Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 09, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 0
Osprey 6 45 64
Bald Eagle 32 32 45
Northern Harrier 27 73 122
Sharp-shinned Hawk 278 460 467
Cooper's Hawk 9 13 14
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 1447 1464 1638
Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 2
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 101 222 384
Merlin 3 9 10
Peregrine Falcon 1 2 3
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: 1904 2320 2749
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Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Dave Brown, Jim Dunn
Observers: BJ Hill, Ches Caister, Chris Burris, Dave Brown,
Eric Single, Keith Sealy, Mary Carnahan, Mike Rowe,
Su Ross-Redmond, Wayne Parnall
Visitors:
A ton of visitors today...too many to note here. I do want to thank
everyone who helped with spotting birds and recording today's count...it
would've been a tough day without all the eyes keeping a lookout! :)
Weather:
The day started out with intermittent light showers all the way from Lake
Huron almost down to Hawk Cliff itself...but skies cleared fairly quickly
from the west and soon (as so often happens) we were wishing for cloud to
come back!. Eventually, some nice cumulus built back in.
The winds were very light to start then picked up a bit from the NW. The
air dried quickly and buteos and TVs were up within the next hour. It
would appear that ground-level winds were still lighter than what the birds
were experiencing at flight levels (approx. 300-500m) since several of the
Broadwing streams were being pushed right out over the lake and were having
to angle back inland. Temps were initially cooler to start at 10C then
climbing to 20C (though it felt much warmer in the direct sunlight).
Raptor Observations:
After a rough start it turned into a great hawkwatching day today. Our
total birds were 1904 with an excellent flight of Broadwings (1447)...just
a hint of what should be the main push by the end of this week. At one
point the birds were all over the sky and at several different flight
levels which made counting them challenging! There were also good flights
of Sharpies (278), Kestrels (101) and of Bald Eagles (32)....at one point
there were 6 Bald Eagles circling together...with another 4 not far
away...also Osprey (6) and N. Harrier (27) including the last 3 birds of
the day hunting together low over the bean field in front of the
observation knoll...a few Merlin and a lone adult Peregrine that sped past
just north of the counters.
Non-raptor Observations:
A lot of the usual species that've been reported over the past week,,,,only
8 species of warler including Mourning and Wilson's...a nice overflight of
3 Great Blue Herons right over the knoll and continued flights of Am.
Goldfinch. Ther seemed to e a movement of Swainson's Thrushes with 4
reported in and around the hawkwatch along with a single (and early) Hermit
Thrush...a couple of Barn and Cliff Swallows...3 Chimney Swifts...a few
Blue-Gray Gnatcatchers and a Baltimore Oriole.
Not as many Monarchs today...other species included Viceroy, Fiery Skipper
with fresh looking Painted Lady and Red Admiral...and a couple of Black
Swallowtails.
Predictions:
Looks great for Monday...predicted NW and N winds.
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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
_______________________________________________
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/
