Holiday Beach Conservation Area
Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 03, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Turkey Vulture 621 797 29935
Osprey 0 0 82
Bald Eagle 8 9 148
Northern Harrier 6 7 428
Sharp-shinned Hawk 29 61 5472
Cooper's Hawk 21 34 553
Northern Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 16 42 319
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 6055
Red-tailed Hawk 509 628 2038
Rough-legged Hawk 2 2 12
Golden Eagle 1 3 12
American Kestrel 1 3 936
Merlin 0 1 85
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 51
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 9
Unknown Buteo 12 12 18
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 2
Unknown Raptor 0 0 5
Black Vulture 0 0 1
Gyrfalcon 0 0 1
Swainson's Hawk 0 0 3
Total: 1227 1602 46167
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Observation start time: 07:15:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7.75 hours
Official Counter: Bob Pettit
Observers: Dave Stimac, Jim McCoy, Karen Padbury, Kory Renaud,
Larry Ludwicki, Peter Gottschling, Tom Schlack
Visitors:
Folks from Michigan (4), Essex area (3).
Weather:
Wind was moderate from the NW. During the end of the count period the wind
shifted from NW->W->SW->NW. The flight became reduced and the count
terminated. In the mid mourning the flight line was north of the Tower an a
slightly NW line. Crows, RT, RS, SS, CH, RL all were mixed in a massive
flock of moving birds like a river of moving objects that had to be
carefully searched for its contents.
Raptor Observations:
The highlight was recored by the lake Hawk Banding Station in the late
mourning. Just after opening the nets and completing the setup, a large
bird glided in on the lure and hit the net and got caught with one foot. In
the race to capture the bird before it fled, the banders tumbled over each
other in the race to grab that bird. They missed as the GYRFALCON dark
form flew south along the lake shore. The Tower was notified but observers
never spotted this âsecondâ GY this season.
11 species of raptors were recorded along with 621 turkey vultures. TV
were 51% of the total (1.227) and RT were 41% of the total birds tallied.
RS were 16 while only one GE and 2 RL were noted.
Non-raptor Observations:
Blackbirds were 1,000+, Crows were 5,000+. Other sightings included; Canada
Goose, Mute Swan, Gadwall, American Wigeon, Mallard, Northern Shoveler,
Canvasback, Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Bonaparte's Gull, Ring-billed Gull,
Belted Kingfisher, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Northern
Flicker, Blue Jay-2, Tree Swallow-17, Bk-capped Chickadee, Carolina Wren,
Eastern Bluebird, American Robin, American Pipit, Song Sparrow, R.-winged
Blackbird, Common Grackle, B.-headed Cowbird, Pine Siskin, American
Goldfinch
Predictions:
Much the same weather and hopefully the same birds with created numbers.
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Report submitted by Bob Pettit ([email protected])
Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at:
http://hbmo.org/
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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/
