Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 13, 2009
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 0 0 13
Osprey 19 63 69
Bald Eagle 3 56 74
Northern Harrier 10 56 81
Sharp-shinned Hawk 175 1345 1371
Cooper's Hawk 4 23 25
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0
Broad-winged Hawk 3265 3979 4006
Red-tailed Hawk 3 15 20
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 289 873 887
Merlin 2 26 29
Peregrine Falcon 2 11 14
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: 3772 6447 6589
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Observation start time: 06:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Al Hurst, Ches Caister, Dave Brown, Derek Lyon, Eric Single,
Jennifer Lyon, Jim Dunn, Keith Sealy, Mark Cunningham,
Ronnie Goodhand, Tom Bolohan
Visitors:
Lots of visitors today for the 2nd day of our first open house weekend.
Thanks to those that helped spot birds today.
Weather:
Very warm with a high to 25C...and for a good part of the day you could add
a humidex onto that making it feel much warmer. On the other hand the wind
cooperated with light NW winds backing slightly to WNW and light and back
to moderate NW later in the afternoon. The day started with no cloud and
eventually built up to almost 100%.
Raptor Observations:
Excellent flight today...and likely a precursor for some (we hope) bigger
flights sometime over the next few days. Total raptors for the day
...3772...the majority being Broadwings (3265). The Broadwings kettled
right in front and above the count site several times through the day which
worked out nicely for all the visitors for the 2nd day of our open house.
The Kestrel flight (289) was almost constant throughout the count period.
Another couple of Peregrines came through...one younsgter that wheeled
right over the crowd of visitors.
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of RT Hummingbirds again today...and decent numbers of Monarchs on the
move especially right along the cliff (though not as many as a few days
ago). Still good warblers in the trees and shrubs along Hawks Cliff Rd. A
Pileated Woodpecker crossed the field to the left of the counters a couple
of times.
Predictions:
For Monday the winds are predicted to be NW light to moderate with lots of
sunshine. Given today's Broadwing flight there's a good chance of an even
bigger flight on Monday. Winds are supposed to continue out of the NW, N or
NE over the next few days just in time for the typical Broadwing main
flight.
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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:
The Hawk Cliff Hawk watch is located just east of Port Stanley on the cliff
overlooking Lake Erie. Over the years the Hawk Cliff site has grown in
popularity and today it is recognized as one of the prime fall migration
hawk watching destinations in North America.
Every year hundreds of birders (and non-birders!) from Canada, the U.S.
and other countries visit the site. Knowledgeable volunteers are always on
hand to assist visitors with raptor identification and to raise public
awareness on the subject of raptor migration.
Birders can normally expect to see some 15 different raptor species with
typical count totals reaching several thousand birds per day. The count
season is from September 1st to November 30th.
On a few exceptional occasions lucky visitors have witnessed the amazing
spectacle of over 100,000 raptors of various species migrating past Hawk
Cliff in a single day!
Hawk Cliff hawkwatch is a great location for visitors to come to learn
about raptors and their migration. We cater to school groups, and will
arrange to provide special live bird demos for the kids (if possible)
depending on the day's flight.
Please visit the Hawk Cliff Foundation website listed above for more
detailed information and special events.
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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