Joann Merritt's Essays

The Rapturous Raptors
February, 2000

In past years the Bizilos led Midnats on Winter Hawk trips to the Parks Ranch which is located southeast of the Texas Instruments plant. After we no longer had permission to enter this private ranch we continued our hawk finding trips on FM 1788. However, FM 1788 is a public road where traffic, as well as thorns in the ditches, can present problems. Seeing the many raptors in that same general area this winter reminded me of these fun trips where in addition to hawks we also looked for Horned Larks, winter sparrows, Longspurs and Sprague’s Pipits.

January 29th was a day when my spirits soared right up there with the raptors. That Saturday afternoon Don & I decided to look for the blue phase Snow Goose that Him Henderson had reported at TI Pond and as we were traveling west on the south access road of I-20 we spotted a hawk. Its “jizz” caused us to quickly identify it as a Red-tail but subsequent looks revealed a solid, not spotted, belly band and no dark patagial bar on the wings. It also had a white rump and white tail edged with a dark band. I was certain enough of my observations that I added a Rough-legged Hawk to my personal bird list for the year 2000.

In describing the Rough-legged Hawk John K. Terres states “as it wheels in flight white rump and white at base of tail may be very prominent” - and it was! The National Geographic guide says “white tail with dark band or bands identifies this hawk in all plumages” and also “seen in flight from above white at base of tail is conspicuous”. The bird I saw closely resembles the illustration of a Rough-legged Hawk on page 193 of Peterson’s Western Field Guide, although the white tail wasn’t that obvious until seen from above. Whatever this hawk species might have been, it definitely was a beauty-o!

On FM 1788 we were treated to an aerial exhibition by a Prairie Falcon who gracefully performed climbs and swoops before alighting on a roadside pole. The expression “poetry in motion” was evidenced by the falcon’s form and action and I not only saw poetry in motion but beauty in motion as well.

Our next raptor-ous experience began when we found a Golden Eagle who decorated his perch on a power pole like a giant filial. It was a magnificent sight. He then launched himself into the air with a few beats of his powerful wings, flying low enough that we could appreciate his size and beauty before he began circling higher and higher, floating heavenward like a hang-glider on large flat wings. The eagle appeared to be “winding his string” tighter and tighter as he spiraled ever upward, perhaps to then release his spring when needed to power dive while capturing prey. High in the sky some unidentified upstart hawk behaved like a pesky mosquito by diving at the eagle a few times before they both gradually disappeared into the hazy western skies.

We followed Monahans Draw along county roads 1270 South and 170 East and by day’s end we had also seen a Kestrel, two Cooper’s Hawks, several Red-tails, including a dark phase Harlan’s, and both the male and female Northern Harriers. We missed Ferruginous Hawks but found two of these large buteos the next day, while Harris’ Hawks could not be found either day.

It was a great day for raptors. It was a great day for an enraptured Midnat.