Holiday Beach Conservation Area Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 01, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 1 1 1 Bald Eagle 2 2 2 Northern Harrier 1 1 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 0 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 1 1 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 2 2 2 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 7 7 7 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 13:45:00 Total observation time: 7.75 hours Official Counter: Jim Pawlicki Observers: Visitors: A few, including Bob Pettit, Claude Radley, Caroline Staddon, 2 bird-banding students from Dr. Dan Mennill's class at University of Windsor, and Jim McCoy, all briefly. Weather: Nice in the morning, turning to hot mid-day. Winds light from the SW switching to S through the day. Raptor Observations: Slow first day as expected for the south winds, but with a few raptors moving, including 4th and 1st-year Bald Eagles, single Osprey, N. Harrier, juv. Red-tail, and 2 Kestrels. Also observed were local ad. and juv. Bald Eagles fishing the shoreline and marsh, along with a perched Osprey. Non-raptor Observations: Good movement of Purple Martins in the morning with 1,382 tallied. Fair numbers of Am. Goldfinch (199), and Cedar Waxwing (80) moving in the morning as well. 7 sp. of Warblers (Yellowthroat, Blackburnian, Wilson's, Black-and-white, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, and N. Waterthrush), and 3 sp. of Flycatchers were around the tower highlighted by an Acadian Flycatcher that was observed and heard calling. Predictions: Cloudy with a 40% chance of thunderstorms. High 30C with winds S to SE 5-10 km/h. Not many raptors expected. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Jim Pawlicki ([email protected]) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ Site Description: 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). 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). Directions to site: Entering Canada from Detroit at the Ambassador Bridge: After Canadian Customs, stay left 50 yards, passing over the railroad tracks. You are now on Huron Church Road leading to Highway 401 and Highway 3. Continue east 3.8 miles to the intersection with Todd and Cabana roads. Go through the intersection, staying to the right. In less than 100 yards the main road splits; 401 and 3 continue to the left as the main road and Huron Church narrows and angles to the right. Follow Huron Church right for 0.5 miles to Disputed Road. After angling a right turn onto Disputed Road, travel south. PLEASE OBEY SPEED LIMITS, they aer usually monitored. At 4 miles Disputed Road intersects with Townline Road, and the name changes to Concession 5. Continue south 5 miles and Concession 5 "T"'s with South Townline Road. Turn left and travel east 0.2 miles, turning right (south) onto Concession 6. Continue south for 3.4 miles to the intersection with Highway 20 at Malden Centre in the town of Amherstburg. There is a restaurant/convenience/gas store on the southeast corner of the intersection. Go through the intersection south onto Route 50 for 1.3 miles. The entrance to the Holiday Beach Conservation Area is on the right. Pay entry fee and continue to the Hawk Tower at the south end of the park. Park vehicle and walk to the tower. West bound on Routes 401 and 3 Howard Avenue, Route 9, intersects Routes 401 and 3 east of Windsor. Take Howard Avenue south to Highway 20 ("T"'s) and turn right (west) traveling (about 2 miles) to Malden Centre in the town of Amherstburg. A restaurant/convenience/gas store is on the left. Turn left (south) on to Route 50 for 1.3 miles; the entrance to HBCA is on the right. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
