Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 20, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 2 4 4 Bald Eagle 0 0 0 Northern Harrier 9 16 16 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 2 2 Cooper's Hawk 0 1 1 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 12 12 12 Red-tailed Hawk 0 0 0 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 9 14 14 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 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: 33 49 49 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Jim Dunn Observers: Keith Sealy, Mary Carnahan Visitors: A big thanks to the Jim, Mary and Keith for doing the count today! Weather: Moderate winds from the NNW and NE today...always good for pushing the birds to the lakeshore. Temp to a high of 22C with a lot of blue sky and a few clouds on and off throughout the day. Raptor Observations: The Hawk Cliff hawkwatch is underway for another season and some of our observers have already been onsite for a few days this August. Today's flight wasn't too bad for mid-August...helped no doubt by the northerly winds. A total of 33 raptors were tallied for the day....with Osprey (2), N. Harrier (9), a Sharpie, Kestrel (9) and the first Broadwings of the season (12 - most of which were "astronomical" high according to Jim)....with many more to come! The end of August and the beginning of September is a great time to spot species like Osprey, N. Harrier, Sharpies, Kestrels and some of the local Bald Eagle family groups...especially along the cliff edge itself. Non-raptor Observations: Non-raptor highlights included a multitude of SWALLOWS ( Bank (few), Barn (many), Tree and Purple Martin)...Great Blue Heron (typically seen hanging around on the beach below the Cliff with the gulls)...Yellow-billed Cuckoos (often sighted by paying attention to clumps of fall webworm) and a single Wood Thrush seen in the pines just inside the Cabin Path. Today's "early birds" included Pileated Woodpecker and Common Loon, both spotted by Jim...and later in the day a couple of Great-Crested Flycatchers. A small wave of warblers entertained hawkwatchers on the mound including Am. Redstart, Blackburnian, Magnolia, Yellow and Black & White. A mob of Red-eyed Vireos were spotted in the woods, but viewed from the roadside, which is often the best place to get good looks at migrant songbirds. Today's new warbler was Chestnut-sided. For those interested in dragonflies they were large in number and in size, mainly Black Saddlebags, Green Darners and a nice look at Fawn Darner. Butterflies were also in abundance with Painted Ladies, Cabbage Whites (lots), Common Sootywings, Orange & Clouded Sulphurs and a few Summer Azures & Buckeyes along the cliff's edge. We are still seeing the odd Tiger Swallowtail, some bedraggled Red-spotted Purples and in the laneways numerous Eastern Tailed Blues. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Dave Brown ([email protected]) Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.ezlink.on.ca/~thebrowns/HawkCliff/index.htm _______________________________________________ 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/
