How does this season’s numbers compared to other seasons? As is usual

 Well I haven’t yet calculated the season’s numbers and compared them

Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 26, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 0 834 14752 Osprey 0 0 83 Bald Eagle 0 16 61 Northern Harrier 1 24 272 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 133 5504 Cooper's Hawk 0 85 368 Northern Goshawk 0 23 28 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 249 403 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 27843 Red-tailed Hawk 1 1579 2771 Rough-legged Hawk 0 35 64 Golden Eagle 0 39 41 American Kestrel 0 1 1369 Merlin 0 4 62 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 15 Unknown 0 106 239 Total: 2 3128 53875 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 3 hours Official Counter: Bob Pettit Observers: Claude Radley Visitors: The last Friday of the official count season for HBMO has been completed. As the primary coordinator/counter for Friday’s this year, I would like to thank all those who have visited the Tower on Friday’s this season to view hawks or assist in the daily count of raptors. How does this season’s numbers compared to other seasons? As is usual we all view the past season differently. Some raptor aficionados feel that a particular species was not represented by the typical numbers they recall from previous times. They voice the opinion that species ‘A’ must be declining in numbers or that species ‘B’ is too high and someone must be ‘double counting’ them. These individual viewing scenarios play out year after year with many variations and by a different cast of characters. But when the curtain comes down on the entire season and the local site numbers are tallied and averages are compared, the ups and downs of species numbers is usually modest to slightly significant. The explanation for the cause for any difference noted in species data is usually expressed in the hawkwatcher’s version of Ockham's Razor*; “If the wind had been from another direction the numbers would have been different.” Well I haven’t yet calculated the season’s numbers and compared them with the seasonal averages. I will let the raptor aficionados have a little more time on their bar stools formulating their hypothesis for migration numbers. As usual I have had fun meeting old raptors and raptor friends and making new friendships. The raptor counting/observing world is get nearer to the six degrees for freedom. Support your local hawkwatch site and support HMANA. Keep looking up! * Ockham's Razor is the principle proposed by William of Ockham in the fourteenth century: ``Pluralitas non est ponenda sine neccesitate'', which translates as ``entities should not be multiplied unnecessarily''. Weather: 100% clouds mostly altocumulus, wind South 4-8 mph, temp. 3.4C, 29.99 in Hg,, 70 % Rel Hum., visibility 17 Km. Observations: 3 Adult Bald Eagles and 1 or 2 juv BE - All resident individuals or non-migrants. Migrants: one each harrier and red-tailed. One each of Kingfisher, Chickadee, Downey woodpecker, Carolina Wren, Flicker, Cardinal. Many approx. 94 Goldfinch, 5 Bluebird, 4 Swamp Sparrow, 2 Song Sparrow, 10 Tree Sparrow. Predictions: Overcast. High: 42° F / 6° C Wind WSW 22 mph / 36 km/h ======================================================================== Report submitted by Bob Pettit (redknot@earthlink.net) Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at: http://hbmo.org/