>From
Tim Mccarthy via Ontbirds
If I write nothing else today (don't you wish) I want to thank all the folks
who mailed me back with Broadwinged Hawk sightings. Its going to take some
time, but with everyone's help (yes, that means you too) I believe a new
picture is going to emerge of their migration patterns. Look for that pepper in
the clouds. The time is drawing short.
Today we had what you'd call second best weather, winds N to NNW fairly strong,
cloud cover averaging around 60%, pressure rising and humidity falling.
Which produced the following cast of characters:
60 Turkey Vultures
2 Osprey
10 Bald Eagles
7 Northern Harriers
194 Sharpshins
15 Coopers
635 Broadwings
15 Redtails
23 Am Kestrels
3 Merlins
1 Peregrine
9 elated Hawkwatch Regulars and to my utter delight
6 Hawkwatch Newbies and a host of e-mail communicators.
The highlight for me, apart from the swirling kettles of broadwings, was a
dustup between 2 Coopers Hawks. One the "Resident" vs the "Migrant." I learned
that they fly totally differently when they are being aggressive and also do
what Europeans commonly observe but we don't seem to - they deployed their "air
brakes"- tufts of bright white feathers stuck out at either side of the rump
which are common to all 3 accipiters.
And if you don't learn something new every day then you ain't livin'.
It looks like the weather isn't going to be so good until maybe next Monday but
then - look out.
Hawk Hill is, of course, just North of the parking lot of the Grenadier
Restaurant in gorgeous High Park where the Toronto road workers seem to be
conducting a clinic on blocking important and related thoroughfares all at once
so drive in at the east entrance if you're lucky or walk south from the High
Park subway station, not to Grenadier Pond but to Grenadier Restaurant.
Good Birding,
Tim Mccarthy
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