Holiday Beach Conservation Area
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 17, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Turkey Vulture 32 103 103
Osprey 1 104 104
Bald Eagle 13 122 122
Northern Harrier 23 272 272
Sharp-shinned Hawk 187 4433 4433
Cooper's Hawk 15 186 186
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 5476 41579 41579
Red-tailed Hawk 7 54 54
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 66 949 949
Merlin 1 50 50
Peregrine Falcon 1 6 6
Unknown Accipiter 1 2 2
Unknown Buteo 1 3 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 1 3 3
Unknown Raptor 2 3 3
Swainson's Hawk 1 1 1
Total: 5828 47870 47870
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Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 11 hours
Official Counter: Stephen Kolbe
Observers: Chris Craft, Cindy Isenhoff, Dean Ware, Frank Dolby,
Gwen Gidge, Jim McCoy
Visitors:
Lots and lots of visitors today for the first day of the Hawk Festival.
The early crowds were treated to amazing views of very low migrating
raptors.
Weather:
Light winds 10-15 km out of the northeast all day. 11-19 degrees C.
Overcast early becoming mostly sunny in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
A fabulous morning of Broad-winged Hawk movement that eventually lifted
above visible range. Thousands of Broad-wings were kettling low over the
tower and marsh as they struggled to find lift in the middle of the
morning. An immature Swainson's Hawk joined a particularly low kettle and
circled right above the tower at 9:39 EST. Spectacular looks were had by
many of this beautiful raptor.
Non-raptor Observations:
A Red-headed Woodpecker briefly popped above the trees over the beach. A
Hoary Bat was seen mid-afternoon foraging over the marsh.
Pied-billed Grebe 30, Double-crested Cormorant 80, Great Blue Heron 20,
Great Egret 4, Black-crowned Night-Heron 2, Mute Swan 80, Canada Goose 61,
Wood Duck 30, Green-winged Teal 6, American Black Duck 15, Mallard 250,
Northern Pintail 9, Blue-winged Teal 11, Northern Shoveler 6, Gadwall 15,
American Wigeon 24, Common Moorhen 2, American Coot 25, Killdeer 4, Greater
Yellowlegs 2, Ring-billed Gull 27, Herring Gull 24, Caspian Tern 13, Rock
Pigeon 2, Mourning Dove 4, Common Nighthawk 3, Chimney Swift 11,
Ruby-throated Hummingbird 7, Belted Kingfisher 2, Downy Woodpecker 3,
Northern Flicker 6, Purple Martin 2, Tree Swallow 200, Northern
Rough-winged Swallow 40, Bank Swallow 1, Barn Swallow 25, Blue Jay 9,
American Crow 1, Black-capped Chickadee 4, Carolina Wren 1, Blue-gray
Gnatcatcher 4, American Robin 2, Gray Catbird 3, Cedar Waxwing 79, European
Starling 100, Red-eyed Vireo 1,Nashville Warbler 5, Northern Parula 1,
Yellow Warbler 2, Chestnut-sided Warbler 2, Magnolia Warbler 3,
Black-throated Blue Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 4, Black-throated
Green Warbler 2, Blackburnian Warbler 1, American Redstart 3, Common
Yellowthroat 1, Wilsons Warbler 2, Northern Cardinal 5, Red-winged
Blackbird 100, Common Grackle 15, American Goldfinch 140.
Black Saddlebags 15, Common Green Darner 75, Monarch 36.
Predictions:
Sunny tomorrow. Highs 20 C. Winds are forcast to be either out of the
northeast or east in the morning, shifting to the southeast in the
afteroon. Hopefully the winds stay from the north and we have many more
raptors for the Hawk Festival tomorrow!
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Report submitted by Stephen Kolbe ([email protected])
Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at:
http://hbmo.org/
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
