Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 07, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 77 657 14575 Osprey 0 0 83 Bald Eagle 2 3 48 Northern Harrier 7 12 260 Sharp-shinned Hawk 20 60 5431 Cooper's Hawk 20 42 325 Northern Goshawk 6 8 13 Red-shouldered Hawk 40 131 285 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 27843 Red-tailed Hawk 222 618 1810 Rough-legged Hawk 6 15 44 Golden Eagle 8 24 26 American Kestrel 0 1 1369 Merlin 1 1 59 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 15 Unknown 0 63 196 Total: 409 1635 52382 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Bob Hall-Brooks Observers: Chuck Sharbaugh Visitors: A surprising number of visitors today with special thanks to Chuck Sharbaugh from Ohio whose arrival coincided with the first raptor of the day, a male Merlin. Weather: A sunny day that started with SW brisk winds and ended with NW strong winds. Temperatures ranged from 10-17 degrees Celsius. Observations: What started as a two and a half hour drought turned into a great day. One Michigander visitor asked to see Golden Eagles, Rough-legged Hawks and Norhtern Goshawks. We did not disappoint him. The sighting of the century today was a flight of five Whooping Cranes (yes Whooping, not Sandhill) seen at 1:23 p.m. flying from east to west in formation. These magnificent white birds with their red crowns will be etched in this observers memory, made more certain by the two Sandhill Cranes that followed in the next hour. Predictions: North winds are expected to continue into tomorrow. ======================================================================== 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).
