Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 30, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 381 3391 3391
Osprey 2 161 180
Bald Eagle 0 126 139
Northern Harrier 17 503 552
Sharp-shinned Hawk 503 5646 5653
Cooper's Hawk 6 85 86
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 3 3
Broad-winged Hawk 5 36990 37164
Red-tailed Hawk 80 369 371
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 1 1
American Kestrel 16 2582 2744
Merlin 1 63 64
Peregrine Falcon 5 79 80
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: 1017 49999 50428
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Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Dave Brown, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Ken Button, Ronnie Goodhand,
Tom Stewart
Visitors:
A few visitors today...along with a few of the counting / observing
crew...a big thanks to Colin, Ronnie, Tom S., Chris B., Keith and Kathy.
Weather:
A weird weather day today...with sunshine first thing...then heavy fog
which was then blown apart by heavier than expected NE winds...and finally
a great looking sky with lots of broken cloud and sunshine. Unfortunately,
the winds died midday and then again swung to the SE coming back in from
the lake and slowed the flight to a trickle of birds. Temps were very
comfortable from 12C to 15C.
Raptor Observations:
The flight got off to a great start with lots of birds on the move in the
morning...but as the winds shifted the numbers dropped to just a few birds
in the last couple of hours of the count. The total birds today was 1,017
with 12 of our usual 15 species observed (missed only a Golden Eagle,
Reoughleg and Goshawk).
The impact raptor species for the morning was Sharpies (503)with a great
push during the hour from 9-10 when we tallied just over 200. At one point
we looked to the north end of the field and thought we had yet another
flight of Blue Jays going through...but then realized we had 24 Sharpies
passing along "Sharpie Alley" all together!
Other species seen included TVs (381), Osprey (2), N. Harrier (17),
Cooper's Hawk (6), Red-shouldered Hawk (1), Broadings (5), Redtails (80),
Kestrels (16), Merlin (1) and Peregrine (4). Note that all of the
Peregrines were spotted at a significant height and one actually turned
above us and basically headed out directly over the lake.
Non-raptor Observations:
The Blue Jays were on the move again today with certainly several thousand
more passing through the hawkwatch area...right from the lakeshore to
"Sharpie Alley" at the north end of the field. The only other passerines
were noted including Red-bellied Woodpecker and Eastern Bluebird. It was
also reported that a Northern Mockingbird was spotted in the area on
Saturday ...and may well still be around the hawkwatch.
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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/
