We noticed the first turkey vultures migrating a few weeks ago. Today, we notice a stray hawk or two, then the sky suddenly blossoms with kettles of circling birds, rising on thermals to gain enough altitude to glide to the next thermal and repeat. Hardly a wingbeat required as they migrate hundreds of miles, thousands altogether, from north to south in the fall.
Mostly swainson’s hawks at first, then broad-winged hawks and the occasional turkey vulture. I zoom in to try to get a better look at the birds.
In the morning light, they’re mostly just silhouettes. As the closest kettle drifts off, more appear in the distance.
The hundreds turn into thousands. I take more pictures. Even though they are different birds, they all look about the same.
We may get the same show again tomorrow, or we may not see a single hawk. Never know.
Range maps.
Turkey vulture
The orange is summer only. The purple is year-round.
Broad-winged hawk.
The blue color is for winter only.
Swainson’s hawks are the long-distance migration champions. They migrate as much as 6,000 miles from their northern range to their wintering grounds in South America.
