Text and photos by Phil Kavouriaris

Several weeks into the season and we have some interesting tidbits to share with you.  We trapped and banded our first (of many, hopefully) Golden Eagle of the season last week!  We’ve included a few pictures of this gorgeous juvenile male below.  The early season numbers of Golden Eagles at observation as well as this capture certainly bode well for the rest of the season.  Other sightings at obs include our first Broad-Winged hawks of the season, our first juvenile Northern Goshawk, several Merlins (including the rare Prairie subspecies), a couple of Prairie Falcons and our second Zone-Tailed Hawk of the season!  We were fortunate enough to get some great views of these uncommon migrants at observation and in our trapping blinds.  Additionally, we recently had the pleasure of entertaining our favorite Los Alamos biologists, Chuck and Brent, as well as the songbird banding crew from Bandelier National Monument, all of whom lent us a hand at observation for a weekend.  And as always, we continue to enjoy the generosity of our volunteers, who continue to provide us with delicious treats, conversation and an extra set of eyes.  We continue to enjoy the company of visitors from across the country, from Albuquerque to New York and places in between.  It’s so rewarding to be able to share our HawkWatch experience with people from such diverse backgrounds, from families with curious children, to college students, to birder hobbyists.  Join us as we gear up for what promises to be an exciting time as we approach peak migration in the Manzanos.