Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 02, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 2 4 8 Bald Eagle 1 1 1 Northern Harrier 2 2 7 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 2 10 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 7 11 20 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: 12 20 46 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 4 hours Official Counter: Mary Carnahan Observers: Jim Dunn Visitors: No visitors today. Weather: The wind was SW and went from 10 km / hr at 8:30 to 13 km / hr, gusting to 17 k / hr. by the end of the 4-hour watch. However, the air was uncomfortably humid (for humans and probably for birds too) and the sky glaringly hazy throughout. Visibility was poor until around 11:30, with haze so thick we couldnt really figure out how much or how little cloud cover there was. Barometric pressure was falling throughout the watch. Raptor Observations: The count today was 12 raptors consisting of Osprey (2), Northern Harrier (2), Bald Eagle and American Kestrel (6). Actually, by the end of the third hour, we had a total of 15 having counted 2 additional Kestrels as well as 1 Northern Harrier between 11:00 and 12:00, all of which flew west, and then returned only to disappear below the cliff, popping up periodically indicating pretty clearly that they were more committed to finding lunch than to getting on with the journey west. One of the AKs devoured 3 dragonflies, one while on the wing (we really thought it was gone then, but no . . .) and two more while perching in the Merlin tree across from the mound. Then went hunting again. The hunt was still on when the watch closed down at 12:30. Non-raptor Observations: Small flocks of Blue Jays were seen moving westward today. Some flocks contained as many as 20 birds, but most were 3 to 5 birds in size. Am. Goldfinches were also flying west in small flocks, as they have for the past week. About 30 Canada Geese have been hanging out on these sultry last days of summer on the beach below Hawk Cliff but usually we see some flying about periodically. Today they werent flying at all, just sitting on the beach. From the knoll observers saw Ring-billed and Herring Gull, a flock of 12 Killdeer, 2 Caspian Terns and a few Barn Swallows. Up and down the road most of the usuals were found with highlights Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Great-crested Flycatcher, Baltimore Oriole, Cedar Waxwing, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, and numerous Red-eyed and Warbling Vireos. In the woods were a few Warblers, including Canada, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Tennessee, Nashville and American Redstart. Todays only thrush species was a pair of Eastern Bluebirds spotted basking in theh early morning sun on the wire on Fairview Rd, north of Roberts Ln. Butterflies around the knoll were entertaining today, including 2 American Snouts that spent the better part of 2 hours nectaring in the goldenrod right in front of the observation knoll. Also seen in that location were Monarch, Black Swallowtail, Tiger Swallowtail, Summer Azure, Cabbage White, Orange and Clouded Sulphur Eastern Tailed Blue, a couple of Crescents (Northern?) and a Great Spangled Fritillary. Black Saddlebags and Green Darners were easily seen over the field and a couple of 12-spotted Skimmers flew across the knoll. Predictions: The forecast is for thunder showers tomorrow with predominantly S winds. The winds will shift from S to E and back over the next few days, with little or no change in temperature. The next 7 look to be pretty much the same as we are experiencing right now. All in all, not a great forecast for migrating raptors, but we are starting to see a few birds on the move. Higher numbers are unlikely, however, until the wind shifts to the N / NW and this air clears and dries out a bit. ======================================================================== 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
