Florida Keys Hawkwatch

By Jim Eager


Come join us for the 13th fall migration season of the Florida Keys Hawkwatch (FKH) September 15 -November 13, 2012.  The site is at Curry Hammock State Pk on Little Crawl Key at mile marker 56.5 on the Overseas Hwy.  This location is about 6 miles north of Marathon in the Middle Keys.  This is the only full-scale hawkwatch in the southeast and the southernmost site in the U.S.  You will have the opportunity to observe 14 species of raptors.  In addition, this is the #1 site in North America and the #2 site in the world to observe migrating Peregrine Falcons.  The FKH also holds the single day world record with 638 on October 11, 2008.

There are campsites at Curry Hammock as well as local motels.  The White Sands Inn (WSI), 305-743-5285 (www.whitesandsinn.com), the official inn of the FKH, is located 1½ miles north of the hawkwatch on Grassy Key.  Located on the Atlantic Ocean with a pool and free wi-fi the WSI is offering to volunteers and visitors rooms at $70.00 per night based on availability.  When making reservations mention you are there for the FKH and you will receive the $70.00 rate

We look forward to folks visiting and hanging out with us and our volunteers and hopefully learn what it’s like to spend the day counting migrating raptors.  Counting is 7 days a week from 9:00am – 4:00pm and 8:00am – 3:00pm when we come off of daylight savings time.