Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 03, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 4 8 8 Osprey 1 11 11 Bald Eagle 0 4 4 Northern Harrier 12 48 48 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 5 5 Cooper's Hawk 4 6 6 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 1 1 Red-tailed Hawk 3 9 9 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 3 44 44 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown 0 0 0 Total: 29 137 137 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Bob Hall-Brooks Observers: Jim McCoy Weather: Sunny with some cloud cover, winds NW for first two hours changing to SW for remainder of day. Temperatures ranging from 20 to 24 degrees Celsius. Humidity 67 to 54 %, Barometric Pressure 30.18 to 30.15 inches Hg. Raptor Observations: A relatively slow day with Northern Harriers the predominant species. Highlight was an Osprey clutching a fish in its talons. Non-raptor Observations: Good looks at Tennessee, Chestnut-sided, Yellow-rumped and Blackpoll warblers, Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (2), and a White-breasted Nuthatch. Ducks included Mallard, Black, Blue-winged Teal, Wood, and, Ring-necked (4). Purple Martins, Tree and Barn Swallows in good numbers. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are moving (5 seen from the Tower, but 26 banded and many more seen to elude the Russel Trap). Monarch Butterflies numbered 18, Black Saddlebags (9) and Green Darners (4) ======================================================================== Report submitted by Bob Hall-Brooks ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ Site Description: 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). Directions to site: See http://hbmo.org/directions.php
