OCR Text |
Show 14 Hilltop Times Sept. 30, 1993 Hill, BLM officials watch hawk migration over training range by Jay Joersz 15" - 1- - sL--- Hilltop Times staff A close-u-p glimpse of migrating raptors (hawks, eagles, falcons and other birds of prey) is a wondrous and impressive sight to most people, unless you're a pilot. Birds and aircraft don't get along. This is no secret and not a recent revelation, especially to the Air Force. Last week, Hill AFB officials flew out to get a bird's-ey- e glimpse of the hawks to see just how big a concern the annual migration of the birds is for military pilots flying over the Utah Test and Training Range. ij I fWl . w - Although members of HawkWatch ' International have been observing the ' routes for years, this is the first year Air Force officials in charge of flying Hawks (upper left) like this one mhave personally gone to the UTTR to igrate over rough, arid terrain at the observe However, that does Utah Test and Training Range (top). not mean Air Force officials have not Hawks are caught, measured, bandkept their feathered friends in mind ed and released to continue their when planning flights over the range. flight south. Sant said they have had a computerized model which was designed from minutes, just long enough to gather data gathered, by biologists from some data about each bird such as 1984-8He explained that when pilots weight, wing span, length of talons n a flight, they punch all neces- and age. After they put a metal ideninto a computer, such as ele- tification band on the leg of the hawk, data sary vation and proposed flight routes. the bird is sent on its way. The band After that, a map of northern Utah air- helps the organization track the birds space appears on the screen showing from year to year to gather informathe hot spots' for bird strikes. The pi- tion such as where the migratory birds lot then makes any necessary changes are living and if they ..are getting to the flight plan. enough food. HawkWatch International staff and . So far this year, the workers have many volunteers live on the side of the counted 5,000 hawks and banded mountain during the prime hawk around 1,800. The birds are headed for the warmmigration period, from Aug. 15 to yet." One of the prime sources of informatwo November. have They early goals er climates for the winter, such as tion about the migratory traits and in mind: first, they try to catch as Mexico and South America. They fly routes is an organization called many of the birds as they can, and sec- 'over mountain ranges because the whose members ond, to count every hawk they see. weather conditions, especially upliftInternational, have been at the range banding and When they catch the birds, they noring currents, over mountains are much better for gliding than over the salt tracking the birds for about 14 years. mally only keep them for about 0 Looking at numbers gathered last year of the migrating hawks over the their concern is a 20,000 range real one. But even with the large number of the birds of prey, or raptors, in the area, pilots flying at the range have managed' to steer clear of their feathered partners in the sky. The most likely reason there has not been a mishap is that the birds normally fly at an elevation of 9,000 feet, while the military pilots usually fly at altitudes of around 500 to 1,000 feet at UTTR, according to. Murray Sant, wildlife biologist with Hill's Environmental Management Directorate. Sant was at the range Sept. 22 to witness the migratory hawk's traits first-han"It is important to keep track of where they are flying," he said. "With the number of birds flying around some of our major flight routes, it's amazing we haven't had a bird strike -- first-han- An V r V' .it d. 9. pre-pla- Photos by Joy Joecsc d. Hawk-Watc- h 15-3- and mud flats and the Great Salt Lake! There is also more food available for them in the mountain areas than in the desolate flat areas. ''. The HawkWatch project at the range is the largest raptor banding project in the world. Although some people band the birds in the Eastern United States, it is not in a remote mountainous location where they can count and band to the magnitude they do at Utah's range. Toana Vista Golf 8319 Pueblo Blvd. Wendover, Nevada 89883 tv cr illiOlini Has someone gone crazy? Whoever heard of a Brunch on Saturday? Well, wait a minute! If you're getting tired of the same old thing, maybe Brunch on Saturday does sound like a good idea! In between chores, before the game, or when the weather ruins your plans for the weekend, why not relax and enjoy Chef Bennett $ famous culinary delights? Yes! Lets do Brunch this Saturday at the Pavilion Restaurant in the Best Western Ogden Park Hotel from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Adults Children (5-1- 2) - $7.95, Senior Citizens - $5.95 -$- ' . 4.95, Children (under 5) -- Free Call 627-119- . 0 Pavilion 'rnr LLLL Restaurant Ogdcn'$ Full Service Hotel OGDENG&HOT E I THE BEST Cs WEATHER IN THE NORTHERN" UTAH AREA. CAUG YOUR PAV0RITB HOTEI, G CASINO TOR A GOLF PACKAGE NOW!! STATE LINE NEVADA CROSSING HOTEL 6? CASINO HOTEL 6? CASINO SILVER SMITH PEPPERMILL HOTEL & CASINO HOTEL & CASINO . For additional information call: 24724ihStrcct 800-852-433- 0 |