This is an official posting from the High Park Raptor Watch. Station: High Park, Toronto, Ontario View Period: October 13 – October 19 2008 Station coordinator: Don Barnett Counters: D. Barnett, R. Carswell, C. Harte, M. Kelch, N. McHugh, N. Murr, D. Peuramaki, H. Shapiro, D. Woods GTRW Webmasters: A. Hampton & D. Woods This week saw movement of Turkey Vultures with 1025 counted this week, including 746 on Oct. 17th. For the rest of the season there will not likely be large numbers of Turkey Vultures or Sharp-shinned Hawks observed at High Park Raptor Watch. For the next few weeks the expected flight of raptors will include Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks, Rough-legged Hawks and Golden Eagles. Our totals for October 17th, the past week and the year so far are: Species Oct 17 Oct13–Oct19 Year to Date Turkey Vulture..........746..........1025.............1815 Osprey....................-.............-...............56 Bald Eagle................4.............5...............39 Northern Harrier..........-.............-...............18 Sharp-Shinned Hawk.......10...........142.............1053 Cooper's Hawk.............-.............4...............52 Northern Goshawk..........-.............-................- Red-shouldered Hawk.......5.............6................7 Broad-winged Hawk.........-.............-.............2643 Red-tailed Hawk..........60...........152..............274 Rough-legged Hawk.........-.............-................1 Golden Eagle..............3.............4................5 American Kestrel..........-.............3..............183 Merlin....................-.............-...............10 Peregrine Falcon..........1.............1...............20 Unidentified.............14............32..............106 Total...................843..........1374.............6282 High Park Site Description High Park is a 400 acre wooded park dominated by a Black Oak Savannah located just west of Downtown Toronto near Keele and Bloor. The park is operated by the City of Toronto Parks Department. The Count site (Hawk Hill) is located on a small hill at the north end of the Grenadier Restaurant parking lot. It is located about 1.5km (1 mile) north of Lake Ontario, at an elevation of 110 metres above sea level and 38 metres above Lake Ontario. The site location is N 43 degrees 37 minutes 03.8 seconds, W 79 degrees 28 minutes 56.5 seconds. This station is at the highest point and near the centre of the park; a steep slope that descends to a large pond is immediately west of the station. Full time counts have been recorded here since 1993. The following are partners in our raptor migration monitoring in the Greater Toronto Region: City of Toronto Parks and Culture Department, Toronto Ornithological Club, and Local Naturalist's Clubs. More information including a summary of our past observations is available at: http://www.torontobirding.ca/gtrw/ Observations for this season are not yet available. -- Howard Shapiro email: [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
