Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Essex County, ON, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2002 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 118 118 Osprey 2 66 66 Bald Eagle 0 10 10 Northern Harrier 2 217 217 Sharp-shinned Hawk 82 3147 3147 Cooper's Hawk 0 27 27 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 0 4800 4800 Red-tailed Hawk 0 57 57 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 4 1212 1212 Merlin 0 56 56 Peregrine Falcon 0 14 14 Unknown 0 12 12 Total: 90 9740 9740 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 11:30:00 Total observation time: 4 hours Site Coordinator: Betty Learmouth Observers: Herb Siefer, Jim Crozier, Rene Keibossa Visitors: Visitors today were from around Ontario. Weather: Hazy with visibility increasing then cloud cover moving in. Winds were variable from the South, Northwest, and Southeast. Observations: A light migration with highlights passing Osprey, Northern Harrier and the three resident immature Bald Eagles which whirled around the marsh in late morning. The Blue Jay migration continued with a count of 167 indivduals. Monarchs were visible today with 82 observed, mainly at heights above the tower and many seen flying south towards Lake Erie. Predictions: Rain is forecast for tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Betty Learmouth (bettlear@wincom.net) 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