Few days left to catch birds’ eye view of migrating hawks

ALAMO ¬— A 40-foot aluminum tower that could force the most ardent of indoor enthusiasts to fall in love with nature.

And if you climb the spiral staircase at the right time of day during the next week, you might even gain a basic appreciation for hawks.

The Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge opened the hawk watch tower at the end of last year to help its employees observe and manage the roughly 2,000 acres and provide a panoramic view of the Rio Grande Valley to the public.

The Broadwing Hawk migration from the northeastern United States, through the Valley to South America, peaks around Sept. 29, according to Mike Carlo, a refuge park ranger. The birds are roughly 15 inches tall and weigh slightly more than one pound.

For the next few days, visitors could catch the tail end of the raptors’ migration into the refuge for the night between 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. and leave the following morning between 8:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.

“It’s like a super freeway at night watching all the birds come in,” Carlo said. “It looks like an angry swarm of bees” in the distance.

If you miss the hawks stopping through, Carlo said that dragonflies, butterflies and insects will start to fly by within the next week. He said they can be spotted during most days. He also said one hour after sunrise and one hour before sunset is the “changing of the guards” for the birds, when the night birds leave and the day birds come.

Visitors can stop at various levels along the staircase to watch insects and birds in their natural habitat. Once at the top, watchers can look down into the tree canopies surrounding them to observe birds — both common and rarer subtropical species — swoop into the vegetation for rest or food.

Carlo said the refuge is home to common birds, such as the swallows, and more rare and colorful types like the Green Jay.

The tower sits roughly 1/3 of a mile from the refuge office. The refuge is open from sunrise to sunset.

For more information, call (956) 784-7500 or visit www.fws.gov/southwest/refuges/texas/santana.html.

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Jackie Leatherman covers Hidalgo County and general assignments at The Monitor. She can be reached at (956) 683-4424.