Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 13:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours
Official Counter: Kiah Jasper
Observers: Noel Herdman
Visitors: Thanks to Noel for helping out with the count for part of today. Noel was the only other person to set foot on the tower today, making it one of the quietest days of the year.
Weather: Today we had a much warmer start than yesterday on the tower at 10C, though the wind still makes things feel a bit colder when you're off ground level. It was a very dark and gloomy day, with the clouds looking like they could have dropped rain on us at several points (they didn't). The wind was stronger than yesterday and had more of a Southerly component, coming from the SW/SSW for the majority of the day. We are currently in an area of low pressure, with the barometer reaching 29.74 during the morning. The wind began gusting over 35kph at 1pm, which combined with the dark clouds led us to call the day early.
Raptor Observations: One would think the only direction to go from a 20 bird day such as yesterday would be up. Today proved that theory wrong and sank much, much lower, with a grand total of 8 migrating raptors observed. Once again Northern Harrier was the most abundant, at 4 birds. 1 juvenile Peregrine Falcon and 1 Merlin were nice though. Late in the morning an Osprey cruised by the tower, which is quite late for the date. This was likely the bird we observed around the marsh on Sunday/Monday.
Non-raptor Observations: Overall things were slower than yesterday on the migration front. This makes sense though, since a Southerly wind is rarely productive here. American Goldfinches were observed migrating in very reduced numbers today, at only 436. Decent numbers of American Robin (130) and Cedar Waxwing (900) were observed today. The main star of the show on the songbird front was Horned Lark, with 1,015 counted migrating West over the marsh. The first week of November is typically the peak time for this species here, and this is the highest count in recent years. On the marsh the ducks were a bit difficult to count due to the poor lighting, so numbers are likely on the low side. Strong numbers of Gadwall (2,340), Green-winged Teal (1,460) and Ring-necked Duck (620) were recorded. 610 Tree Swallows were counted over the marsh today, impressive numbers for this late in the year. Other highlights today included 1 Wilson's Snipe, 1 Horned Grebe, 2 lingering Common Gallinule and 126 American White Pelicans. 72 species were observed from the tower today. For the full list click the eBird link below - https://ebird.org/checklist/S283034615
Predictions: Tomorrow there will be a major switch up in the weather, with high pressure rolling into the region bringing sunshine, cooler temperatures and light Northwest wind (though likely only for the morning). This should mean an uptick in raptors, though it might not be too good of a day if the wind shifts to the South in the afternoon. I have very high hopes for the morning songbird flight though, with the conditions being promising for a good flight. Maybe some northern species such as Evening Grosbeak and Redpoll? ======================================================================== Report submitted by Kiah Jasper (<kiahbirder...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
