Holiday Beach Conservation Area
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 27, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Turkey Vulture 952 1296 1296
Osprey 0 59 59
Bald Eagle 15 89 89
Northern Harrier 20 186 186
Sharp-shinned Hawk 177 2263 2263
Cooper's Hawk 11 93 93
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 4 5 5
Broad-winged Hawk 378 5369 5369
Red-tailed Hawk 61 166 166
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 2 2
American Kestrel 42 677 677
Merlin 2 44 44
Peregrine Falcon 1 22 22
Unknown Accipiter 7 8 8
Unknown Buteo 1 3 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 4 5 5
Black Vulture 0 1 1
Total: 1675 10288 10288
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Observation start time: 06:15:00
Observation end time: 17:30:00
Total observation time: 11.25 hours
Official Counter: Bob Pettit, Jeremy Hatt
Observers: Andrew Keaveney, Bob Pettit, Jeremy Hatt, Jim McCoy,
Karen Padbury, Larry Ludwicki, Rick Stronks
Visitors:
We had about 15 visitors today. Some came as a result of CTV news program
about Holiday Beach hawk watch.
http://youtu.be/BgdUZLIi23s
Thank you CTV. Folks were from LaSalle, Dwight, Willowdale, Leamington,
Kingsville, Orangeville and Pickering Ontario. Michigan visitors were from
Sterling Heights and Center Line.
Weather:
A very good sky for observing hawks. Unfortunately they were very high, in
fact at times at the limit of binoculars.
Temp=9.5C-19.8C; wind N-NE-N; 8-12 mph, 12-19 kpm; sky cover 30%-90%; no
precip.
Raptor Observations:
Birds were mostly very high. They were mostly over the Tower or south over
the lake or just on the shore line. Many took a SE to NW flight line and
eventually went west. Turkey Vultures were the key. They were easier to
find and then mixed in with them were the buteo, accipiters, eagles and
some harriers.
It was surprising to see streaming broad-wings at the limit of vision at
1730 hours. They usually are headed for the trees then for the night roost.
We did expect more Broad-wings on this NE wind. Perhaps Friday will see
more of them. Hopefully at closer range.
Non-raptor Observations:
Blue Jays were moving all day. 37,380. At times they were in groups of 50+
north, over and south of the Tower site. But they were mostly were over the
Tower a majority of the day. They were still moving through at 1700 hours.
Many single individuals of various species were noted moving through.
Canada Goose-58, Mute Swan-49, Wood Duck-2, Am Black Duck-4, Mallard-50,
Blue-winged Teal-2, Pied-billed Grebe-1, Dubl-crested Corm-2, Great Blue
Heron-2, Great Egret-5, Green Heron-2, Sora-5, American Coot-6, Killdeer-2,
Ring-billed Gull-6, Herring Gull-1, Mourning Dove-1, Common Nighthawk-3,
Chimney Swift-5, R-throated Hummingbird-2, Belted Kingfisher-1, Yel-bellied
Sapsucker-1, Downy Woodpecker-1, Northern Flicker-3, Eastern Phoebe-1, Blue
Jay-37,380, Tree Swallow-200, R.-breasted Nuthatch-4, W.-breasted
Nuthatch-1, Carolina Wren-1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher-1, Kinglet Species-2,
Gray Catbird-1, European Starling-75, American Pipit-2, Cedar Waxwing-102,
Yellow-rumped War-2, Song Sparrow-1, White-throated Spw-6, Northern
Cardinal-1, R.-winged Blackbird-4, Blackbird Species-71, Purple Finch-2,
Pine Siskin-4, American Goldfinch-470, Com Green Darner-1, Monarch
Butterfly-2
Predictions:
Partly cloudy in the morning, then clear. High of 68F. Winds from the NNW
at 5 to 10 mph.
Bring a chair, lunch, and have a good viewing of migrants.
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Report submitted by Bob Pettit ([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/
