HAWKS HITCHING A RIDE
By Phil Gaines
There are few views in South Carolina, or anywhere else for that matter, that compare to the view across the Dismal, a dense, mature hardwood forest beneath Caesars Head State Park, towards the back side of Table Rock Mountain. Regardless of the time of year, the view is spectacular in the spring with a fresh blanket of green to the winter where evergreen trees provide an accent of color to the bare branches of the hardwoods. The blue sky above seems to get brighter as the temperatures get colder.
The landscape really puts on a show during the fall season. Yes, there is the familiar view of the red, yellow and orange leaf colors that define autumn in the Blue Ridge Mountains. This time of year there is also a view above the trees in the sky that you don’t want to miss. The brilliant blue suddenly changes like the brewing of a thunderhead before a summer storm. The sky turns dark, but it’s not clouds, its hawks!
Hundreds of birds of prey pass by Caesars Head each year during the hawk migration that is one of nature’s most spectacular events. Caesars Head State Park, located along the Appalachian Flyway, provides a unique viewing platform to watch the thousands of hawks as they migrate south to warmer climates for the winter. Migration begins in August and continues until early December with peak flights mid-to-late September. Over 1270 hawks were just observed on September 18th this year. The majority of the count consists of Broad-Winged hawks, however, several other species including Bald Eagles, American kestrels, Mississippi kites, merlins, and Peregrine falcons, plus turkey vultures and black vultures, are also seen. Keep your eyes to the sky and bring a pair of binoculars! You’ll get the beautiful fall colors and spectacular views, and if you time it right, you’ll also get hundreds of raptors “hitching a ride”.