Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8.25 hours
Official Counter: Kiah Jasper
Observers: Daniel Lee, Mike Jaber, Noel Herdman, Peter Veighey, Robin Smallwood
Visitors: There was a great turnout of volunteers to assist with the count today, and everyone who came got to see at least 1 Golden Eagle. Thanks to Mike, Daniel, Noel, Peter and Robin for helping out. Robyn from Alberta also spent some time with us on the tower again.
Weather: Today was a welcome change from the morning weather we have experienced all week, light West winds, warmer temperatures and a sky devoid of clouds. The sunrise was quite pleasant on the tower, and the lack of offshore winds meant we didn't have that bone-chilling cold wind today. The temperature increased to a balmy 14C by the afternoon, allowing us to shed a layer or two for the first time in a week. The wind remained moderate from the West all day, increasing in strength later in the afternoon. The sky remained clear blue all day, only a few high clouds over the lake in the afternoon. The barometer held steady near 30.09.
Raptor Observations: Similar to yesterday we didn't observe massive numbers of migrating raptors today, but the diversity was good. Turkey Vulture took the top spot at 58, followed by Red-tailed Hawk at 33. 4 Golden Eagles were seen today, all far inland passing by to the North of the marsh. Too far for photos, but the scope views were nice.
Non-raptor Observations: The light West winds and clear sky in the morning meant ideal conditions for some songbird species engaging in morning flight. Highlights included Eastern Bluebird (18), American Robin (326), Cedar Waxwing (726), Lapland Longspur (1), American Pipit (58) and Purple Finch (46). The star of the morning without a doubt though was American Goldfinch. Large groups started passing by just after sunrise, 20-50 birds strong. This movement lasted all morning, with the highest hourly total of nearly 2,000! In the ended *6,682 American Goldfinches were recorded, which represents a new highcount for Canada on eBird! Rusty Blackbirds continue to linger in the forest behind the tower, with 380 recorded today. 2 Eastern Phoebes were seen today and 16 Tree Swallows flew overhead, both late species for the date. On the marsh 7 Great Egrets continue to linger late into the month. Duck numbers remain fairly consistent, though there was a large uptick in Canvasback today (780). 76 species were recorded from the tower. For the full list click the eBird link below - https://ebird.org/checklist/S284327051
Predictions: Tomorrow is meant to be another mild day with light wind from the south and a partly overcast sky. It likely won't be a large raptor day due to the wind, but if it remains light enough some birds should still be moving. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Kiah Jasper (<kiahbirder...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
