Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Aug 31, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 1 1 1 Bald Eagle 3 3 3 Northern Harrier 14 14 14 Sharp-shinned Hawk 22 23 23 Cooper's Hawk 1 1 1 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 25 25 25 Red-tailed Hawk 2 2 2 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 33 35 35 Merlin 1 2 2 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 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 Total: 104 108 108 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours Official Counter: Dave Brown Observers: Bob Johnstone, Jim Dunn, Mary Carnahan, Matt Oswald Visitors: Thanks to Matt, Bob, Jim and Mary for joining in today for the count. Note that the portable washrooms have now been placed at the site and the count now runs through Sept, Oct and up to the end of Nov. Weather: A nice mix of sun and cloud with moderate and then strong NNE winds for the entire day. Temp started at about 14C and climbed to 19C. A great day for hawk watching! Raptor Observations: A pretty good flight for the end of August with a total of 104 birds. The bulk of today's flight was Sharpies (22), Kestrels (33) and Broadwings (25). We also had some nice N. Harriers (14) 3 of which were males with 2 probable adults and one that appeared to be a 2nd year (SY) immature bird, singles of Osprey and Cooper's Hawk, Bald Eagles (3) that were sub-adults of various ages and not likely to be local birds so were counted as actual migrants) although we had at least another 15 BAEAs that were a mix of what appeared to be juvenile (HY) and adult birds and observed headed in all directions. We also counted a couple of Redtails that were very high with the Broadwings and seemed to be on a mission to migrate and finally a lone Merlin that caught something at the cliff edge and then flew to the bushlot straight out from the knoll and ate its meal. Made for some great views in the scope. Non-raptor Observations: Even before the raptors got moving there were passerines everywhere along the roadway. We had a total of 14 warbler species including... Blue-winged (2), Black-and-White (2), Tennessee (1), Chestnut-sided (4), Black-throated Blue (2), Blackburnian (3), Nashville (2), Ovenbird (1), Cape May (4), Bay-breasted (2), Yellow (3), Am. Redstart (3), Magnolia (2), Common Yellowthroat (1). We had a total of 5 Flycatcher species including... Great Crested (5), Least (1), Yellow-bellied (1 - vocalized several times and had very yellow undersides and a distinct complete eye-ring), E. Pewee (1 - also vocalized) and finally a wonderful Olive-sided that sat right at the tip of a bare tree in the bright sunlight making for great viewing through the scope (possibly the same bird photographed last week). We had a total of 6 Woodpecker species including... N. Flicker (5), Pileated (2), Yellow-bellied Sapsucker (2 - juv. birds), Red-bellied (1), Hairy (1 - vocalized a few times) and finally Downy (2). Other species... Wood and Swainson's Thrush, WB Nuthatch (2), BG Gnatcatcher (1), Gray Catbirds (8), Cedar Waxwings (14), House Wren (2), Wild Turkey (10 - all juv. birds that flew fight over our heads not 15 ft up!), Blue Jays (10), Baltimore Oriole (2), Warbling Vireo (2), Red-eyed Vireo (6), Rose-breasted Grosbeak (1), Am. Goldfinch (20), Common Nighthawk (1), Common Loon (3), Swallows... Barn (25), Tree (12), Bank (5) and many more unidentified, N. Cardinal (3). ======================================================================== 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 (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
