Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 16, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 692 16968 20359
Osprey 0 13 193
Bald Eagle 1 37 176
Northern Harrier 0 93 645
Sharp-shinned Hawk 136 1829 7482
Cooper's Hawk 3 61 147
Northern Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 3 23 26
Broad-winged Hawk 0 4 37168
Red-tailed Hawk 44 398 769
Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1
Golden Eagle 0 2 3
American Kestrel 2 164 2908
Merlin 1 12 76
Peregrine Falcon 0 36 116
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: 882 19643 70071
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Colin Horstead
Observers: Carol Parafenko, Ernie Gribble, Jim Dunn, Kathy,
Keith Sealy, Kirk Mitchell, Mac McAlpine, Mary Carnahan,
Ronnie Goodhand, Steve Birch, Wayne Parnall
Visitors:
Thanks to everyone who was out to help spot the birds today...Colin as
official counter...along with Ernie, Ronnie,Mac, Keith, Wayne, Jim, Mary,
Kathy (and her Great Dane!), Steve Birch and Kirk and Kathy Mitchell from
Bright's Grove.
Weather:
Gray clouds in the morning ....then clearing at noon. Winds were light from
the NW to start then swung quickly through SW to S for the rest of the day.
Temp started around 7C and got to a high of 10C.
Raptor Observations:
Despite the cloud cover clearing around noon, migrating raptors seemed to
decide to stay put, wherever they were, from noon to 1 pm...even though
conditions seemed ideal for a big push westward.
However, a few birds started to move after 1:00 pm and the final tally for
the day was 882. Most of the flight today involved TVs (692) and Sharpies
(136)...smaller numbers of Redtails (44) and Red-shoulders (3), Cooper's
Hawk (3), Kestrels (2) and singles of Bald Eagle and Merlin.
Non-raptor Observations:
Many thanks to Mac, Ernie, Steve and Jim for today's non-raptor sightings
which once again included multitudes of Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as a
few Blackpoll and Orange-crowned and a single Nashville. Many American
Robins were heard and seen particularly around Sharpie Alley and the
entrance to the woods. Grackles and Red-winged Blackbirds were found just
inside the woods path and Starlings were still present in similar numbers
to yesterday at Sharpie Alley and just south of the corner of Dexter Line.
Kinglets (Ruby- and Golden-crowned) continue to be found up and down the
road and Re- & White-breasted Nuthatches were easily found in several
locations today. A pleasant surprise was a flock of Cedar Waxwings
enjoying a berry feast towards the south end of HC Rd.
Hermit Thrush and Winter Wrens can still be found at the south end of the
ravine. Observers also reported 5 species of Sparrow today (White-crowned,
White-throated, Song, Lincolns and Swamp) plus Eastern Towhee and Dark-eyed
Junco as well as Northern Cardinal and Gray Catbird. Nice finds were House
Finch and Purple Finch, a Great Blue Heron, Downy, Hairy and Red-Bellied
Woodpeckers, 2 Phoebes, Bluebirds at Robert's Ln and a Monarch Butterfly at
the mound.
Passerine flocks spotted at the B&B were American Pipits, Horned Larks,
Pine Siskins, many American Crows and 2 Killdeer. Flocks spotted from the
mound included Tree Swallows, Robins and American Goldfinch.
In addition to the single Monarch, observers reported sighitngs of Common
Buckeye, Clouded Sulphur and a Mourning Cloak today near the mound.
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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
_______________________________________________
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/
