By late morning the exceptional year for Odonata continued as I estimated at least 15,000 migrating dragonflys passed by going west, between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.. About 80% of these were Green Darners, perhaps 10% Twelve-Spotted Skimmers and 10% other species.

As a result raptor numbers recorded were way down, despite it being a decent year in the area (we estimate raptor numbers are actually about double what we counted). 51 species were recorded, 2 above the average of the previous three counts.

We are ahead of schedule this year - we estimate by only a week or so - most of the large trees have buds, but have not leafed out yet. A few species, like Wheeping Willow and some cherry are in full leaf already. The Harris's Sparrow was seen at the same feeder again this morning at 1250 Ferriss Road, just east of Harrow.

Given the number of blues reported by Bob Cermak on that trip and doing the math, it is not unreasonable to estimate that there may have been close to 10,000 Lesser Snow Geese within that large flock (there were about 6,500 blues). That would be the largest flock of Lessers ever recorded in the southern part of Ontario.

The above numbers, referring to the red-necked grebes were my best reasonable estimates. Colonel Samuel Smith Park is located by Lakeshore Boulevard West and Colonel Samuel Smith Park Drive, just south of where Kipling Avenue reaches Lakeshore. 7/4/2012 Noah Cole Don Mills, Ontario

Rusty Blackbird, an estimated 446 migrating during the 6 hour watch. Greater Yellowlegs 4. Wilson's Snipe 4. Great Egret 30 (1 orange and 1 green wing tag). Black-crowned Night-Heron 5. Fox Sparrow 1. American Bittern 1. American Pipit 68. Tree Swallow 2. Pine Siskin 2. Numerous waterfowl easily viewed in the open marsh.

Gallinule (Gallinula galeata) 1 Lesser Yellowlegs (Tringa flavipes) 7 Red Knot (Calidris canutus) 1 Least Sandpiper (Calidris minutilla) 1 Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 3 Short-billed Dowitcher (Limnodromus griseus) 5 Common Nighthawk (Chordeiles minor) 1 Great Crested Flycatcher (Myiarchus crinitus) 1 Blue Jay (Cyanocitta cristata) 2500 estimated

Non-raptor Observations: Blue Jays were the big story today in the other category with LOTS moving through...although no actual estimate was recorded. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Dave Brown (thebrowns@ezlink.on.ca) Hawk Cliff Hawkwatch information may be found at: http://www.ezlink.on.ca/~thebrowns

lots of birds this evening at Nonquon ... highlights were one Long-billed Dowitcher and a Stilt Sandpiper ... plus a late-ish Osprey and Lesser Scaup (Aythya affinis) 575 conservative estimate Killdeer (Charadrius vociferus) 7 Dunlin (Calidris alpina) 6 Pectoral Sandpiper (Calidris melanotos) 13 Greater Yellowlegs (Tringa melanoleuca) 9 Lesser Yellowlegs

It was all but impossible to do an actual count as they were mixed in with the Canada Geese (a lot of the Geese were backed by a low sun) but we estimated that no less than 50 Cackling Geese were present. Good to excellent comparisons with the Canada Geese. A scope recommended but you can probably see some of the Cackling Geese with binoculars.