>From : Tim Mccarthy via Ontbirds. Thanks to all who agreed to go out today and try and find some Broadwinged Hawks. Its like the Gods of Raptorwatching said we should all stay home today because, instead of behaving like my cocka-mamey theory, the Broaddies are doing this year what they should be doing which is pouring through the North Shore routes when the weather gives Northwest winds, just like nothing unusual ever happens. Never mind, I'll be here next year and so will you.
The cheerfulness in the face of dire adversity award goes to Kai Millyard who went out to see Broaddies even though he knew there wouldn't be any. And the first prize if there was one should surely go to Deirdre and Robert Bean who went out to see Broadwings at Beechwood Cemetary, Jane and Steeles, and actually managed to see them. Well, one, anyway. Good place for the little guys to get hunkered down before the rains came, I guess. Tomorrow looks like it might be a little birdier so anyone who doesn't go out for the Durham annual bird bash or the Hamilton Lakeshore outrageous yeager watch can please join me at High Park. There are some folks coming out to the Hill tomorrow for the very first day of The High Park Raptor Watching School! I'd rather see them than a truckload of Eagles. I was there today of course and was entertained for hours by 2 of our stalwart residents. Robbie the Rotten resident Redtail sat up in the Old Oak all morning entertaining both me and a small group of heckling Goldfinches, Woodpeckers and squirrels. He even dropped me a feather to stick in my hat (along with a lot of more disgusting stuff.) And Minnie Cooper skulked around through the treetops making sure all the other accipiters kept moving along except there weren't any. Normally I wouldn't write anything about a Raptorwatch like today, but after all, it was supposed to have been the LInear Watch Day, though there wasn't really a need for it and what actually happened there on the Hill was so dumb it was entertaining. A better day is coming. Good luck and Happy Hawking, Tim Hawk Hill, and the Raptor Watching School, are conveniently located right next to the Grenadier Restaurant Parking lot so you get good eats, a place to park, go to the loo and above all learn to be a good Raptor Watcher. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
