There was evidence in two different locations in Essex County today that raptor migration may have started.
I was at the closed Essex County Landfill Site No. 3 in the Town of Lakeshore between approximately 12:30 & 1:30 p.m. During that hour I observed 9 Cooper's Hawk and 5 Sharp-shinned Hawk flying over or stopping in the hedgerows and planted pockets of trees. Since there was no record of breeding activity for Sharp-shinned Hawk in any of the squares around Landfill Site No. 3 during the Breeding Bird Atlas, and since the birds were all flying in a south-westerly direction, this strongly hints at the start of raptor migration through the north part of the County. In the last half hour, while eating dinner at my home in Leamington, 1 Cooper's Hawk and 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over my house also heading south-westerly towards the north shore of Lake Erie. Time to dust off the hawk counters. Directions: Landfill 3 is located 1.6 kilometres north of Hwy 401 at the Puce Road (County Road 25) exit. While closed to disposal, the front gate of the landfill is open during regular business hours for the dog pound that is still on the property. Landfill 3 is 300 acres of grass lands (breeding Dickcissel during the breeding bird atlas), 30 acres of original or restoration planted Carolinian woodlots, 40 acres of controlled wetland and 3 acres of planted tall grass prairie. Todd Pepper Leamington, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
