Sharp-shinned Hawk

Sharp-shinned Hawk
Sharp-shinned Hawk, by Steve Thornhill

Tuesday, October 3, 2017

Hello from the 2017 Hawkwatch Educator

Hello, my name is Katie Garst. I am the 2017 Hawkwatch Educator with Coastal Virginia Wildlife Observatory. I am from Maryland, and I graduated from college this spring with a degree in Wildlife and Fisheries. I will be on and around the hawkwatch platform at Kiptopeke State Park this season to answer visitors' questions about the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch and hawk migration. I am looking forward to meeting the volunteers and visitors who make this hawkwatch a wonderful experience for hawkwatch experts and novices alike. Please stop by the hawkwatch platform to watch for migrating raptors and say hello!

On October 1st, the Kiptopeke Hawkwatch added a new species to the list of bird species observed during the hawkwatch.  A Roseate Spoonbill was seen flying past the hawkwatch platform by twelve observers!  Unfortunately, no one was able to get any photos of this pink bird that is usually found much farther south than Virginia.

-Katie