Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 05, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 6 8 8 Bald Eagle 0 0 0 Northern Harrier 2 3 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 14 21 21 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 3 3 3 Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 0 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 4 4 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown 0 0 0 Total: 26 40 40 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Bob Hall-Brooks Observers: Visitors: My sincerest thanks to the visitors who joined me in baking on the Tower today. Four from California, one from the Netherlands, two from Pontiac, Michigan, and two from Milton, Ontario made my day more enjoyable in the sharing of bird lore and knowledge. Weather: Fog, clearing to hazy by 9:00 a.m. EST. Very light winds from NNE changed to SE shortly after the fog lifted. Temperatures ranged from 21 to 33 degrees Celsius. Barometric pressure started and ended at 30.14 inches Hg. Observations: After three bird-less hours, the day started with a low flying Broad-winged Hawk low over the Turtle Pond. Six Osprey, two Northern Harriers, fourteen Sharp-shinned Hawks, three Broad-winged Hawks and one American Kestrel migrated today. Resident Bald Eagles were seen on five occasions throughout the day and local Turkey Vultures were seen to the north late in the day. Marsh birds included 9 Pied-billed Grebes, 5 Common Moorhen (including one juvenile), 2 American Coot, 5 Blue-winged Teal, 3 Pintail, 1 American Widgeon, 5 Black-crowned Night Herons along with the usual assortment of Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Double-crested Cormorant and Mallard Duck. In the passerine migration, 33 Cedar Waxwing, along with Barn and Tree Swallows and Purple Martins were moving as well as some warblers. Dragonflies included Green Darner, 12-spotted Skimmers, Black Saddlebags, Widow Skimmer, Swamp Darner, and Eastern Pondhawk, a great prelude to Paul Pratt's dragonfly walk next weekend. Several Monarch butterflies were also spotted. Predictions: Monday is Labour Day in Canada, a holiday. Weather forecast is good. See you on the Tower. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Bob Hall-Brooks ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Information on southern Ontario's hawk migration and the Holiday Beach Conservation Area site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Southwestern Ontario is largely an area of flat, featureless farmland. There are only two geographic features of note in the region. One is the proximity of the Great lakes, which influence bird migration in the area to a great extent, The second is the shape of the province, roughly funnel-shaped with the narrow end to the southwest. These features confine south-bound bird migrants, especially hawks, to specific flight corridors. Holiday Beach Conservation Area was formerly a Provincial Park, but is now administered by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA). It is strategically located at the extreme southwestern tip of southern Ontario. The park is on the eastern end of a large freshwater estuary known as Big Creek. (Specifically the site is 1.1 miles south of the junction Highway 20 (old 18) and Essex Road 50, Town of Amherstburg). The Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) (founded in 1986) is a non-profit, volunteer organization formed to promote the study and protection of migrating birds. Activities focus primarily on fall migration of raptors and other species. This site is in Essex County, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie near the Detroit River. In 1988, HBMO persuaded Detroit Edison to donate a 40 foot Hawk Tower which is now at the site. Southwestern Ontario has a funneling effect on migrating raptors due to the geography of the nearby lakes and the reluctance of most raptors to cross large bodies of water. Birds gain altitude over the flat farmland to the north and east, rising easily with the thermals that such areas provide in abundance. As the birds head south they meet Lake Erie and, reluctant to cross it , turn west. With appropriate wind and weather conditions, birds pile up along the lake shore and move west until they reach the narrow crossing at the Detroit River (or island hop within the river mouth).
