Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 25, 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 9 152 171
Bald Eagle 0 109 122
Northern Harrier 9 346 395
Sharp-shinned Hawk 49 3152 3159
Cooper's Hawk 0 55 56
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1
Broad-winged Hawk 0 36509 36683
Red-tailed Hawk 1 6 8
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 35 2118 2280
Merlin 4 57 58
Peregrine Falcon 20 66 67
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: 127 42571 43000
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Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Matt Oswald
Observers: Bruce Parker, Colin Horstead, Keith Sealy, Mac McAlpine,
Tom Stewart, Wayne Parnall
Visitors:
Thanks to Colin, Matt, Keith, Mac, Wayne, Tom and Bruce for helping with
today's count. A few visitors including Alex Fraser (Port Stanley)...and a
couple of others I didn't get their names.
Weather:
Strong SW winds with no cloud cover to start and 15C. Winds got a bit
stronger as the day progressed and then back down a bit at the end of the
count period and swung slightly to SSW. By noon the cloud cover was at 75%
and then by the end of the count cloud cover was 100%.
Raptor Observations:
Total birds for the day...127...with the highlight being Peregrines (20)
some of which provided fantastic looks...many at the cliff edge but several
that were just a bit inland towards the counters on the knoll. Several of
these birds appeared to be adults.
Other birds seen today included Osprey (9)...most along the cliff...N.
Harriers (9), Sharpies (49), Redtail (1), Kestrels (35) and Merlins (4).
Non-raptor Observations:
On strong SW winds it was no surprise to see literally hundreds of gulls
moving west along the cliff....and every time there was a break in their
flight....it was time to watch out for Peregrines! (they don't seem to like
flying in the same space as one of the top predators on wings apparently!!)
Also on the move were several thousand Blue Jays with much the same flight
as on the weekend.
Predictions:
The prediction is for SW and W winds for tomorrow...which may bring a few
more birds along the cliff...but I wouldn't count on a large flight.
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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/
