Observation start time: 06:30:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: Michael Burton-Smith
Observers: Bryan Girling, David Wharton, Frances Girling, Hugh Kent,
Jaron Wilkinson, Kate Fairbairn, Kiah Jasper, Liz Kent,
Mike Jaber, Peter Veighey, Stephen Courtney
Visitors:
It was great to be joined by Kiah, Bryan, Fran, David, Steve, Hugh, Liz,
Jaron, Kate and Mike across the day. A special thank you to Peter, who
bravely and perhaps foolishly leant me his car so that I could
(unsuccessfully) chase a Fox Sparrow reported at Carp Crossing, and to
Steve and David who kept us well supplied with doughnuts on the tower. It
was also lovely to be visited Fred, Amanda and Alain.
Weather:
Clear skies throughout the day with temperatures rising from around 9 at
dawn to the upper teens. Winds from the northwest gave way to moderate
southwesterlies in the mid-afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
It is a day that will live on in Holiday Beach history forever - the season
we beat 200,000 birds for the first time! This isn't just a big year but
one that has shattered the books, beating the previous all-time high by
fifty-thousand birds and with a month still to go. After a slow morning
there was talk on the tower of the record-breaking bird not coming until
tomorrow, before a late surge of Turkey Vulture thrust us over the line
with a little under two hours to spare - much to the relief of the week
staff!
Along the way we also added Bryan's first Roughie for the year, which was a
very satisfying view if what he wanted was a speck a mile up in the sky,
six Golden Eagle, and three crucial Merlin.
The most incredible moment of the day, however, was stolen by an immature
Peregrine hunting starlings over the dip for several minutes in the late
morning. If the Turkey Vulture is like a World War Two bomber as Hugh
describes them, then the Peregrine surely must be a Spitfire, wheeling and
stooping in its effort to separate a weak starling from the flock.
Entering Holiday Beach under the cover of darkness, Kiah�s defensive
driving kicked in to avoid a rotund raccoon the size of a small bear
lumbering across the road. We ascended the tower illuminated by moonlight
and, assuming the personalities of the stars above us, Orion (Kiah:
supernaturally talented and with vision restored by the rising sun) and
Mars (me: a red-headed orb) pulled off our mission: American Woodcock for
the tower list!
As the sun peaked over the horizon, the skies were blackened once again by
almost seventy-thousand birds leaving their roosts on the north side of the
marsh in an unbelievable spectacle. The flock was estimated to consist of
41150 Common Grackle, 8590 Red-winged Blackbird and 17500 European
Starling.
Through the day we had good diurnal passerine migration, including 86
Eastern Bluebird, 168 Pine Siskin and 64 Purple Finch. Two Common Raven in
the mid-afternoon were an unexpected addition to the day list and the
second for the season, and it was a good day for many of our familiar faces
including the return of Leaf the Meadow Vole, Peter Cottontail, and Kinky
the Mute Swan.
Predictions:
Tomorrow's wonky winds and cloudy skies will likely dampen raptor
migration, but these are perfect conditions for Northern Harrier, Peregrine
and Merlin so we will hopefully get strong showings of all three. Moderate
south-easterlies in the morning may create good lake-watching conditions,
so keep eyes peeled for Scaup and Scoters over Erie.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Michael Burton-Smith ()
Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://hbmo.ca/
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