Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 3 hours
Official Counter: Michael Burton-Smith
Observers: Kiah Jasper
Visitors: Kiah and I stood alone on the tower today (unsurprisingly), but we couldn't have done it without Hugh and Alessandra who indulged our madness and supplied transport to and from Holiday Beach.
Weather: Wet.
Drizzle easing into fine spells with overcast skies and temperatures hovering in the upper teens. Winds from the south, though milder than forecast.
Raptor Observations: Kiah "The Count" Jasper and I may be sweet, but we ain't made of sugar and so we set out despite the trying conditions. After all, drizzly gray days like this are often good for Northern Harrier, Merlin and Peregrine.
In a score that would send soccer fans wild, we saw a grand total of nil raptors, suggesting that hawks may in fact be made of sugar despite their lethal appearance. Further research is required into this hypothesis.
Curiously, Ring-necked Duck numbers appear to have dropped overnight with around half of yesterday's count absent on the marsh. They may simply have found a nicer spot to hide away from the bad weather and could reappear tomorrow.
We got to witness a powerful metaphor in dealing with adversity as two species reacted very differently to the rain. Cedar Waxwing, endowed with powerful flight and its associated freedom, took agency to escape the oncoming winter and streamed over us in surprising numbers. On the pond, a small Musk-rat, wingless and unable to flea, did not allow this to get him down and instead chose to carry on with his tasks with a little extra spring in his swim.
Predictions: It will be another difficult day with south-westerly winds, cloudy skies and maybe even some drizzle so don't expect big numbers from tomorrow's report, although there may be a few birds held up by today's front that decide to get moving regardless of the conditions. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Michael Burton-Smith () Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
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