Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 14, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 5 5 Osprey 2 36 36 Bald Eagle 0 7 7 Northern Harrier 0 89 89 Sharp-shinned Hawk 122 1029 1029 Cooper's Hawk 0 10 10 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 97 97 Red-tailed Hawk 0 18 18 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 5 266 266 Merlin 2 14 14 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown 0 6 6 Total: 131 1579 1579 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Jack Boxer Observers: Esther Cusick, Sylvia Telasco, Wayne Telasco Visitors: Many thanks to Esther Cusick and Wayne & Sylvia Telasco for their assistance today. Weather: A sunny day with increasing cloud as the day wore on. Light to moderate southerly winds. Temperatures ranging from 22 to 28 degrees Celsius. Observations: Mostly Sharp-shinned Hawks today with five Kestrels, two Merlins and two Osprey. The local immature Bald Eagle continues to be conspicuous. The highlight was the continued sighting of the Least Bittern along with the usual array of Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, Black Crowned Night-Herons, Sora, Pied-billed Grebes, and the omnipresent Cormorants. Mute Swan survey numbered 22. Passerines included American Goldfinches, and three Ruby-throated Hummingbirds. Two Red-headed Woodpeckers and a Northern Flicker were seen as was the Belted Kingfisher. ======================================================================== 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).
