest on the ground? Can you help? Thanks.
Dorothy Booth
Killing one or two (with permission) and hanging them from trees will discourage roosting in some cases. intermittent loud noises from a gun or loudspeaker can also work.
Virginia City Trying to Scare Away Vultures Associated Press 12/03/01
Staunton, Va. --
The city is battling about 450 turkey and black vultures that have
congregated on tree branches, staining rooftops, cars, and swing sets, and
fouling the air.Assistant City Manager Jim Halasz appreciates the birds for
their role in clearing animal carcasses, but not when they congregate in
residential neighborhoods."They're a useful bird, but when they're in your
back yard, it's a real detriment to you enjoying your property," Halasz
said. Staunton has contracted with the U.S. Department of Agriculture's
Wildlife Services Division to disperse the roosts beginning Sunday.Black
vultures weigh about 4 pounds with a five-foot wingspan. They prey on
slow-moving game. The slightly larger turkey vultures weigh about 5 pounds
with six-foot wingspans. They are scavengers that feed only on dead
animals.The buzzards migrate from the cooler West Virginia highlands to
Staunton.They are attracted by the tall cedar and pine trees in the city's
northern neighborhoods, said Tom Sliwoski, the city's director of public
works."They roost here at night and go back to the highlands during the
day,"Sliwoski said. "We're trying to deter them from making a home here for
the winter."Virginia is third in the nation for buzzard population, behind
Texas and Florida, said Martin Lowney, the state director of Wildlife
Services.Usually concentrated in northern Virginia, the Shenandoah Valley,
Southwest, and Southside, they pose a menace when they roost in residential
neighborhoods, Lowney said."Part of the problem is just the symbolism of
having 200 vultures in your back yard and flying over your house," said
Lowey, a certified wildlife biologist.The bird's droppings aren't a health
risk. However, the odors are a nuisance, and the stains can cause a good
deal of property damage, Lowney said. "They're pretty big birds and produce
a lot of feces" he said. "When they get scared while their fighting with
each other, they throw up. That just adds to the odor."Starting every day at
sunset, Wildlife Services will try dispersing the roosts with pyrotechnic
noises that resemble M-80 firecrackers and bottlerockets. Workers will also
kill a select number of the birds, which are protected under the Migratory
Bird Act. Federal officials also will hang dead vultures by their feet in
effigy, Sliwoski said.Lowney said a recent study showed that buzzards are
one of the few birds that can't stand the sight of their own dead."By using
the dead vultures as a repellent, we can more easily disperse a vulture
roost because they don't want to sit in trees with their dead comrades," he
said. Workers need permission from landowners to hang the birds on private
property, he added. Staunton public works notified residents about the
anti-buzzard project on Friday. It is expected to last about a week and cost
about $5,000, he said.
I read some of your articles and saw some pictures on your Web Site to make sure I was correct about what I saw.
Jerry from Arlington, Texas
July 13, 2003
I have not visited the tower since 1995 and was quite pleased to see
the new structure. Also equally pleasing was the ten or so people we
passed going up and seeing at the tower. This place is truly a wonder
of nature and I thank you for helping to keep it in such good shape.
Neil Parker from White Sulphur Springs
June 22, 2003
I live and work outside on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. I see many many Buzzards each spring and summer. There is a bird count each year as they cross the straits to Vancouver Island Canada. (18 mile glide). Can you put me in touch with this bird count 'people & program'.
Love the big black beautiful birds. How can I help.
Don C.
Don,
... We are in the eastern United States, so I am afraid I won't be of much help. Here some western sites that may be able to help you.
Golden Gate Raptor Observatory
Where to Bird in Washing State.
Hopefully this will help. Thanks for visiting our site.
June 17, 2003
Hi! I don't live too far from Hanging Rock and love to go there with my dog and hike for the day. She loves it too. I live near Greensboro, NC and we have a pair of bald eagles nesting on the lake and I have had the pleasure of seeing them twice and was awed by their size and beauty and extreme grace. Thanks for having such a great sight for outdoor people like me!
Tracey Albrecht
Artist
May 26, 2003
My friend and I hiked the ALT over Memorial Day Weekend. During day one we came upon the Hanging Rocks Observatory. It was a nice place to sit a spell and watch the birds fly over head. We saw a red hawk and a number of buzzards. Interesting website, love the pictures.
S.Turner from Jax, FL
May 13, 2003
Will turkey buzzards eat cats?
Marguerite Towne
Turkey vultures aren't all that agile. They very rarely kill what they eat. There is no way a turkey vulture could kill a healthy cat, but it wouldn't have any qualms about chowing down on one that is already dead. Thanks for visiting our site.
Re:
Thank you so much for getting back to me, it is not often that people reply. We have at least a dozen of them that live near our Maintenance building, They were on our roof one morning and the Maintenance Cat was hiding under one of the cars, they certainly had their eye on her. Thanks so much for the information.
April 18, 2003
Hi, I live a few miles out of a small town, and was ridding my bike along a country road, not really paying attention to anything but my bike and the ground, when I saw a flurry of movement out of the corner of my eye. I looked up in time to see the white underside of wings and I think a light reddish-brown body. I knew from the sheer size and beauty that it was a raptor, but I'm not sure which one. The bird of course flew far away from me, and I'm not a very good bird identifier. Could you give me a list of raptors that inhabit northern Colorado? I would like to find out what kind of raptor this is by myself, so that next time I see him/her (I saw it fly across the little portion of the South Platte river that is near our house, and land in a tree, and I've seen glimpses of two raptors in the same place so I think this was one of them.) I can say "Oh, its a Male/Female ________ hawk/falcon etc."
-Thanks, from a Raptor lover.
Raptor Lover,
Thanks for visiting our site. The possibilities in your area are:
Swainson's hawk
Red-tailed hawk
Harlan's red-tailed hawk
Ferruginous hawk
Rough-legged hawk
Cooper's hawk
Sharp-shinned hawk
The first group of 5 are buteos. Larger hawks with shorter wider tails. The last two are accipiters. Smaller hawks with long tails. You also have the northern harrier which is almost as large as a buteo but also has a long narrow tail.
Since we are in the eastern U. S. our learning section can only help with the identification of the Cooper's, sharpie, harrier and red-tail. Some of the other species can be found on Virtual Birder
Our links page can also direct you to the sites of a lot of photographers who may have what you are looking for. I hope this helps.
March 15, 2003
Hello Fellow Hawk-watchers and bird enthusiast! My name is Mike
Dransfield and I live in Sweet Springs Valley within site of the
tower. Wednesday, March the 12th while feeding my cattle I noticed a
large bird diving for ducks on our creek. On closer observation I
noticed it had white on the tail, when I looked at it through my
binoculars I could tell it also had white on it's head. It flew in
the field about 20 yards from the creek where I got a very good look
at it unfortunately a bunch of crows dived on it and chased it off
where it flew right by me - it was a bald eagle!!!!!! Today - March
15th - at approx. 5:00 p.m. I saw another large 
bird
coming up the valley it lit in an old locust tree approx. 50 yards
from me and I could tell this ALSO was a BALD EAGLE! Much to my
amazement another one followed - 2 BALD EAGLES!!! The first eagle
flew out of the tree and they started circling above together and
flew over our home where my w! ife was able to capture the attached
photos. This has been and EXCITING WEEK!!!! Enjoy the photos and
HAPPY RAPTOR WATCHING.
Mike & Doris Dransfield
March 10, 2003
Greetings hawkwatchers,
A few of us at the Harvey's Knob Hawkwatch have decided that it would be informative to conduct a coordinated hawkwatch this spring between Harvey's Knob (HK)and the Hanging Rock FT, WVA., (HR) that would produce some data important to each site. We have decided that the third week of April (13 - 20 April) would be the ideal time as this is the best time for Broadwings at our latitude during the spring season.
We believe that we have enough people to cover both sites during this week but we would appreciate any help from the folks that usually man the HR site can provide.
We are well aware of the fact that the spring season does not produce the numbers of the fall season. And, we are well aware of the fact that strong NW winds in the spring have the direct opposite effect of winds in that direction during the fall season. In short, NW winds shut down the spring flights at our latitude.
And, we are well aware of the fact that while SE winds are supposed to prevail during the spring season they do not always do so. But, SE winds do bring the hawks in the highest numbers during the spring.
We have devolved theories as to why these factors during the spring have such opposite effects on the migration as those of the fall season. However, we do not have the plethora of data from the spring season that we have in the fall. Also we do not have any data at all from other sites at or near the latitude of HK. So, we thought that for one season we would try to correct these discrepancies in our research.
We thought it would be fun to not only explore another site but to try to gather some pertinent data at the same time. And also join two birding organizations in a fun project.
This is for your information and an invitation to participate.
Although, there are persons from HK that can cover the HR site and we plan to do so and there just may be enough to cover the HK site simultaneously you are invited to share your hawkwatching expertise in an important data gathering experiment. While the spring hawkwatching season is usually a bummer there are days in the spring that are very interesting. Question is; will we have the good fortune of picking one. If you have some free time from 13 - 20, April, and wish to participate at either Harvey's Knob or Hanging Rock let me know.
Harvey's Knob is on the Blue Ridge Parkway between milepost 94 and 95. It is an overlook (parking lot) that is situated on the west side of the ridge. Since the road travels the crest of the ridge the Harvey's Knob overlook will be on the left if you are travelling south to north and on the right if you are travelling north to south. If you access the Parkway from Buchanan, VA via Rt. 43 you will be north of HK. If you access the Parkway from Rt 460 east of Roanoke you will be south of the HK site.
We may take up the watch at the Montvale Overlook which is 3/4 mile south of the HK site but offers a more affordable view on SE winds. You will be notified if this is the case.
Thanks for your interest and I hope it will be a fun experiment. Some of my hawkwatchers may set out to find your site next weekend and they will be the ones who will guarantee manning the site. They simply like the idea of going somewhere new and they have heard me laud your site many times.
It has been twenty years since I was at your site but I hope to go again. I have always said that if God wanted a mountain to be a hawkwatching site it would be at Hanging Rock.
Dave Holt, Hawkwatcher, Harvey's Knob, VA
March 9, 2003
I live approximately 20 miles southwest of the tower. Just wanted to let you know I've saw three hawks in the area now for two weeks. First got a glimpse of them last Sat. as I walked the dogs. The pair flew down the valley toward Greenville. I've since saw the other one in the valley near the house. Heard him on Thursday but couldn't locate him. Saw him hunting the fields this afternoon.
The tower is one of my favorite places to go. I'm usually up twice a year. I never get tired of it. This is a great site and I recommend it to all my friends. Keep up the good work. I'll keep looking in the sky.
Melissa White
February 15, 2003
Dear staff of Hanging Rock Tower,
Thank you for providing such an excellent and informative web site. We live in Singapore and our daughter (4th grade) chose to study the American Bald Eagle as a class project. Your site was the only one with details on bird identification and habits... and such fabulous pictures! Now my daughter not only knows how to identify a bald eagle, but also its call! Thank you for a fabulous public service to all of us overseas who cannot simply walk out our door to admire our national bird in its natural setting.
Noelle Prince and family
January 10, 2003
We had a nesting pair of merlins in New Brunswick. They had a family of three, they came late April and were here until September. What are the chances of them returning? They nested in a black spruce on our street, very noisy, and were often calling out, eating birds and de feathering them on the power line in our back yard.
Ed Rawlinson
Thanks for visiting our site, and for your comment. There is a good chance your birds will return to your general area, but merlins aren't as faithful to specific nest sites as peregrines. Whether they return to the same tree may depend on the condition of the nest. Falcons don't build their own nests. They will, however, take over those built by crows or hawks and improve them. Merlins also will cavity nest. Keep your fingers crossed and let us know if they return.
December 18, 2002
I'd like to thank you for your web site, which allowed me to identify a Northern Goshawk. I live in Manhattan (that's right NYC) and had the rare opportunity to watch a Northern Goshawk catch and eat a pidgeon. Quite a sight for the middle of the Big Apple.
Jim McLaughlin
November 16, 2002
I got so excited today, I saw a ferruginous hawk for the first time. He s sitting on top of my neighbors tree, and also sits on the tip top of our tall juniper tree. We live in Chico CA, backed up to a school, and the hawk is feeding on things there. As of yet I can not make out what he is getting, but he is gorgeous. We set up the spotting scope, and tried to get pictures. Is it a quirk to see them here? I did not know who else to tell.
Have a wonderful day.
Lu
October 02 2002
I work near the Chesapeake Bay in Edgewood MD and between 5PM and 6 PM over 140 Ospreys were seen flying in a loose flock
Archibald Forman
September 11, 2002
Hello,
I am from Valemount BC in the rocky's , yesterday my 8 year old said he found a hawk tangled in grandmas fence and it is hurt, so I grabbed my gloves and a towel and ran out to assist, what I found was not a hawk but a falcon, but I do not know what kind we have around here or what the age, it is small, which makes me think it is young, we did notice 3 or 4 adult birds around here as they where after the gophers and did in fact clean them out, we had raised a gopher and released it and it was one that got eaten too! Now I have this little falcon , it I think was stunned only and doesn't appear to have any injuries, I did give it a piece of raw pork and it ate it during the night, what do you feed it and general care, should I release it? or keep watch on it for awhile? it is alert and looks healthy. So I am at a loss on this , we have raised a raven and a gopher all successfully, and cutting raw meat for the raven and fruit was a daily thing, and was easy to maintain, should I keep this falcon, he is in the house with us in a cage , with hay at the bottom, I have put in a natural perch( branch off tree) but he preferrers the bottom of the cage. Could you help me with this or send me to a site that can? He has the classic head of a falcon , the eyes, the beak, Yellow around the eye, his wing and back color is dark and 3 light bars on the tail feathers, his belly is mixed dark with tan and sand colors, he has the dark feathers under the eyes that run in a line up and down, like 2 stripes, one under each eye. Also, I have been looking at different sites and it looks Identical to the merlin, but is only about 6 to 8 inches tall.
thanks kindly
looking forward to hearing from you
Cheryl Rondeau
It sounds like the bird is in good hands. And you also, I believe, have made an accurate identification. The care of injured birds is out of my league though. My wife forwarded your e-mail to Wendy Perrone at Three Rivers Avian Center. If she hasn't contacted you. Try e-mailing her directly ( wendy@tracwv.org ) at her site www.tracwv.org
Below is an excerpt from a follow-up e-mail from Cheryl on Sept. 15
The day after I wrote to you, I looked the bird over carefully, for injury (got bite twice) We had him in a cage with a blanket draped over it to keep him calm, I video taped him for a few minutes and at about 5pm that night we decided if he could fly free, then he should be free, if he was injured and couldn't fly, we then would set our heart on keeping him and making the appropriate settings for him and getting him to a vet, when we took him to the place we found him and opened the cage, he went into attack posture(on his back, talons aimed for whoever came closest), I had leather gloves on at this time and scooped him up, much to his dislike and held him to the wind and let go, he took off thru the tree's in full flight and screamed that Falcon scream and then perched on a branch till he got his bearings, and we haven't seen him since. Gosh what a nice bird, his face and eyes, I will never forget him, your site was a wonderful source for the information that I needed, thanks again!
Much Regards
Cheryl Rondeau
May 24, 2002
Hello,
My name is Katie Rider. I am from Grand Rapids, Michigan. I first arrived in West Virginia with a very close friend just to hike. It was my first time hiking and my first time away from home. I was 19 years old at the time. We happened to find a great campsite in Virginia called Steelbridge. One day while camping we met some very nice West Virginians who were willing to show us some sites that would not cost money, because we were on a tight budget. We traveled down Peters Mountain and up to Hanging Rock. When we got over the rocks I was breathless. West Virginia is the most beautiful place in the world. The people we met are still very close friends and we visit West Virginia every year since that first look out at Hanging Rock. Every time I travel there I meet up with my friends, who live in Gap Mills, and the first thing we do is hike up to "Hawks Nest" as they like to call it. Four years have passed since I first laid eyes on West Virginia from Hanging Rock and I still get excited every time I travel away from Michigan to West Virginia. No words could possibly ever express the beauty and peaceful feeling I feel when I am up there. Thank you so much for having a website. I love West Virginia and I will always have a special place in my heart for the most beautiful place on earth! Thank you so very much.
Katie Rider
February 24, 2002
Thank you. This is the best bird web page I have seen for a long time. It get exellence from the pictures of the Hawk where he is flying and especially from his voice which you bring us.
Ragnheiður Haraldsdóttir
February 22, 2002
I have been observing at least 4 bald eagles and maybe 5 on Bluestone Lake. I really think we have a nest in the area. i have been looking for it but have not had any luck yet. I have visted mouth of Indian Creek, Bertha, Bull Falls, Bluestone State Park and Sandstone Falls but can't find a nest. Jeff Hajenga with DNR has been looking at Cedar Branch and Shanklin's Ferry. Most of the activity I have seen has been near the mouth of the Bluestone River. if you guys are down that way and see anything, please let me know. Thanks!
Jim Phillips
December 04, 2001
My husband and I visited the Tower a couple of years ago, having moved nearby. Words cannot express how beautiful the sight is. It is "almost heaven". My health is not to good now but One day soon, I'll be there again.
Mrs. Kevin Pannell
September, 16 2001
We live in Batesville, Arkansas, on a 33 acre tract of land with a l-1/2 to 2 acre pond at the back of our house. For the past week, every morning between 8:00 and 9:00 a.m., an Osprey Hawk comes to our property, sets in a large dead tree that over looks the pond. We have seen him dive for fish several times and catch a fish twice. We are really enjoying watching him and look forward to seeing him every morning. Is it unusual for this bird to be so far inland? Will he likely spend the winter with us?
Darlene Dowell
An osprey will take up residence near any large body of water, but sources list your area as part of its migratory range so it should be moving on through very soon. They are beautiful birds. Enjoy him while you can.
September 3, 2001
I saw a bald eagle at Moncove lake on September 2! I could hardly believe my eyes! Question: I wonder why he wasn't sited at Peters' Mountain?
Lois Hayslett
It is a question of being in the right place at the right time. There was a note on one of the old count sheets about over 4000 broad-wings being sighted on Arnold's Knob (6 miles away) when Hanging Rock recorded around 1000.
August 29, 2001
Thanks for a beautiful website! Hope to see everyone in Sept.
Richard Legg
August 18, 2001
Hey Jerry,
I guess you haven't heard anything from the bird records committee either. I contacted Jay Buckelew, one of the committee members this past week. They met back in February but didn't let us know the outcome of the vote. Our sighting puts the bird on the hypothetical list for the state. According to George Hall in "WV Birds", this means that the species was reported correctly but did not meet the criteria for acceptance on the list. The fact that none of us had any experience with the species would account for the decision. Also, apparently our date was early for a wild gyrfalcon. We may still receive an official letter.
Do you think this message will be seen by the other gyr spotters? If not, let me know and I will see if I still have their addresses and contact them.
Thanks.
Jim Phillips
August 8, 2001
The S.S. Hanging Rock was a T-2 - SE - A1 Tanker built by the Maritime Commission during World War II. I would appreciate any information you might have concerning this Vessel, as I servev aboard her in 1946 just after she was renamed the S.S. Petrolite. I have little doubt that she was named after Hanging Rock State Park, as most of those T-2's were named after state parks,monuments, or battle sights within the continental U.S. Any Information you might have would be greatly appreciated, Builder, Launching date, etc.
Thank You,
Andrew Messana
45 Pincushion Rd.
Framingham, MA 01701-5622
I don't have any information on the S. S. Hanging Rock, but it is interesting to know one existed. Anyone with any details can contact Andrew by mail or email them to the site and they will be forwarded.
August 3, 2001
Do kestrels fight to the death?
Here is the reason I ask.Recently I spent a day in a remote shrub steppe area of central Washington state trying to video local wildlife. I saw two American Kestrels occasionally flying back and forth in front of me; sometimes landing on sage bushes 50-100 yards away. A day earlier I had seen a pair trying to coax two fledglings from a nest not far away. About mid day I noticed two kestrels ( both might have been males but in retrospect I can't be sure) engaged in a very serious aerial confrontation about 100-200 yards away. The action ended when the pair flew below sage brush level and disappeared from view. Unfortunately it happened so fast I could not record the activity on tape. At this point other activities in the area distracted me and I forgot about the Kestrels. A few hours later as I walked through the area where the Kestrels had vanished I found one male dead. The body was surrounded by an area about two feet across covered with small gray and tan feathers. Insects had not yet arrived at the body which was still limp. The head, tail, wings, legs, and underside all appeared unharmed with all feathers intact. There was a 2-3 inch long by 1/2 inch wide open wound down the middle of the back with most of the feathers around that area missing. The wound look like it had been picked open. I am positive that no other raptor visited the area anytime while I was there. The back wound didn't look like anything a coyote would do. I am curious if kestrels sometimes fight to the death.
Gaylord Mink
I assume, as with any territorial animal, death can occur in disputes. I invite anyone who has any detailed information on the subject to please contact us and it will be posted as a response to this account.
March 21, 2001
Hi, my name is Brian Wallace. I attend R.I.T. and live in Rochester New York. I am currently working with RG&E and the NYS DEC on an Osprey nesting pole project along the southern shore of lake ontario. I was wondering if you know what the current progress of the Osprey migration is. Do you know when they might reach Braddock Bay? IS there someone you can refer me too? Thank you for your time and any information you can send.
Brian Wallace
The Spring migration season is from April 1 to May 15. When exactly your birds arrive is dependant on climate and weather patterns Ospreys basically are found worldwide. Our north american ospreys breed from Alaska to Nova Scotia south to the Great Lakes states and along both coasts of the United States. Florida, the Gulf coast and up the east coast to the Carolinas have year round resident populations. Wintering Ospreys on this side of the Atlantic are found through Mexico, Central America, and South America into southern Chile and Argentina. There are also isolated areas where ospreys breed throughout the east. The following link will give you some density maps from the BBC (Spring Breeding Bird Count) and the CBC (Christmas Bird Count). http://www.mbr-pwrc.usgs.gov/id/framlst/i3640id.html
January 25, 2001
Hello, I am writing to you with the hope that you will be able to give me some feedback regarding a Golden. I am an Asst Supervisor at the Wildlife Center at the SPCA of Monterey County. We currently are rehabing a Golden Eagle with a broken wing. We have only had one other golden in our facility. We have some questions about their behavior in captivity. Could you let us know anything that you know about this subject? It would be greatly appreciated.
~Traci - Monterey County, California
I don't know enough about their rehabilitation to be of much assistance, but I know the perfect people to ask. Ron and Wendy Perrone run Three Rivers Avian Center and rehabilitate many raptors. I am sure they can provide you with valuable information on the subject.
November 5, 2000
Take a look at the page titled "The Places" it features Hanging Rock, It would not have been here if it wasn't for you folks! (Appalachian Eyes Net Magazine)
David M. White
October 3, 2000
I am the owner of Gary Bert's place just below the tower. Having visited the tower many times and assisted forestry personnel hauling lumber to rebuild after the fire, I find it appaling the total disrespect of younger people who continually deface and destroy what could be a treasure. Was told a young man who lives in Zenith related the three punks who burned the tower did so to get back at authorities for burning their marijuana. Understand these punks were released. Is there no justice?
Wes
September 29, 2000
I hope this story will be of interest to hawk watchers everywhere:
I stepped onto my front porch yesterday after work around 5:30 (EDT).Hearing a familiar biplane flying, I looked up to catch a glimpse of it and saw a couple of hawks soaring over the neighborhood. I assumed they were local Redtaileds. Within seconds six others flew straight into the thermal and kettled right over my house. At this point I stormed into the house to get my binoculars. Back outside, the birds continued to kettle and drift. I identified them as broadwingeds by the broad tail band. As I was looking through the binoculars at the 8 birds, I began to see specks behind them in the field of view. On closer inspection these specks turned out to be hawks also. I scanned the sky and saw hawks everywhere - gliding to the southwest with a purpose! Finding what I thought to be the lead bird, I began counting backwards along the line, but soon gave up counting. There had to be 200 birds! They were flying at such an altitude as to make them invisible to the naked eye. The sky was deep blue as we've been dominated by high pressure the past few days...not a cloud in sight. I used a compass to estimate their heading at 250 degrees WSW. A bearing of 250 degrees from Woodstock, GA roughly leads to Houston, TX. Coincidence?
If a migrating hawk flew east of the Blue Ridge and the high mountains of eastern NC, skirting the mts of western SC and north Georgia before turning southwest, he would be free to make a bee line to TX when he arrived around Toccoa, GA. A line from Toccoa to Houston would cross north of Atlanta in my vicinity. What did I see? Evidence of a southern flyway? Or just a fluke flock of migrating broadwingeds?
I was thrilled! And I'll keep my eyes peeled on the sky more diligently from now on.
Eric S. Jones - Marietta, GA
September 27, 2000
Hello all,
This was year number 26 that I've hiked to the tower to watch
the hawks. I generally show up for only one day of observation- but
do it every year. Every time I looked forward to seeing George again
and yakking about our lives, and the hike up, and how many birds
would be flying today. Last year George couldn't make it, and this
year he was gone. George Hurley and Polly Ballowe taught me
everything I know about the joy of watching hawks, and I cherish
that. George always said that the biggest flights happened on or
immediately about the 20th of September, so his timing was pretty
good. "Omigosh, the sky's full of 'em!" Thanks George.
Kevin Black
September 26, 2000
Dear Friends,
I know some of you well and others I only have heard George speak of. I am overwhelmed by all of your thoughts and comments about George. He was truly devoted to all of you, the hawks and Peter's Mountain. This summer before he was so ill, I had thought of contacting the forest service to see if he could be flown to the tower just one more time. It was impossible for him to walk up any longer. However, God's time and mine just didn't coordinate. I took him to the Sods twice this spring and he was able to sit on a rock and look at another place he loved dearly. His last evening I was able to share with him e-mails that Cindy sent me from some of you. Hospice told me the last sense to go is hearing. I know, he knew, that he was loved by the people with whom he spent hours and hours doing what he loved to do the best. Thank you for your care and the beautiful flowers from the folks at the tower.
Sincerely,
Anne Hurley
September 12, 2000
East River had 3 bald eagles last week! I saw 1 adult and 2 immature bald eagles last Friday at the mouth of the Bluestone River. This morning (9/12/00), I saw an adult bald eagle, 3 ospreys, 25 turkey vultures and 19 black vultures also at the mouth of Bluestone River.
Jim Phillips - Pipestem, WV
August 28, 2000
It's great to see this site, and some familiar names! I've missed the count days for the past several years, stuck down here in Georgia, but I hope to be there this September for a couple of days. I need to introduce my wife, Rebecca, to the hawk spectacle. (Last year, Sept. 18, we were on Lake Jocassee, SC and counted around 15 Monarchs over water, for you butterfly counters. I was on Peters Mt. in my mind.) "Hey" to Jim Phillips. Please arrange for a couple of bald eagles to fly by on September 22.
Eric Jones, Woodstock, GA (former Talcott, WV resident)
August 13, 2000
Within the past two months I have observed a group of beautifully distinct birds that are very active in late afternoon/early evening. They screech and call out to each other while flying above or sitting in the tops of trees. Your web site and great photos confirmed my Osprey identification. I live on Whidbey Island in Washington (N.W.) where we are so lucky to have many wonderful birds. Had a large number of Bald Eagles in the spring/early summer but they seem to have moved on.
Beth - Whidbey Island, Washington
July 25, 2000
Hello, Rodney. This is my first visit to your web site. It is great! Becky (your sister) and I are planning a trip to the bird site. Looks like fun! I can hardly wait to count the birds as they fly by. Hope to see you and Jerry there. See you soon.
Kim Jordan - Hinton, West Virginia
July 22, 2000
Hello,
We use to live right below Peters Mt. on Crowder Road in Gap Mills..
We lived there in 1975 to 1980. What a great place to live. We would
go up on the Mt. to watch for hawks each year in the fall. Went back
for a good many years after we had to move. You have a very nice
site. Love looking at all the pictures. Thank You.
Kim Minor
June 28, 2000
Hi,
I just found out that my relative, John B. Aleshire was killed at the
battle of Hanging Rock, near WINCHESTER. I wondered if your Hanging
Rock is the same... Thanks so much. I love the pictures...
Best regards,
Mary Ann Sharp in Okla.
The Hanging Rock on the website is in southern West Virginia. Winchester is in northern Virginia. Thanks for visiting the site.
May 30, 2000
I was on a canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area in northern Minnesota last week and witnessed an attack on an eagle by an unknown bird. The attack occurred at a relatively high altitude. The attacking bird, which whacked the eagle in mid-flight and chased him off a nest presumably, was about half the size of the eagle. Initially, I assumed it must have been a hawk, but the hawks I saw around there were bigger than the bird that attacked the eagle. Can you think of what type of bird might have been so bold to attack an eagle, which seemed to have been patrolling that area for days before the attack?
John Erickson
Any bird will protect its nesting area, even against an eagle. I recently saw a mockingbird holding its own against a red-shouldered hawk. By your description of the size of the attacking bird, it could have been a smaller hawk, like a sharpie or Cooper's hawk. It could have been a crow or raven. The smaller bird will always stay above the raptor, where its greater agility will keep it out of harm's way.
May 3, 2000
You need a picture of George Hurley!
Jim and Judy Phillips - Pipestem, West Virginia
You are right. It wouldn't be complete without "The Old Man from the Mountain".
February 13, 2000
Hey! It's about time you got on-line!! You have a great looking site. I plan to visit your site quite often. Keep up the good work!
Rebecca Wheeler - Forest Hill, West Virginia
February 13, 2000
The trip up this mountain is truly worth the climb. I saw my first Bald Eagle flying right by me - a sight I'll remember always.
Carol Davis - Hinton, West Virginia