Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 13, 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 16 9785 9943 Osprey 0 38 181 Bald Eagle 0 43 142 Northern Harrier 3 427 913 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 5886 11135 Cooper's Hawk 1 233 282 Northern Goshawk 0 5 5 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 30 30 Broad-winged Hawk 0 762 73018 Red-tailed Hawk 0 237 261 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 17 17 American Kestrel 1 2279 5001 Merlin 0 49 107 Peregrine Falcon 2 14 37 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 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Total: 25 19805 101073 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 10:00:00 Total observation time: 2 hours Official Counter: Colin Horstead Observers: Jim Dunn, Mary Carnahan, Ronnie Goodhand Visitors: Thanks to those counters and observers that showed up today...Colin, Jim Ronnie and Mary. Weather: Just too much rain and humidity around today for much of a flight and socked in with low gray clouds. Winds were from the SSW and stronger today. Raptor Observations: Just 23 birds observed today...highlight was 2 Peregrines...one which was travelling with a Harrier. Both were seen right along the cliff on a fairly strong SSW wind. Here is a great description from Mary on the Peregrine and Harrier as they passed through... "I was emerging from the path and there were 2 raptors heading in my direction right along the cliff. I saw them come over the willows and had lots of time to study them, plus both were just above my head, maybe 10 - 15 feet above me. The one on my right was a big adult Peregrine (nice barring), and on my left, just slightly behind the peregrine was an adult male Harrier. What a sight!!! The Peregrine looked to be as long as the Harrier, but bulkier. They were within a couple of feet of each other -- what a picture that would have made for a field guide! After they had passed, I watched them from behind and was struck by the comparitively dainty and elegant look of the Harrier." Non-raptor Observations: Today's report includes about 200 European Starlings, 2 Eastern Bluebirds, a single Great Blue Heron and 15 Killdeer. Along Hawk Cliff Rd, observers noted numerous songbirds flitting back and forth across the road especially near Sharpie Alley. The majority turned out to be White-throated Sparrows and Ruby-crowned Kinglets. (In fact, there was quite a mob of R. C. Kinglets up and down the road and along the pond path.) Also seen near Sharpie Alley were a single Golden-crowned Kinglet, Tufted Titmouse, Hermit Thrush, Am. Robin, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, Am. Crow, Black-capped Chickadee, Am. Goldfinch plus Blackpoll and Yellow-rumped Warblers. Near the observation knoll there was some Woodpecker activity with Downy and Red-bellied Woodpeckers being spotted as well as a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker. Song Sparrows and a lingering Indigo Bunting were hunkered down in the bushes just south of the parking area. Predictions: It's not looking pretty for the next few days with lots of rain and VERY heavy winds from the West as a big low pressure system approaches. The only benefit of such weather is that it will tend to hold up birds trying to push down from the north...often leading to good flights once the weather clears and winds become more favourable for migration. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Dave Brown ([email protected]) Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.ezlink.on.ca/~thebrowns/HawkCliff/index.htm _______________________________________________ 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/
