Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Essex County, ON, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 26, 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 81 19857 20087 Osprey 0 30 102 Bald Eagle 0 26 36 Northern Harrier 1 342 593 Sharp-shinned Hawk 45 3665 7204 Cooper's Hawk 2 292 340 Northern Goshawk 1 22 26 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 301 305 Broad-winged Hawk 0 13 4886 Red-tailed Hawk 13 2296 2375 Rough-legged Hawk 0 12 12 Golden Eagle 1 21 22 American Kestrel 0 740 2011 Merlin 0 25 90 Peregrine Falcon 0 41 57 Unknown 0 43 55 Total: 145 27726 38201 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Site Coordinator: Steve Greidanus Observers: Jim McCoy, Mike Forton Visitors: Tennesee Trio: Jeanice Seals, Phyllis Coble, & Teresa Lindsey Weather: Cloudy and cool for most of today, despite a brief spell of morning sunshine. Winds were light today, starting out at WNW-NW until noon, then shifting to SW in the afternoon. Temps ranged from 5-10 celcius, with the high ocurring during our brief deluge of sunshine. Observations: Slow movement today, despite some early promising NW winds, the birds simply did not show. Highlights from the most productive hour, 10-11 est, were a below tower height close immature Goshawk, as well as 1 imm. Golden Eagle mixed in the kettles of Turkey Vultures. Large duck & blackbird movements today, 750 Crows, 50+ Horned lark, American Goldfinch, Cedar Waxwing, 3 Eastern Phoebe, Marsh Wren, & Bonapartes Gulls. Predictions: More of the same weather wise, hopefully a few more birds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by steve greidanus (steve.greidanus@hbmo.org) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/ Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Information on southern Ontario\'s hawk migration and the Holiday Beach Conservation Area site ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Southwestern Ontario is largely an area of flat, featureless farmland. There are only two geographic features of note in the region. One is the proximity of the Great lakes, which influence bird migration in the area to a great extent, The second is the shape of the province, roughly funnel-shaped with the narrow end to the southwest. These features confine south-bound bird migrants, especially hawks, to specific flight corridors. Holiday Beach Conservation Area was formerly a Provincial Park, but is now administered by the Essex Region Conservation Authority (ERCA). It is strategically located at the extreme southwestern tip of southern Ontario. The park is on the eastern end of a large freshwater estuary known as Big Creek. (Specifically the site is 1.1 miles south of the junction Highway 20 (old 18) and Essex Road 50, Town of Amherstburg). The Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO) (founded in 1986) is a non-profit, volunteer organization formed to promote the study and protection of migrating birds. Activities focus primarily on fall migration of raptors and other species. This site is in Essex County, Ontario, on the north shore of Lake Erie near the Detroit River. In 1988, HBMO persuaded Detroit Edison to donate a 40 foot Hawk Tower which is now at the site. Southwestern Ontario has a funneling effect on migrating raptors due to the geography of the nearby lakes and the reluctance of most raptors to cross large bodies of water. Birds gain altitude over the flat farmland to the north and east, rising easily with the thermals that such areas provide in abundance. As the birds head south they meet Lake Erie and, reluctant to cross it , turn west. With appropriate wind and weather conditions, birds pile up along the lake shore and move west until they reach the narrow crossing at the Detroit River (or island hop within the river mouth). reports@hawkcount.org