 |
| Broad-winged Hawk Photo courtesy of Steve Nanz Photography |
With the holiday season in full swing, many families will be hitting the highway and embarking on family visits and I’d like to point out the unique opportunity for birding that presents
itself during major highway/interstate/parkway travel. This is a great time to be on the lookout for
raptors (birds of prey including hawks & falcons) which can often be seen
perched on power lines, telephone poles, fence posts, or in large, leaf-less trees this time
of year.
I would venture to say that most people are unaware that this is a
great chance to make sightings of a very interesting group of birds. On a recent trip on the Western Kentucky Parkway I spotted a handful of raptors including Red-tailed Hawks, American Kestrels, and even a Great-horned Owl perched on an exit sign at dusk. You may have to train yourself to scan your
surroundings for likely “hot spots” (grassy medians, treetops, power lines,
fence rows, etc.) in order to begin making sightings but these birds are
certainly there to be seen - if you are looking.
Next time you find yourself traveling along a major highway,
interstate, or parkway, let your eyes (safely!) wander and you might be
surprised at what you see. Up for a challenge? See how many
different birds you can spot during your travels throughout
Kentucky. For a complete list of
Kentucky's bird species, including birds of prey, click
HERE
