Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 01, 2008
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 232 232 21920
Osprey 1 1 213
Bald Eagle 9 9 253
Northern Harrier 35 35 634
Sharp-shinned Hawk 78 78 8463
Cooper's Hawk 33 33 252
Northern Goshawk 10 10 17
Red-shouldered Hawk 110 110 480
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 100354
Red-tailed Hawk 940 940 2833
Rough-legged Hawk 4 4 27
Golden Eagle 65 65 180
American Kestrel 3 3 3797
Merlin 2 2 103
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 50
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 7
Unknown Buteo 0 0 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Mississippi Kite 0 0 1
Total: 1522 1522 139586
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Dave Brown, Dave Irwin, Dave Verkley, Derek Lyon, Doug Happ,
Fran Rew, Jennifer Lyon, Jim Landau, Karen Landau, Kathy,
Keith Sealy, Mac McAlpine, Mark Cunningham, Mike Irwin,
Mike Neilson, Phil Waggett, Shay Redmond, Su Ross-Redmond,
Wayne Parnall
Visitors:
Lots...including Marie and Dan Dillon (Sarnia), George MacDermid, Louise
and Gary McAsh (London), Anthony Miller and Chris Street. A big thankyou to
all of the usual suspects made it out today...it certainly made for a
enjoyable day. A special thanks to the crew from NY...Jim and Karen Landau,
Fran Rew and Doug Happ for making the trip to help out. :) At one point
there were 30 - 40 people and lots of spotting scopes lining the field.
Weather:
Mostly blue skies to start...with clouds building in as the day wore on.
Good thermals judging by the lift the birds were getting. Temp got to
12C....and winds were moderate NE to start and ended light from the SE.
Good visibility.
Raptor Observations:
UNBELIEVABLE!! How else to describe 65 Golden Eagles passing by in a SINGLE
DAY!!!. This obliterated our original 1-day record of 36 back on Oct. 29,
1998. Often we were just managing to enjoy one eagle passing overhead when
someone would pipe up that more were on the way. A new 1-hour record was
set with 14 between 10-11 A.M. (beating the old record of 13on Oct 27,
2004)Many of these birds provided great looks again today...though as the
day wore on they got higher and higher. We had already surpassed our
1-month record with 115 this October (had been 96 in Nov 2006). With
today's count we're at 180, passing our 1-year record (had been 151 from
2007). Luckily, this amazing flight was witnessed by a large number of our
usual spotters / counters and many visitors.
Other species put in a good showing as well with lots of Redtails (940 -
including 1 dark morph Redtail) and Red-shoulders (110)...Goshawks (10) and
Roughlegs (4)....with a total of 13 species recorded. Toal count for the
day was 1522 birds.
Non-raptor Observations:
Just to add to the great hawkwatching we had a pile of passerines moving
through as well....including A. Pipits (at least 10 flocks), Pine Siskins
(2 flocks), Bluebirds, Rusty Blackbirds (one photographed by Mark
Cunningham while it drank from a puddle)...and the real treat...a flock of
20 White-winged Crossbills. The Crossbills passed by the counters and lit
in a stand of spruce across the road and just to our north. They stayed
only briefly to allow some nice viewing through the scopes...then took off
and flew on to the west.
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Report submitted by Dave Brown ([EMAIL PROTECTED])
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch information may be found at:
http://www.ezlink.on.ca/~thebrowns/HawkCliff/index.htm
Site Description:
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch:
Oldest Hawkwatch in Ontario - since 1931 - located just east of Port
Stanley on the cliff overlooking Lake Erie
Directions to site:
>From east 401, take the Highbury south cut off at London, follow Highbury
(Hwy 30) south to St. Thomas. Highbury changes into South Edgeware at a
large curve in the road to the west. Follow South Edgeware west to the
first set of traffic lights - Burwell Road, turn left (south) and stay on
this road. It becomes Fairview Ave (Regional Road 22), which runs directly
into Hawk Cliff Road. You will see a sign for Hawkes Cliff Farm, where they
sell fresh vegetables and a gravel road just beyond sign. Just continue
down gravel road to viewing area.
>From west 401, take the Highway # 4 (Colonel Talbot Rd.) exit south,
through Talbotville, road now is Sunset Rd. continue towards St. Thomas;
you will come to a veer in the road, straight up to St. Thomas, veer to the
right for Port Stanley, follow Highway 4, now Sunset to Port Stanley. As
you approach Port Stanley you will come to a large curve in the road with
a sign saying East St, to the left. Take East St., and follow it to the
first road left, (opposite Port Stanley Water Tower) Dexter Line. Follow
Dexter Line approximately 2 km. and turn right down gravel road at Hawkes
Cliff Farm, and follow gravel road to viewing area
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