Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 18, 2008
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 19 367 22055
Osprey 0 1 213
Bald Eagle 6 21 265
Northern Harrier 24 71 670
Sharp-shinned Hawk 21 163 8548
Cooper's Hawk 12 58 277
Northern Goshawk 2 15 22
Red-shouldered Hawk 46 200 570
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 100354
Red-tailed Hawk 828 2172 4065
Rough-legged Hawk 8 13 36
Golden Eagle 19 96 211
American Kestrel 0 3 3797
Merlin 0 3 104
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 50
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 7
Unknown Buteo 0 0 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Mississippi Kite 0 0 1
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1
Total: 985 3184 141248
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Observation start time: 08:30:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Dave Brown, Dave Verkley, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Mary Carnahan,
Mike Street, Phil Waggett, Ronnie Goodhand, Shay Redmond,
Su Ross-Redmond, Wayne Parnall
Visitors:
A few visitors today including Vanessa and James (London), Audrey Gamble
and John Merriman (Hamilton). A BIG thankyou to all of the regulars who
made it out today and helped with a tough count on a COLD wind and
difficult skies at times.
Weather:
Clear blue skies to start the day which helped get the thermals going
early. Rising BP as a high approached and moderate to light NW and NNW
winds for the day. Eventually clouds popped up on top of the thermals and
we had a classic hawkwatching kind of day. :) However, it was cold with a
high of just -1C and a definite windchill.
Raptor Observations:
The nice weather after the passage of a strong cold front and fairly heavy
snowfall in parts of Ontario and Quebec helped to get the birds moving...as
shown by today's total of 985 birds.
The big highlight for the day was another good flight of Golden Eagles
(19)...many passing through quite low. This gives us a total of 211 Golden
Eagles for the 2008 season. Incredible!!
The bulk of today's flight consisted of Redtails (828)...some on the deck
and others in the stratosphere. There was at least one dark morph Redtail
that passed through in the afternoon (Hey...you have to figure that with
over 800 Redtails going by, you have to get at least one interesting one!).
There was also a decent flight of Red-shouldered Hawks (46)...though our
overall total for this species this season is 570, which is just shy of our
10 yr average of 583 and well under our 5 yr average of 811.
Other good birds included Roughlegs (8) with a couple of dark morph birds.
There were a couple more Northern Goshawks and some Northern Harriers
(24)..their best flight since Nov. 1st.
Non-raptor Observations:
Flocks of passerines continued to pass through the hawkwatch
area...including Snow Bunting, Pine Siskin and Horned Lark.
Predictions:
The next decent day for any kind of flight looks like Friday with predicted
sun and cloud and NW winds. After that the long range doesn't look
promising...guess we'll just have to wait and see what the weather decides
to throw at us.
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Report submitted by Dave Brown ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.ezlink.on.ca/~thebrowns/HawkCliff/index.htm
Site Description:
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch:
Oldest Hawkwatch in Ontario - since 1931 - located just east of Port
Stanley on the cliff overlooking Lake Erie
Directions to site:
>From east 401, take the Highbury south cut off at London, follow Highbury
(Hwy 30) south to St. Thomas. Highbury changes into South Edgeware at a
large curve in the road to the west. Follow South Edgeware west to the
first set of traffic lights - Burwell Road, turn left (south) and stay on
this road. It becomes Fairview Ave (Regional Road 22), which runs directly
into Hawk Cliff Road. You will see a sign for Hawkes Cliff Farm, where they
sell fresh vegetables and a gravel road just beyond sign. Just continue
down gravel road to viewing area.
>From west 401, take the Highway # 4 (Colonel Talbot Rd.) exit south,
through Talbotville, road now is Sunset Rd. continue towards St. Thomas;
you will come to a veer in the road, straight up to St. Thomas, veer to the
right for Port Stanley, follow Highway 4, now Sunset to Port Stanley. As
you approach Port Stanley you will come to a large curve in the road with
a sign saying East St, to the left. Take East St., and follow it to the
first road left, (opposite Port Stanley Water Tower) Dexter Line. Follow
Dexter Line approximately 2 km. and turn right down gravel road at Hawkes
Cliff Farm, and follow gravel road to viewing area
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