Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 29, 2009
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 21 21322 21804
Osprey 0 7 137
Bald Eagle 0 71 233
Northern Harrier 6 295 576
Sharp-shinned Hawk 15 6202 10216
Cooper's Hawk 5 215 292
Northern Goshawk 0 30 30
Red-shouldered Hawk 7 337 340
Broad-winged Hawk 0 85 22166
Red-tailed Hawk 99 2311 2363
Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4
Golden Eagle 3 47 48
American Kestrel 0 747 2763
Merlin 1 19 69
Peregrine Falcon 0 66 122
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Total: 157 31758 61163
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 13:00:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Alf Rider, Beth Wigle, Brian Mishell, Clive Hodder,
Don Wigle, Jim Dunn, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Mary Carnahan,
Tim King, Tom Thomas
Weather:
Winds were light from the E and then swung to the SSE...the worst wind for
any kind of flight. Temp was very warm for late October (though we've seen
it like this before) with a high of 19C. Very low cloud ceiling today
likely never more than a few hundred feet.
Raptor Observations:
Today's flight was a bit better than expected given the poor wind direction
with a total of 157 birds counted. Again today the bulk were Redtails (99)
with only small numbers of Sharpies (15) and TV's (21). More Golden Eagles
today (3) brings our total for the season to 48...just over half both the
10-yr and 5-yr averages.
Non-raptor Observations:
A whole flock of Rusty Blackbirds were spotted today...along with continued
movement of mixed flocks of other blackbirds. A very good variety of
sparrows today with...Fox, Field, Song, Swamp, Chipping, White-throated and
the first of the fall season Am. Tree Sparrow. A nice selection of
woodpeckers as well with N. Flicker, Red-bellied, Downie and a juv.
Red-headed. Other interesting passerines included E. Bluebirds and Winter
Wren...and some late warblers...Yellow-rumps, A N. Parula and a lone
Tenessee.
Predictions:
The next couple of days are looking wet...but Sunday is shaping up nicely
with predicted NW winds and sunshine...always good for flights especially
after a couple of days of crappy weather.
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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
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