Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 06, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 32 184 24548 Osprey 0 1 124 Bald Eagle 0 2 152 Northern Harrier 0 17 984 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 20 8364 Cooper's Hawk 0 7 216 Northern Goshawk 0 0 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 12 313 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 13000 Red-tailed Hawk 8 257 2057 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 2 Golden Eagle 1 6 64 American Kestrel 0 0 1934 Merlin 0 3 92 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 76 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: 41 509 51933 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 12:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 2 hours Official Counter: Mary Carnahan Observers: Keith Sealy Visitors: None. Weather: Weather conditions were soggy and very windy overnight and this morning; thus, start time was delayed until 12:00 PM. Once the rain stopped, the wind really began to pick up, blowing hard from the W for a little more than an hour, but by the end of the second hour, we were back into that WSW flow at even higher wind speed (gusting to 48 km / hr ) and rising. We didnt get a lot of sunshine today; huge, dark clouds scudded by throughout the 2 hour watch. Temperature started out fairly balmy at 17 C, but was expected to drop throughout the afternoon, making way for more fall-like weather for the weekend. Raptor Observations: The phrase slim pickins pretty much sums up the raptor migration scene, but in the end we tallied 41 birds, comprised of mainly Turkey Vultures (32) with Red-tailed Hawks (8) a distant second plus a juvenile Golden Eagle (1) that flew straight down Sparta Line to where we were waiting at the Church. The TVs were tacking endlessly, while Red-tails really struggled against the fierce headwind (a few blew back and eventually dropped out of sight, probably putting down until conditions are more conducive) but the Golden seemed to handle the wind like a pro, gliding past our position at the Church parking lot, directly overhead. Non-raptor Observations: After last nights and this mornings wind/rain combo, there is little foliage left on trees and a lot of the shrubs along Hawk Cliff Rd, added to todays very strong winds, any passerines that were there were well hunkered down so not readily viewable. Not only that, but a deer hunt was underway along Hawk Cliff Rd this morning, effectively ruling out the newly harvested corn field at Sharpie Alley as todays preferred vantage point (somewhat protected from the wind, but affording a view to the north), as well as the roadside for dickie birding, so our non-raptor observations are limited to species noted from the roadside at the B&B and then at the Church. These included 6 Tundra Swans (best sighting of the day), a couple each of Blue Jay, Crow, Goldfinch. Keith had also spotted a couple of flocks of Red-winged Blackbirds before we moved north from the Cliff; as well, we had the usual Mourning Doves, House Sparrows and Eu. Starlings at the corner of Dexter Ln / Hawk Cliff Rd. In addition, there was a very vocal Red-bellied Woodpecker in the treeline at the B&B and a very large flock of Ring-billed Gulls along the ridge, viewed from the church parking lot. As noted above, slim pickins. Predictions: The forecast for Saturday is for WNW winds at 25 30 km / hr, with mostly cloudy skies, slight chance of a shower; wind will shift to mainly Westerly for Sunday at a more moderate wind speed (15 km / hr). ======================================================================== 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
