Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Michael Burton-Smith
Observers: Hugh Kent, Kitty Bradshaw, Patrick Tomlinson, Robin Smallwood
Visitors: A huge thanks to Kitty, Patrick, Robin and Hugh who assisted me on the tower today, and to all our other visitors who came along.
Weather: Moderate southerly winds with cloud cover increasing through the day. Temperatures rising to the high twenties.
Raptor Observations: As predicted it was a very slow day today, with just 63 raptors reported. With southerly winds it is the falcons who tend to shine, and today it was three Peregrines that really stole the show. One adult Peregrine pursuing a Merlin in the air was particularly incredible.
The winds overnight did produce the warbler fall we had hoped for, with our first Blackburnian and Black-throated Blue Warblers of the season. We also had Common Yellowthroat and Black-and-White, Nashville, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Blackpoll and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Other migrating passerines caught in the fall included Red-breasted Nuthatch, Traill's and Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Hermit and Swainson's Thrush, and Purple Finch.
The most incredible sighting of the day was a Common Snapping Turtle which caught a Great Blue Heron and was attempting to exhaust it for over forty-five minutes before we left.
Predictions: Tomorrow has the potential to be another good hawk day with strong northerly winds, and we will hopefully see a sizeable movement of Broad-winged Hawks in the late morning. Overnight conditions could be conducive to bringing in a few new warblers as well, but rain in the early hours and tomorrow afternoon may dampen the effect of the northerly wind. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Burton-Smith () Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
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