Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 03, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 2050 5827 5985
Osprey 7 24 167
Bald Eagle 6 24 123
Northern Harrier 17 310 796
Sharp-shinned Hawk 759 3602 8851
Cooper's Hawk 71 128 177
Northern Goshawk 1 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 10 10
Broad-winged Hawk 90 675 72931
Red-tailed Hawk 31 62 86
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 1 2 2
American Kestrel 13 2021 4743
Merlin 0 38 96
Peregrine Falcon 0 6 29
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
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1
Total: 3046 12731 93999
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Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 14:00:00
Total observation time: 7.5 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Jim Dunn, Keith Sealy, Marguerite Irwin, Mary Carnahan,
Ronnie Goodhand
Visitors:
No visitors noted today ...but a big thanks to the counters for braving the
rain and ending up with a great count total...Colin, Marguerite, Ronnie,
Keith, Mary and Jim.
Weather:
Sometimes it pays to have a little faith...and today proved that as the
counters hung in even with the rain at the start...eventually it let up and
the birds began to move. The temps weren't as cold as the past couple of
days ranging from 11C to 15C and winds were lighter from the NE and N for
the day. Lots of low cloud for the entire day.
Raptor Observations:
An excellent total for the day given the weather with 3,046 birds
tallied...and the last hour was especially busy with 1,574 bird passing
through. The bulk of the flight today...TV's (2,050) and Sharpies (759).
Other species included Osprey (7), Bald Eagle (6), Harriers (17), BW's
(90), Redtails (31) and Kestrels (13). Our 2nd Golden Eagle of the season
was spotteed along with our 2nd N. Goshawk. And finally, we had 71 Cooper's
hawks with 53 of them passing in the last hour of the count! This is a new
1-HOUR record ...surpassing the old record of 27 set back on Oct 25, 2006.
Non-raptor Observations:
Spotted from the mound this morning were 3 Common Loons, 1 Great Blue
Heron, a Pileated Woodpecker and 5200 Blue Jays. Other woodpeckers today
were Downy Woodpecker, Northern Flicker and 2 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers.
During a particularly productive flurry of raptors in the latter part of
the morning, observers noticed many Tree Swallows and a single Chimney
Swift apparently mixed in with the various raptors. A couple of Barn
Swallows were also among the mix. 50 Tree Swallows were also seen on the
beach in Port Stanley over the lunch hour.
Other non-raptor sightings today included a Phoebe, a Tufted Titmouse, a
few Gray Catbirds, both Golden- and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Robins, and a
Hermit Thrush. Warblers spotted were Yellow-rumped, Blackpoll,
Orange-crowned and one each of Black-throated Blue and Blackburnian.
Predictions:
Tuesday looks promising with predicted NW winds and lots of sunshine.
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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
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ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
