GCBO's Hawk Happening

On Saturday, October 11, The Gulf Coast Bird Observatory and Hawkwatch International will hold a “Hawk Happening” at the GCBO hawk tower on the Candy Abshier Wildlife Management Area at Smith Point, on the eastern shore of Galveston Bay.  Join us from 9:00 to 4:00 for this free event.

	Meet the field staff from HWI and GCBO staff that operate the count
	Observe bird banding demonstrations and meet GCBO’s banding team (morning only)
	Learn about the southward migration of millions of raptors, one of the great spectacles of the natural world
	Pick up tips on locating and identifying the 20+ species of raptors that pass through Smith Point each fall.
	Learn about the role weather plays in hawk migration at Smith Point and how and why weather conditions are recorded and entered in the database along with the hawk information
	Meet Mike Neal from Hawk Watch International who will present HWI’s new citizen science initiative
	Visit the Nature Store for hawk identification books and materials

To reach Smith Point from Houston, drive east on I-10 past Baytown.  Exit at Hwy 61 and drive south. After about 4 miles Hwy 61 changes number to FM 562. Continue south on 562 to Smith Point, staying right at a Y intersection with FM 1985. Upon arrival in Smith Point you will pass a small store/gas station on the right. Continue straight about one mile. Just past an intersection with Hawkin’s Camp Road, which goes to the Spoonbill RV Park and Lodge, there will be a paved entrance road on the left, which is marked with a sign to the hawk watch. The entrance leads into a large parking area at the hawk tower.