Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 22, 2005 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 51 51 Osprey 0 58 58 Bald Eagle 3 37 37 Northern Harrier 9 252 252 Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 2631 2631 Cooper's Hawk 1 92 92 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 1 4394 4394 Red-tailed Hawk 1 77 77 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 7 1110 1110 Merlin 7 57 57 Peregrine Falcon 1 13 13 Unknown 0 1 1 Total: 48 8773 8773 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours Official Counter: Claude Radley Observers: Weather: South winds all day. Mist and overcast with occasional showers starting after 9:00. A weak warm front went through between noon and 1:00 pm. The winds became lighter and the sun made for a hot, muggy last 3 hours. Raptor Observations: Very light movement. The 4 local eagles (2 adult, one 2nd year and one 1st year) were out and about most of the day. The highlight was an immature Peregrine harrassing a Green Heron at the fish pond. Non-raptor Observations: 3500 Blue Jays headed west before the rain came. Light movement of other passerines, mostly Swallows. Local birds included Greater Yellowlegs, Common Snipe, Spotted Sandpiper and the usual array of Ducks, Egrets and Heron. Predictions: The forcast calls for rain, accompanying a cold front, to end very early in the morning then clearing with the bulk of the day seeing partly sunny skies and NORTHERLY winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Claude Radley ([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
