Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:45:00 Total observation time: 8.75 hours
Official Counter: Hugh Kent
Observers: Chad Cornish, Jeremy Bensette, Larry Ludwicki, Liz Kent, Michael St. Pierre, Mike Jaber, Noel Herdman, Peter Veighey
Visitors: A big thanks to Chad, Mike, Noel, Liz, Peter, Jeremy, Mike St P and Larry for all the help on what was a fairly busy day. It was good to see Heather and Alban, Rob from Ann Arbour and Neil from Detroit who all took an active part in the Hawk Watch.
Weather: Moderate to strong wind from the north initially, turning north east mid morning. Temperature around 8c, initially overcast but gradually clearing by early afternoon. Visibility good and pressure constant.
Raptor Observations: A good day. Big flight close to the tower mid morning of Red-tailed Hawk (226 day total) and Red-shouldered Hawk (75 day total), with Red shoulders leading the way initially. Then a reasonably constant 25 per hour Red-tails for the rest of the day with Red-Shoulders tailing off in the afternoon. Turkey Vultures came through in a few small groups in the middle of the day. Golden Eagles (6) flew past close to the shore in two groups late morning and late afternoon. Sharp-shinned Hawks (29), Coopers Hawks (27) and Northern Harriers (14) were spread throughout the day, accompanying the Buteos. A Rough-legged Hawk was a nice finish to the day.
Non-raptor Observations: Reasonable flights of American Goldfinch (337), Rusty Blackbird (408) and Cedar Waxwing throughout the day. American Crows (9850) seemed to pepper the sky constantly. Duck numbers have reduced a bit, with the exception of Gadwall and Mallard, but there was good diversity with twelve species seem. Dunlin (40) flew in and settled on the marsh for a time and it was good to see both American White Pelican (12) and Sandhill Crane flying by. A white-winged Crossbill was heard calling as it flew over at height near the end of the day. The list is at https://ebird.org/checklist/S202313100.
Predictions: Tomorrow is forecast to be a similar day to today with one vital exception - the wind will be moderate from the east. This means the we will probably have fewer numbers than we did today, but not necessarily a different mix. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Hugh Kent (<Hughnkent...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
