Weather: Clear skies at first, then a nice balance of cloud and blue sky for the rest of the day. Light northwest wind created good flight conditions from mid-morning until mid-afternoon, then the wind switched to an onshore breeze off Lake Ontario, which pushed the vultures farther inland.
Observation time: 8 hours Turkey Vulture - 680 Bald Eagle - 2 (1 juvenile and one 2nd year) Northern Harrier - 9 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 47 Cooper's Hawk - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 49 Broad-winged Hawk - 2 American Kestrel - 17 Merlin - 2 Unidentified Accipiter - 2 Unidentified Buteo - 1 TOTAL - 813 Other Birds: 55 species including 14 species of waterfowl, 4 Pied-billed Grebes, 1 Common Gallinule, 1 American Coot, 4 Black-crowned Night-Herons, 10 Great Egrets, 2 Pectoral Sandpipers, 2 Wilson's Snipes, 1 adult Bonaparte's Gull, 1 Eastern Phoebe, 4 Common Ravens, 1 Marsh Wren, several American Pipits, 1 Swamp Sparrow, many Rusty Blackbirds perched in great light in trees and fed on the path. Blackbird migration was steady throughout the day, but very few Blue Jays were moving. Butterflies: Monarch - 33, Common Buckeye, Orange Sulphur, Clouded Sulphur, Cabbage White and Mourning Cloak. Official Counter: Jean Iron Other Observers: Many thanks to everyone who helped spot the birds. Jerry Ball, Rick LaForest, Scott Martin, Eric Cole, Sean Smith, Rosemary Harris, Falmai Page, Charlie Adey, Brandon McWalters, Barry Skully, Joyce Collier-Brown, Jim Logan, David Worthington, Doug Lockrey, King Baker, Jim Skene, Mike Newell. OFO Hawkwatching Guide (ID tips, migration times, hawk basics) http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/articles.hawkwatching Directions: From Victoria Street in Whitby go south on Halls Road to the second short walkway going east to the Cranberry Marsh Lookout. Jean Iron Toronto, Ontario _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
