Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 28, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 1 4 4 Bald Eagle 0 0 0 Northern Harrier 0 5 5 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 8 8 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 0 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 5 8 8 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 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: 7 25 25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours Official Counter: Mary Carnahan Observers: Cary Graham, Don Taylor, Jim Dunn Visitors: No visitors today Weather: The sky was still overcast this morning at 8:00 AM and slowly cleared by 10:30. Early the temperature was an invigorating 13 C but warmed fairly quickly making it all the way to 20 degrees C. by the end of the watch. Winds were very light at 6 km / hr from the NE, then NNE, then ENE. All in all, it was a very pleasant day, but without wind to push them down to the lake, we had very few migratory raptors today. Raptor Observations: We counted 7 raptors today including 3 species which were Osprey (1), Sharp-shinned Hawk (1) and American Kestrel (5). The Shin crossed the field first, during the first hour, passing very low along the cliff. The Osprey was in the second hour, and motored through also along the Cliff. Later another Osprey was seen fishing along the cliff, and was not counted. In the third hour we had the ritual passes by local Bald Eagles totalling 3 individuals that we could discern (1 adult, 2 juv. / immature), and a few lazy TVs put in an appearance then as well as in the fourth hour. Three Kestrels crossed the field north of the observation knoll, apparently flying together, in the early part of the fourth hour and at about 11:55 AM, 2 more crossed, hunting dragonflies as they flew low along the cliff. Non-raptor Observations: Observers tallied 38 non-raptor bird species plus a variety of both butterflies and dragonflies. First the songbirds . . . which started just north of Dexter Ln on Fairview Rd with 2 Eastern Bluebirds on the wire near Roberts Line. Next there were the usual species from the corner of HC Rd / Dexter Ln to the top of the ravine, including European Starling, House Sparrow, Mourning Dove, Indigo Bunting and American Robin, as well as a very visible Eastern Wood-Pewee. Next, in the ravine, small songbirds were flitting about but only Black & White Warbler was ID-ed as an observer drove past. Northern Flicker was spotted near Sharpie Alley. Near the observation knoll there were more Warblers including Am. Redstart, Chestnut-sided, and Magnolia Warblers and Common Yellowthroat. (That brought our Warbler count to 5 for the day). Red-eyed and Warbling Vireo were also found in that area as well as Cedar Waxwing, many Gray Catbirds, Song Sparrow, Eastern Towhee, Red-bellied and Downy Woodpeckers, Northern Cardinal, Baltimore Oriole, American Goldfinch, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Black-capped Chickadee, House Wren (many) and Northern Cardinal were reported by observers. A quick trip to the woods yielded a Wood Thrush. Seen from the knoll and the field closer to the cliff were Canada Goose, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow, and our first shorebird of the season, 2 Killdeer. Blue Jays and Am. Crows were seen and heard along the treeline seen looking east from the knoll. Butterflies today included Monarch, Viceroy, Summer Azure, Cabbage White, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Red Admiral, Tiger Swallowtail, Least Skipper, Silver-spotted Skipper, Eastern Tailed Blue and a shredded Great Spangled Fritillary. Dragonflies were predominantly Green Darner and Black Saddlebags, but 1 Red Saddlebags was also seen from the knoll as well as a few 12-spotted Skimmers an unidentified Meadowhawk that perched on weeds right in front of observers on the knoll. Predictions: Cloudy conditions with ESE to SE winds and the possibility of thunderstorms are predicted for Saturday morning especially around mid-morning. More rain is expected later in the day. Some clearing is expected on Sunday with winds shifting from SE through to SW and temperature on the rise -- nice weather for a visit to Hawk Cliff, but not weather conducive to raptor migration. ======================================================================== 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
