Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Chad Cornish, Noel Herdman
Observers: Chad Cornish, Kitty Bradshaw, Noel Herdman, Patrick Tomlinson, Steve Wagner
Visitors: A big thank you to Noel, Kitty, Patrick, Steve, and Olga for their immense assistance. There were very few visitors on the tower today.
Weather: Another foggy start, with winds beginning in the northeast. Temperatures soared into the low 30s by mid-afternoon, and the wind would eventually shift southeast.
Raptor Observations: The day started off with a good flow of Sharp-shinned Hawks (248). A reduction in American Kestrels (48), but a large uptick in Cooper's Hawks (16). A Peregrine Falcon also flew low over the tower, but the star of the show today were Broad-winged Hawks. Betwen 10:00-11:00EST, Noel's eagle-eye spotted the first kettle forming to the north (4470). A second kettle would appear right behind it (1080), and a third much smaller kettle arrived later in the afternoon.
Non-raptor Observations: Very little songbird activity again this morning, and the marsh was also much quieter today. The eBird list can be found here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S273614840
Predictions: Sunny and slightly cooler, with winds out of the northeast all day. Hopefully the Broad-winged Hawks will keep coming, and all other raptors will follow suit.
======================================================================== Report submitted by Chad Cornish (<mail...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
