Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Michael Burton-Smith
Observers: David Wharton, Hugh Kent, Kiah Jasper, Liz Kent, Michael Arthurs, Mike Jaber, Robin Smallwood, Stephen Courtney
Visitors: Thanks to Kiah, Mike, Steve, David, Michael, Hugh, Liz and Robin for all your help in conducting today's count. Steve and David's apple turnovers were a very welcome supplement to my afternoon tea! At Mike's recommendation, Kiah is to be renamed The Count after Sesame Street's loveable vampire. It was also great to be joined by Ian, Greg, Laura and Bob throughout the day.
Weather: Clear skies for much of the day with temperatures astonishingly reaching the low twenties. Southerly winds turning to southeasterlies in the mid-afternoon.
Raptor Observations: It was another slow day for those of us on the tower, with raptors few and far between. It was great to get the falcon sweep after getting skunked yesterday, with American Kestrel a real victory this late in the season.
If there was a trophy for Michael's Most Unsatisfactory Lifer, today's Tundra Swan would be a serious contender. Four hazy white specks flying high over the Detroit River were a very underwhelming reward for two lethally slow days of birding, but nonetheless another step closer to 200 species for the season.
A spectacle of Common Grackle and European Starling flying over the shoreline in the early morning, a sluggish Blanding's Turtle, a moderate movement of American Robin and Ceder Waxwing, and three adorable White-tailed Deer were the day's other highlights.
Predictions: Wednesday promises to be yet another underwhelming day, with rain likely to make for stop-start proceedings and the strong southerly winds offering little in the way of raptors. Hopefully we will still manage to get out for a few hours, and perhaps if we ask nicely enough the gales off Lake Erie will bring us a scoter or two. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Burton-Smith () Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
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