Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Michael Burton-Smith
Observers: Hugh Kent, Juliette Herdman, Kitty Bradshaw, Linda Goodhue, Noel Herdman, Patrick Tomlinson, Robin Smallwood, Wade Carlton
Visitors: Thanks to Wade, Kitty, Elizabeth, Noel, Juliette, Patrick, Linda and Hugh for coming and helping with the count. Patrick, Elizabeth and Kitty were finally rewarded with an impressive movement of hawks after a couple of very damp days sitting up in the tower! We also had lots of lovely visitors from across Canada, and it was wonderful to be able to share with everyone the great birds we got to see.
Weather: Significantly calmer than forecast. Light drizzle early, clearing to overcast with temperatures in the low twenties for the majority of the morning. Winds turning from mild northerly to nil in the early afternoon, with muggy and humid conditions for the rest of the day. Barometric pressure falling steadily through the day, with rain expected overnight.
Raptor Observations: We turned up with low expectations: a moderate movement of falcons and Sharp-shinned Hawks. This went as expected - 28 falcons across three species, and 81 Sharp-shinneds. What did not go to script was the sensational movement of Broad-winged Hawks, who took advantage of the gentle winds and reprieve from the rain to move through in two large clusters - 572 between 1015 and 1115 EST, and then 804 between 1300 and 1530. Red-tailed Hawk continue to move in moderate numbers, with ten seen today.
It was nice to see all seven Common Gallinule chicks still alive and well, as well as American White Pelican (9) and a large group of American Wigeon (34) on the marsh. We had a heard-only Virginia Rail, and season firsts for Pine Warbler and American Pipit. The early morning at the moment is proving very rewarding for warblers in general; we had fourteen species today with most showing well at some point.
Predictions: Tomorrow has a lot of potential for a major movement of Broad-winged Hawks, with the conditions aligning perfectly. Assuming the forecast holds true, moderate winds from the northeast and clear skies should create the perfect flying conditions, and with many hawks likely held up by the south-western front pushing across the Ontario Peninsula over the last 48 hours, there could be a huge number of birds on the move in the mid- to late-morning. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Burton-Smith () Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
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