Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 11, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 52 768 14686 Osprey 0 0 83 Bald Eagle 0 12 57 Northern Harrier 6 19 267 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 83 5454 Cooper's Hawk 13 61 344 Northern Goshawk 5 19 24 Red-shouldered Hawk 46 201 355 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 27843 Red-tailed Hawk 253 998 2190 Rough-legged Hawk 5 25 54 Golden Eagle 2 32 34 American Kestrel 0 1 1369 Merlin 1 3 61 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 15 Unknown 0 99 232 Total: 385 2321 53068 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 10:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours Official Counter: Mike Fitzpatrick Observers: Visitors: absolutely no one. Where were all of the "intrepid" Canadians? Come on--a North wind in November?! Weather: started out drizzly until 10:40. winds out of N to NNE all day. extremely grey and cloudy, which kept hawks low flying and made for good viewing in spite of little sun. Observations: good flight of red-shoulders, almost all adults. one dark-morph redtail. good look at female merlin, hunting on shoreline--possibly same bird from Wed? 100's of crows Predictions: if winds remain northerly, should be even better--still lots of RL's and GE's left to be counted! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Fitzpatrick ([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).
