Meet the 2026 Crew: Corpus Christi HawkWatch

Libby Even was hooked on hawk migration the day she saw 100,000 birds migrate past the Corpus Christi HawkWatch in 1999. Like many, she kept coming back year after year, making memories and lifelong friends. Along with her late husband, Dane Ferrell, Libby counted at and served as the local coordinator of the site since 2006. Libby recently moved out to the country and is enjoying removing invasive flora and planting native Texas wildflowers and grasses. When not hawkwatching, Libby loves to travel internationally to new birding destinations. She hopes her travels will allow her to visit again with her favorite raptor—the Harpy Eagle.

This is Nathaniel’s third season with HawkWatch International, having spent the previous fall at the Corpus Christi HawkWatch and the spring at the Tubac HawkWatch. As an avid birder, he quickly fell in love with hawkwatching and hasn’t looked back since! The community, as much as the birds, has been a joy to experience. Corpus Christi is an amazing place with great birds to see, keeping Nathaniel busy when not at the watch. He is hoping for a Rough-legged Hawk this year, his favorite raptor and a species he did not see in Corpus last fall.

Charlie grew up in Texas and moved to South Florida at a young age. He graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, Florida. Shortly after, he started conducting avian point count surveys in the Northern Great Plains, volunteering at the Florida Keys Hawkwatch, counting at Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch this past spring, and is now super excited for the season at Corpus Christi HawkWatch. Charlie is most excited to count the masses of Broad-winged Hawks. He enjoys disc golf, herping, and movies. Charlie’s favorite raptor is the Turkey Vulture.

Originally from southeast Florida, Delaney earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Florida studying Wildlife Ecology and Conservation. Since graduating, she has worked on a number of avian monitoring projects, including migration counts and nesting surveys for Spotted Owls, Flammulated Owls, and Snail Kites. Delaney also spent this past spring at the Gunsight Mountain HawkWatch. She is most excited to bear witness to the sheer volume of migrating birds that pass through Corpus, in particular the Mississippi Kites! When not behind a pair of binoculars, Delaney enjoys reading, paddleboarding, and spending time outdoors in any shape or form. Her favorite diurnal raptor is the Northern Harrier, and she cannot wait to watch their adventures southward this migration season!

Connor grew up in the mountains of West Virginia, where he fell in love with wildlife and being outdoors. After graduating from the University of Virginia, Connor spent two years as an AmeriCorps service member and environmental educator in Northwest Florida. His favorite class to teach was the birdwatching class he developed, as he loves introducing new people to birding. When not engaging with his students, he also made connections with many incredible local conservation organizations and loves learning about the various ecological initiatives in his community. As an avid birder, he is most excited for the opportunity to learn bird banding and meet new people this season. When he isn’t birding, Connor enjoys hiking, board games, trivia night, and going to local coffee shops. His favorite raptor is the Swallow-tailed Kite.