More hawks

Thursday evening we were invited to attend the Santa Ana volunteer recognition banquet.

There were about 80 volunteers, the parks all have this program and it is the volunteers that make our park system run, they work in the visitor center, give the walks, the talks, water the plants, trim the paths and keep the parks clean etc.

The banquet was potluck but the park furnished the meat with was BBQ Nilgai and wild pig taken from the refuge system.

The volunteers were honored with certificates and gifts according to their hours served.

This is Gene Wilhelm our hawk watch leader who has put in more than 6000 volunteer hours, he is honoring us his hawk watch volunteers. Ken and I received certificates for our 50 hours of time and a pin. They had door prizes too, lots of them and I won a set of butterfly note cards.On the road called Military Highway near the refuge we spotted 10 Swainson hawks sitting in this sod farm. We have learned many birds like sod farms especially after a fresh cut and watering.
Yesterday on the way home from the hawk watch also off of Military Hwy we got to witness our first cane burn being started, we've always seen the smoke in the fields but have never reached the field in time for the burn as it goes fast.
You can see the tractor starting the fire in this pic.

We also have learned many hawks can be found at the burns, we did see one at this burn amazingly flying in while it was still burning, guess they like their meats BBQ'd too.



More later, we have a wiener roast tonight with our friends from the RV park the last of the season as many are leaving next week, we may too.
Have a nice weekend!!!