A late migration (movement?) of Rough-legged Hawks is currently taking place after yesterday's blizzard.
Yesterday after the blizzard subsided, I observed (9) birds flying west over my house at Sturgeon Creek, during the last hour of daylight. I suspect others passed by before I realized what was going on. As of today (January 23) I have already seen another (9) birds flying west past my house, so the day's tally could be interesting. There has also been a couple of Red-tailed Hawks. In the past I have seen similar late flights of Rough-legged Hawks here, but usually a bit earlier -- late December (rare), early January (more normal), or mid January (rare). Most late movements in the past have also been associated with a deterioration of the conditions (ie, bad weather). When I see such movements of diurnal birds, I assume that owls are probably also on the move. Thus it would not be too surprising if some of the northern owls are found further south and west in southern Ontario in the days ahead. Sturgeon Creek is between Leamington and Point Pelee National Park. Alan Wormington, Leamington
