[Ontbirds] HSR: Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch (18 Sep 2011) 206 Raptors
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 18, 2011 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 12 14 Osprey 2 85100 Bald Eagle 2 83 83 Northern Harrier10318351 Sharp-shinned Hawk 88 3456 3489 Cooper's Hawk0 37 37 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 18 71855 71888 Red-tailed Hawk 0 14 17 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel82 1916 2014 Merlin 2 26 36 Peregrine Falcon 2 8 8 Unknown Accipiter0 0 0 Unknown Buteo0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 206 77811 78038 -- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter:Colin Horstead Observers:Bill Reid, Dave Verkley, Derek Lyon, Jennifer Lyon, Jim Dunn, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Mark Cunningham, Mary Carnahan, Rose Visitors: Lots of visitors...those who were noted included Bill Hay (Alvinston), Kristen Park and Stefan Wasowicz (Kitchener). Thanks to all our counters and observers...Colin H., Mark C., Jen and Derek L., Jim D., Kathy, Dave V., Bill R., Keith S., Mary C. and Rose. Thanks as well to the St. Thomas Field Naturalists, Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders for putting on the live bird demos...and to Bruce P., Ann W., Erin and Lisa for their work on Monarchs and butterfly tagging. Weather: A big change weatherwise from yesterday...with moderate to strong winds that started NE then went ENE, SE, ESE then settling in to SE. Temp ranged from 9C to a high of 18C. Cloud cover was nil to start and built to 70% by the end of the count period. Raptor Observations: Total birds today was just 206...a far cry from the 1000's yesterday. The bulk of today;s flight were Sharpies (88) and Kestrels (82)...and 2 seemed to be the magic number for Osprey, Bald Eagle Merlin and Peregrine (the only real highlights for the day). Also had 10 Harriers and a mere 18 Broadwings! Non-raptor Observations: A Common Nighthawk was spotted from the mound this morning as were a couple of migrating flocks of Blue Jays (total number of jays was 150) and a small flock of Eastern Bluebirds. Some bluebirds were also heard singing from the fields along the cliff on both yesterday and today. As well, several bluebirds were found enjoying some late morning sun on the wires along Dexter Line between the Cliff and Port Stanley. Hawkwatchers also reported 5 Common Loons, a Great Blue Heron and 6 Tree Swallows and a lone Sandhill Crane was spotted passing north of the hawkwatch. Warblers were still around today with at least 11 species spotted. There were still lots of Blackpoll, Am. Redstart and Magnolia. A new bird for this season was a single Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, seen (and heard) in the willows just south of the mound. Butterflies were abundant again today with lots of Orange and Clouded Sulphurs, Monarchs, a couple of Viceroys, many Eastern Tailed Blues, a few Summer Azures, a Mourning Cloak and one each of Eastern Comma and Question Mark. Report submitted by Dave Brown (thebro...@ezlink.on.ca) 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 birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Great Egret
A great Egret has been frequenting a pond close to the Greens of Renton Golf Club for about a week. He was there at 0900 this morning again. The pond is on the south side of Concession 14 Townsend about 1.5Km west of the Golf Club. The Golf Club is at the corner of Cockshutt Road and Concession 14. Drive west on Hwy 3 from Jarvis or east on Hwy 3 from Simcoe. Turn North at the Esso Stn in Renton and then West on the 14th Concesssion the pond will be on your left about 1.5 Km from the Golf Club and easily seen from the road. Richard Hardman ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Red-necked Phalarope@Presqu'ile
Greetings Ontbirders Margaret Tourney and I birded Owen point and Gull Island today.The Red-necked Phalarope continues to be seen at the end of Owen Pt. Other shorebirds seen were 15-20 Black-bellied Plovers,10-15 Semipalmated Plovers,1 Spotted Sandpiper, 3 Lesser Yellowlegs,1 Ruddy Turnstone,1 Red Knot,40-50 Sanderlings,20-25 Semipalmated Sandpipers,10-15 Least Sandpipers,3 White-rumped Sandpipers,1 Baird's sandpiper,3 Dunlin, and12 Pectoral Sandpipers. We didn't check up the beach but more shorebirds were visible. Bill Gilmour To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Ottawa/Gatineau - 20 Sep 11 - recent reports
Ontario/Quebec Ottawa/Gatineau 20 September 2011 Hotline: Ottawa Field-Naturalists' Club Phone number: 613-860-9000 For the Bird Status Line PRESS * (star) To report bird sightings PRESS 1 (one) Coverage: Ottawa/Gatineau (Canada National Capital Region) E. Ontario,W. Quebec Compiler transcriber: Chris Lewis hagen...@primus.ca, or sighti...@ofnc.ca There's been lots of excitement on the Ottawa River, beginning with an extended visit by a PARASITIC JAEGER, briefly punctuated by a POMARINE JAEGER, and most recently up to 2 SABINE'S GULLS have appeared. All of the above have been juvenile birds, and all were in the zone from Andrew Haydon Park to the Deschenes rapids. A somewhat early SNOW GOOSE was at the large quarry pond on Moodie Dr. south of Trail Rd. on the 17th, 20 GREAT EGRETS were feeding west of the Shirley's Bay causeway early on the morning of the 14th along with an equally large number of GREAT BLUE HERONS. GREEN HERONS and BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT-HERONS continue to be seen regularly in the Britannia Conservation Area. BALD EAGLE sightings have become almost routine along the river, and 2 PEREGRINE FALCONS were patrolling the Deschenes rapids on the 19th. The fall gathering of SANDHILL CRANES has begun in the traditional fields along Smith and Milton Rds. southwest of Navan - 26 were seen here on the 19th. Among the few shorebirds along the river were BLACK-BELLIED, AMERICAN GOLDEN and SEMIPALMATED PLOVER, GREATER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, SANDERLING, WHITE-RUMPED and BAIRD'S SANDPIPER. The High Falls Conservation Area in Casselman had good shorebird habitat on the 13th, and 9 species of waders included at least 100 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, several SANDERLING, WHITE-RUMPED and PECTORAL SANDPIPER, and a SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. A juvenile RED-NECKED PHALAROPE was still present in Britannia Bay as of the 20th. A SABINE'S GULL discovered on the 16th at the east end of Andrew Haydon Park was still around on the 20th, and 2 were seen flying and feeding below the Deschenes rapids on the 19th. Sixteen LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS of various ages and 76 GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS were roosting on the exposed rocks of the same rapids, also on the evening of the 19th, and at least 1 CASPIAN TERN is still hanging around between Parc Brebeuf and Andrew Haydon Park. The last report of a PARASITIC JAEGER in Britannia Bay was on the15th - the same day that a juvenile POMARINE JAEGER cruised by the beach and briefly harassed the gulls before heading northwest. A CAROLINA WREN discovered 2 1/2 weeks ago along the western fence line of the Britannia Conservation Area was noted again on the 18th, a few GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were along the Sarsaparilla Trail in the Stony Swamp, SWAINSON'S THRUSHES continue to fly over in the wee hours, and warbler-watching was again rewarding with a few good flocks found at Shirley's Bay and Britannia all week. A couple of late-ish YELLOW WARBLERS were still in Britannia on the 14th, and numerous PALM and BLACKPOLL WARBLERS were noted among the 10 species reported. At least 2 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS were at the base of the Shirley's Bay causeway on the 14th, and it's RUSTY BLACKBIRD time - the 1st report of the season came from the creek at Andrew Haydon Park on the 12th. Thank you - Good Birding! ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] HSR: Holiday Beach Conservation Area (19 Sep 2011) 1 Raptors
Holiday Beach Conservation Area Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 19, 2011 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Turkey Vulture 0136136 Osprey 0107107 Bald Eagle 0126126 Northern Harrier 0283283 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 4675 4675 Cooper's Hawk0201201 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk0 41708 41708 Red-tailed Hawk 0 59 59 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0969969 Merlin 0 51 51 Peregrine Falcon 0 7 7 Unknown Accipiter0 2 2 Unknown Buteo0 3 3 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 3 3 Unknown Raptor 0 5 5 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 1 48336 48336 -- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 10:00:00 Total observation time: 2 hours Official Counter:Tom Hince Observers: Weather: Overcast with SE winds and steady light rain. Raptor Observations: A single Sharp-shinned hawk braved the weather. Non-raptor Observations: No migration observed. Report submitted by Claude Radley (crad...@cogeco.ca) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] HSR: Holiday Beach Conservation Area (20 Sep 2011) 479 Raptors
Holiday Beach Conservation Area Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2011 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Turkey Vulture 56192192 Osprey 2109109 Bald Eagle 1127127 Northern Harrier14297297 Sharp-shinned Hawk 233 4908 4908 Cooper's Hawk 36237237 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 83 41791 41791 Red-tailed Hawk 2 61 61 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel50 1019 1019 Merlin 1 52 52 Peregrine Falcon 1 8 8 Unknown Accipiter0 2 2 Unknown Buteo0 3 3 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 3 3 Unknown Raptor 0 5 5 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 479 48815 48815 -- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter:Tom Hince Observers:Claude Radley, Jim McCoy, Olga Klekner, Stephen Kolbe Weather: A very pleasant day. Mostly sunny with the morning temp 13C rising to 23 by early afternoon. Light N winds becoming SE by 11:00. Raptor Observations: A steady stream of raptors over the tower in the morning drifted North of the site with the wind shift. The highlight of the day was an adult peregrine patrolling the beach. Non-raptor Observations: 84 species of non-raptors included: Pied-billed Grebe 15, Double-crested Cormorant 100+, Least Bittern 1, Great-blue Herons, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Heron 3, Mute Swan 84, Canada Goose 45, Wood Duck 25, Green-winged Teal 4, American Black Duck 1, Mallard 100+, Northern Pintail 3, Blue-winged Teal 4, Northern Shoveler 4, Gadwall 1, American Widgeon 4, Canvasback 2, Ring-necked Duck 3, Sora 1, Common Moorhen 2, American Coot 25, Black-bellied Plover 1, Killdeer 1, Lesser Yellowlegs 3, Solitary Sandpiper 1, Spotted Sandpiper 2, Pectoral Sandpiper 4, Stilt Sandpiper 2, Bonapartes Gull 5, Ring-billed Gull 200, Herring Gull 1, Caspian Tern 6, Rock Pigeon 3, Mourning Dove 10, Eastern Screech Owl 1, Great Horned Owl 1, Chimney Swift 5, Ruby-throated Hummingbird 6, Belted Kingfisher 2, Red-headed Woodpecker 3, Downy Woodpecker 2, Northern Flicker 14, Eastern Phoebe 1, Tree Swallow 6, Barn Swallow 4, Swallow Species 15, Blue Jay 3,440, American Crow 1, Black-capped Chickadee 2, Carolina Wren 1, House Wren 1, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher 2, American Robin 3, Gray Catbird 6, American Pipit 2, Cedar Waxwing 30, European Starling 25, Philadelphia Vireo 1, Nashville Warbler 1, Northern Parula 3, Chestnut-sided Warbler 2, Magnolia Warbler 6, Black-throated Blue Warbler 1, Yellow-rumped Warbler 15, Black-throated Green Warbler 4, Palm Warbler 8, Blackpoll Warbler 7, Black and White Warbler 2, American Redstart 3, Northern Waterthrush 1, Common Yellowthroat 3, Wilsons Warbler 3, Northern Cardinal 2, Rose-breasted Grosbeak 1, Song Sparrow 1, Lincolns Sparrow 1, Swamp Sparrow 2, Bobolink 1, Red-winged Blackbird 10, Common Grackle 15, House Finch 2, American Goldfinch 155. Black Saddlebags 100+, Common Green Darter 100+, Monarch Butterfly 72. Predictions: Sunny and warm with moderate South winds and the risk of a thunderstorm. Report submitted by Claude Radley (crad...@cogeco.ca) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] HSR: Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch (20 Sep 2011) 253 Raptors
Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 20, 2011 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 12 14 Osprey 2 87102 Bald Eagle 0 83 83 Northern Harrier12330363 Sharp-shinned Hawk 161 3617 3650 Cooper's Hawk0 37 37 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk8 71863 71896 Red-tailed Hawk 0 14 17 Rough-legged Hawk0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel67 1983 2081 Merlin 1 27 37 Peregrine Falcon 2 10 10 Unknown Accipiter0 0 0 Unknown Buteo0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Total: 253 78064 78291 -- Observation start time: 06:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter:Colin Horstead Observers:Eric Single, Jim Dunn, Kathy, Keith Sealy, Mary Carnahan, Matt Oswald, Ronnie Goodhand, Steve Birch Visitors: No one noted today. Thanks to Colin, Matt, Mary, Eric S., Jim, Kathy, Keith, Ronnie and Steve B. Weather: Light winds for most of the day from NW then S then SE and back S. Cloud cover was non-exisitent ot start then building at most to 20% with high cirrus and vapour trails...and temp ranged from 12C to 21C. Raptor Observations: Todays flight was smaller mostly due to the poor winds with a total of 253. The bulk of today's birds were Sharpies (161) and Kestrels (67)...highlight was the late low Harriers (12 - with 8 in the last hour) and a couple more Peregrines. Also Osprey (2), Broadwings (8) and Merlin (1). Today's flight height was quite variable with the BW's, sharpies and Peregrines all passing over the hawkwatch very high...the Ospreys somewhere in the middle and the Harriers and Kestrels low over the field. Non-raptor Observations: Today marked the first big movement of Blue Jays with 7000 being counted by 9:00 AM (EST). The flow gradually subsided as the morning progressed. Nevertheless, by 11:00 AM (EST) at LEAST 11000 Blue Jays had been counted. We still have lots of warblers and vireos as a new wave moved in overnight with 13 Warbler species reported, very similar to the past few days. A few differences were apparent with sightings of Black-throated Blue males in several locations as well as Yellow-rumped and Palm all over the place. Vireos were Blue-headed, Red-eyed and Philadelphia. The pace became frenetic near the cliff as mumerous Ruby-crowned Kinglets and Black-capped Chickadees joined the action. Some welcome surprises today included 2 Barn Swallows zooming along the cliff and a Black-billed Cuckoo adult feeding a very young fledgling in a poplar tree close to the mound, thus providing everyone with great views...and a Great Blue Heron flew directly past the observers late in the day. In the insect department, there were still lots of butterfly species around and although the Monarch tally was light observers reported a couple of Red Admiral and Mourning Cloak sightings among others. As the morning progressed, hawkwatchers on the mound were entertained by a Katydid, a Praying Mantis and a Walking Stick out for a stroll. Predictions: Unsettled weather is on tap for the next few days with possible thunderstorms on Wed. However, it improves somewaht towards the end of the week...as long as we can stay out of the rain from the Hawk Cliff area and east. Report submitted by Dave Brown (thebro...@ezlink.on.ca) 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 birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
[Ontbirds] Wildwood Shorebirds, Sept 20
Ontbirders, Ross Snider and I made a quick check of the east end mudflats of Wildwood Lake today and, even though shorebird numbers [250 + / -] and variety were underwhelming, there remains 43 White-rumped Sandpiper [all holdovers from the 15th] - an absurd figure for mid September in Oxford. Our normal peak is mid October, with September numbers usually in the single digits. Other birds of note were a single Stilt Sand, 2 Bald Eagles and 4 Great Egrets. To reach the lake, take CR 6 north from the 401 to CR 28. Go west through Harrington and take the 1st right [31st Line] to the bridge. Cheers, James Holdsworth, Biological Consulting Services 14 Marian St, RR#1 Woodstock, On, N4S-7V6 [519]537-2027 226-228-0093 [NEW][cell] jmholdswo...@rogers.com ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
