Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch
Port Stanley, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 08, 2013
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 13 320 21850
Osprey 0 0 128
Bald Eagle 2 13 214
Northern Harrier 0 7 456
Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 36 6575
Cooper's Hawk 6 19 250
Northern Goshawk 0 1 9
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 45 926
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 59371
Red-tailed Hawk 8 318 3797
Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 28
Golden Eagle 14 34 72
American Kestrel 0 0 1571
Merlin 1 1 65
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 99
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 2
Total: 62 798 95413
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Mary Carnahan
Observers: Bill Read, Bob Johnstone, Ernie Gribble, Jim Dunn,
Mike Street, Tom Bolohan
Visitors:
Lots of visitors and several observers and counters. Thanks to all who
helped espy the birds and get the count done for the day...including Mary,
Jim, Tom B., Ernie G., Mike S., Bill R., Bob J...and anyone else whose
names I didn't get in the report.
Weather:
Winds were moderate to light from the W, to WNW and then back to WSW. Temp
started at 3C and got to a high of 6C. Lots of cloud cover for the entire
count period.
Raptor Observations:
The total birds for the day was 62 birds.
The highlights for today...were 14 Golden Eagles! The first Golden of the
day was the only low down bird, probably came out of the woods directly
across from us, After that they were high, high, high, until the last hour
when they got a bit lower. A second Golden was spotted in the morning as
well. As the afternoon wore on the flight path moved somewhat farther south
so they were directly over us at the laneway at the south end of the Alley.
More Goldens passed through until about 2:30 when we spotted the last
couple for the afternoon.
As always, the Goldens were a mix of ages with several that were likely
juvenile or immature birds and only a couple that appeared to be adults.
While driving through the ravine, a Roughie appeared out of nowhere,
probably had been perched beside the road in the ravine, and appeared to
launch itself from the hood of my car, it was that low and close. It flew
ahead of me then veered off towards the barn to the east. I was hoping it
would turn and maybe make a pass over the corn / tobacco field and head
west over the other observers, but I asked when I got back, and no, it had
appeared over the ravine and flew across the field towards the east. It
was not observed heading westward although I was watching for it throughout
the afternoon so was not included in the count.
Also in the 2nd hour, 3 Bald Eagles appeared very high up right at the
lake, and maybe out over the lake. They circled and circled for the
longest time, then 2 of them broke and flew like a pair northward along the
treeline across from us, still at high altitude. They then started an
aerial wresting routine, which I have seen many times this fall -- like
kids play fighting. The 3rd eagle caught sunlight sufficient to highlight
white head and tail, and continued westward at very high altitude and we
counted this bird.
The lone Merlin of the day rocketed across the field at the beginning of
the final hour.
Non-raptor Observations:
Today was a much better day for "dicky" birding than yesterday with the
gloom and rain. Consequently, regulars and visitors managed to spot 35
non-raptor species, many of them spotted from the observation location at
Sharpie Alley plus a Phoebe for species # 36 at the B&B. Several times
throughout the day there were sightings of individual Common Loons flying
south towards the lake and several flocks of Tundra Swans were noted in the
early morning. Other flocks included Mallards, Canada Geese, Killdeer,
Eastern Bluebirds (which were also seen sunning on the wires along Fairview
Rd and Dexter Ln, as well as flying back and forth near the knoll),
European Starlings (many were also hanging out in the woods and treeline
along the west side of Hawk Cliff Rd.), American Crows, American Pipits,
American Goldfinch and Cedar Waxwings. Blue Jays, although not migrating
across the field, are still hanging out in the woods in large numbers,
vocalizing throughout the day, as did many American Robins and of course
the Starlings joined the chorus which lasted throughout the day.
Closer to our observation spot at the Alley and around the observation
knoll to the south, many other species could be hearding singing as well,
most of which were easily spotted particlarly in the earlier part of the
day before the cloud rolled in. Species found along the road and in our
observation locations included most of the above plus Ring-billed, Herring
and Bonaparte's Gulls, Mourning Dove, Rock Pigeon, 4 species of Woodpecker
(Hairy, Downy, Red-bellied and Flicker), Chickadees, White- and
Red-breasted Nuthatch, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Northern
Cardinal, Song and White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird, House
Sparrow (at the corner), and House Finch.
========================================================================
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 including how to unsubscribe visit
http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
