Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 15, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 16 13084 13204 Osprey 0 33 116 Bald Eagle 0 14 72 Northern Harrier 0 120 513 Sharp-shinned Hawk 11 2046 6622 Cooper's Hawk 0 69 139 Northern Goshawk 0 2 3 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 4 4 Broad-winged Hawk 0 131 70695 Red-tailed Hawk 0 234 260 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 0 495 2240 Merlin 0 16 58 Peregrine Falcon 1 110 155 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 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Total: 28 16361 94085 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Mary Carnahan Observers: Cary Graham, Jim Dunn, Keith Sealy Visitors: No visitors today...but thanks to the counters today...Mary, Jim, Keith and Cary. Weather: Light S and SE winds for the day with pretty much complete cloud cover. Temp got to a high of 16C by the afternoon. Raptor Observations: A small flight today with just 28 birds ...with TV (16), Sharpie (11) and a lone Peregrine. The flight didn't get going until the third hour with a lone Sharpie, then 3 more in the next hour, and finally a Peregrine -- low and right at the Cliff. A few TVs cruised back and forth, up and down during the early hours, but finally, a few to the north got serious between 12 and 1 PM, crossing farther north, probably above Dexter Line from our perspective at the knoll. Non-raptor Observations: What we lacked in raptors was made up for in non-raptors, beginning with a flight of Monarch Butterflies -- on October 15th!! Over the 5-hour period, we saw at least 30 Monarchs. Other butterflies spotted today were Orange Sulphur, Cabbage White and Easter Comma. In non-raptor, avian news, observers reported 38 species for today including migrating flocks of American Goldfinches, European Starlings, American Robins, Bluejays (4000 for the day!), and Red-winged in the area surrounding the observation knoll as well as farther north along HC Rd. In addition there were scores of Ruby- and Golden-crowned Kinglets all over the place. With the abundance of passerines, birdsong replaced the sound of howling winds with a chorus that lasted throughout the morning. Symphonic highlights included White-throated and Song Sparrow, Blue-headed Vireo, House and Carolina Wrens, American Robin, Chickadee and Eastern Towhee. As well, observers reported sightings of Northern Cardinal, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Red-bellied Woodpecker and numerous Downy Woodpeckers in addition to Cedar Waxwings and Common Grackles (15 in one tree). All of these sightings were in the area surrounding the observation knoll. Viewed from the knoll were Killdeer, Cormorant, Ring-billed, Herring and Bonaparte's Gulls (a flock of 40 along the Cliff) and of course, the obligatory Canada Geese. ======================================================================== 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
