Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 30, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 143 37721 37879
Osprey 0 46 189
Bald Eagle 5 94 193
Northern Harrier 4 618 1104
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20 7827 13076
Cooper's Hawk 6 356 405
Northern Goshawk 1 20 20
Red-shouldered Hawk 24 647 647
Broad-winged Hawk 0 764 73020
Red-tailed Hawk 79 1878 1902
Rough-legged Hawk 1 9 9
Golden Eagle 7 144 144
American Kestrel 1 2365 5087
Merlin 1 91 149
Peregrine Falcon 0 15 38
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: 292 52595 133863
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Alf Rider, Dave Brown, Derek Lyon, Don Campbell, Don Taylor,
Jennifer Lyon, Jim Dunn, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Mac McAlpine,
Mark Cunningham, Mary Carnahan, Mike Irwin, Paul Thomas,
Ronnie Goodhand, Tom Thomas
Visitors:
There were a number of visitors today...all hoping to see more Golden
Eagles....Janice Graham (London), B.J. Hill, Butch, Cody Law, Mike Rowe,
Jim, Judy and Andrea Cook (London)...and Ann and Bruce Hall
(Toronto)...Bill McLeod (London). They were all very excited to see the
first Golden Eagle so low and so close! A big thanks to the visitors and
all our counters and observers today (quite a large number of them!)
...Colin, Dave B., Jen and Derek L., Don T., Tom T., Mary Jim, Mac, Ronnie,
Alf, Paul T., Don C., Keith, Kathy, Mark, Mike I. and Tim.
Weather:
Very humid to start and some cloud hanging in off the lake...and not a
breath of wind. Eventually, the winds picked up light from the Sw for most
of the day. Temp was cool to start at just 3C but did get to a high of 12C.
Raptor Observations:
It wasn't the largest flight today with just 292 tallied...but the birds
made up for it with the quality!
Without question the two best birds of the day were both Golden Eagles.
The first was spotted in the 2nd hour and passed overhead just above the
hydro lines. The early morning sunlight provided great colour on the bird.
Later in the day another GE appeared over the bushlot in front of the
counters...and was quickly set upon by one of the local adult Redtails. The
Redtail managed to stay above the eagle and continuously dove at its back.
This made for quite the show for everyone and also kept the GE on the deck.
This bird also passed barely 50 feet up and nearly overhead, providing
outstanding views. it looked at us while trying to keep an eye on the
Redtail at the same time. It disappeared to our west and the Redtail headed
back to the bushlot. There were a total of 7 Golden Eagles seen today.
There were 11 other species seen for the day including...TVs (143), Bald
Eagles (5), Harriers (4), Sharpies (20), Cooper's (6), A lone N. Goshawk
(another juvie), Red-shoulders (24), Redtails (79), a single Roughleg
(another dark morph bird that hovered several times to our north) and
singles of Kestrel and Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations:
Three separate flocks of Tundra Swans were spotted today with a total of
30+ birds. Lots of Killdeer, a few Am. pipits and many Horned Larks in the
field in front of the counters and 2 Northern Shrikes along with a number
of E. Bluebirds spotted in shrubs in a fenceline across the field. There
was a Palm Warlber foraging beside the observation knoll and several Downy
Woodpeckers beside and across from the knoll. A walk along Hawk Cliff Road
with a side-trip into the bean field yielded the usual mob of sparrows, an
Eastern Towhee, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, a Hermit Thrush
and lots of Robins. As well, a Blue-headed Vireo. dazzling in the fall
sun, was found working the row of goldenrod with the sparrows and kinglets
while many Cedar Waxwings worked the mulberry tree beside the parking lot.
Also noteworthy were sightings of a couple of Sulphurs and 2 Monarch
Butterflies seen close to the Cliff.
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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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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/
