Hawk Watch
-The following first appeared in The Floyd Press on Thursday, September 27, 2018. A Fall Migration Hawk Watch, promoted by Blue Ridge Heritage, took place at the summit of the Buffalo Mountain Natural Area Preserve on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Pictured is a couple who came from Greensboro to participate in the watch.
Professional naturalist Eric Harrold was on hand to help with bird identification. Harrold reported that he counted 2,675 broad-winged hawks on Thursday. “We know the window but just don’t know for any given site if it’s going to be a high siting day,” he said.
Trail hikers came and went on Saturday. A couple from the Roanoke Valley chapter of Virginia Master Naturalists kept a tally of the birds spotted. The list in the first few hours of Saturday’s watch included 34 broad-winged hawks, a couple of osprey and one bald eagle.
The weather was perfect for the hike to Floyd County’s highest peak (3,971), which provided a 360-degree view. Black vultures and turkey vultures were frequently spotted soaring. – Colleen Redman