Holiday Beach Migration Observatory Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Oct 10, 2004 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 1390 5260 6496 Osprey 1 4 73 Bald Eagle 1 6 36 Northern Harrier 10 19 206 Sharp-shinned Hawk 178 840 4560 Cooper's Hawk 25 61 146 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 8 10 16 Broad-winged Hawk 1 1 27843 Red-tailed Hawk 91 153 371 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 11 99 1319 Merlin 0 14 47 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 11 Unknown 0 10 48 Total: 1716 6480 41174 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 06:30:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Bob Hall-Brooks Observers: Dan Lumm, Dorothy McLeer, Jason Sodergren, Jim Crozier, Paul Pratt Visitors: The Tower top was filled to capacity with members and visitors alike enjoying the north winds and the birds they bring. Weather: Brisk North winds changed to South West later in the day. Skies were cloudless, visibility clear to 28 Km. Temeperatures started at a cool 8 degrees Celsius but rose throughout the day to a high of eighteen. Observations: Turkey Vultures continue to dominate the count with a steady stream of Sharp-shinned Hawks. Buteos are building with good starting numbers of Red-tailed Hawks which includes a Dark-phase, a few Red-shoulders and one Broad-winged Hawk. Good Kestrel numbers and encouraging Northern Harrier presence today. Blue Jays reached a high today of 74,410. Red-winged Blackbirds, Cowbirds, Grackles and Starlings too numerous to count. Good Goldfinch numbers (410). Paul Prattconducted a "Big Sit" today from the Tower with 71 species counted by the time this counter left. Predictions: North winds again predicted. Happy Thanksgiving Day (Canada) and Happy Columbus Day (USA) to all our friends. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Bob Hall-Brooks (bhall-brooks@cogeco.ca) 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).