Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Paul Gosselin
Observers: Alessandra Kite, Cameron Chevalier, Chad Cornish, Chuck Sharbaugh, Corinne Allsop, Daniel Lee, Jaron Wilkinson, Kiah Jasper, Kit McCann, Kory Renaud, Matt Brannagan, Michael Arthurs, Mike Jaber, Noel Herdman, Robin Smallwood
Visitors: Several visitors braved the chilly conditions to see the wonders of migration, including Craig and Nicole. A huge thank you to the large cast of all-stars who showed up to help with the count: Paul, Kiah, Cam, Chad, Noel, Alissandra, Jaron, Daniel, Michael A., Kit, Corrine, Chuck, Robin, Matt, Kory, Mike J.
Weather: A chilly and clear start on the tower at 7.9C, with northern winds gusting right through us; many would run back down the stairs to grab more clothing. Eventually the sun warmed us up, and the wind eventually made it around to SSW by end of day.
Raptor Observations: Sharp-shinned Hawks wasted no time in getting up and moving early (371), but Turkey Vultures would eventually run away with the trophy; 8939 of these dihedral dynamos would stream past the tower all day (a new sport, the Turkey Vulture Counter Relay was created today). American Kestrels made a late surge, and a sneaky Merlin chose to fly very close when all cameras were packed away. The star of the show however was our first Golden Eagle spotted at 10:05am, with good looks had by all from the tower.
Non-raptor Observations: A good variety of ducks on the marsh today, and American Pelicans provided great entertainment all day with their tight aerial formations. Five Red-throated Loons were spotted over Lake Erie, and two White-winged Crossbill were seen and heard chattering away over the tower - a first for Essex this season. The ebird list can be found here: https://ebird.org/checklist/S403204100
Predictions: Tommorow's forecast for Hawktoberfest calls for a little more warmth, sunshine, and gusty southwest winds. With less than ideal wind direction, a good showing of raptors will be hoped for regardless. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chad Cornish (<mail...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
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