Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 09, 2004 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 967 3870 5106 Osprey 0 3 72 Bald Eagle 0 5 35 Northern Harrier 1 9 196 Sharp-shinned Hawk 135 662 4382 Cooper's Hawk 12 36 121 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 2 8 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 27842 Red-tailed Hawk 17 62 280 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 31 88 1308 Merlin 0 14 47 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 11 Unknown 0 10 48 Total: 1164 4764 39458 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Bob Hall-Brooks Observers: Bob Pettit, Dan Lumm, Jim Crozier Visitors: Phil Roberts brought a group fromKent/Essex, Betty Learmouth her group from the Canada South Land Trust and Bob Pettit his raptor identification class from Munroe, Michigan. All were made welcome by hawk counters, raptor banders and songbird banders today. Weather: Brisk South West winds gave way to Westerlies with warm temperatures. Visibility good. Observations: Turkey Vultures were the bird of the day, but Sharpies, Coopers and Kestrels were kept low by the winds and close to the Tower. Blue Jays numbered only 6410 today. Predictions: A wind switch to the North is predicted for tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Bob Hall-Brooks ([EMAIL PROTECTED]) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Information on southern Ontario's hawk migration and the Holiday Beach Conservation Area site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Southwestern Ontario is largely an area of flat, featureless farmland. There are only two geographic features of note in the region. One is the proximity of the Great lakes, which influence bird migration in the area to a great extent, The second is the shape of the province, roughly funnel-shaped with the narrow end to the southwest. These features confine south-bound bird migrants, especially hawks, to specific flight corridors. Holiday Beach Conservation Area was formerly a Provincial Park, but is now administered by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA). It is strategically located at the extreme southwestern tip of southern Ontario. The park is on the eastern end of a large freshwater estuary known as Big Creek. (Specifically the site is 1.1 miles south of the junction Highway 20 (old 18) and Essex Road 50, Town of Amherstburg). The Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) (founded in 1986) is a non-profit, volunteer organization formed to promote the study and protection of migrating birds. Activities focus primarily on fall migration of raptors and other species. This site is in Essex County, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie near the Detroit River. In 1988, HBMO persuaded Detroit Edison to donate a 40 foot Hawk Tower which is now at the site. Southwestern Ontario has a funneling effect on migrating raptors due to the geography of the nearby lakes and the reluctance of most raptors to cross large bodies of water. Birds gain altitude over the flat farmland to the north and east, rising easily with the thermals that such areas provide in abundance. As the birds head south they meet Lake Erie and, reluctant to cross it , turn west. With appropriate wind and weather conditions, birds pile up along the lake shore and move west until they reach the narrow crossing at the Detroit River (or island hop within the river mouth).
