Holiday Beach Hawk Watch Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 01, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Turkey Vulture 2 2 2 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 0 0 Northern Harrier 1 1 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1 1 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 1 1 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 3 3 3 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 8 8 8 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Bob Hall-Brooks, Chip Ogglesby, Paul Pratt Visitors: Thank you to Chip Ogglesby, Bob Hall-Brooks, John Barns, Stan Lee, Paul Pratt, and Tim Jarrold for their staggered visits today. This year, the top level of the tower is limited to counters and can only accommodate three people at one time to maintain proper distancing. We welcome visitors to the second level of the tower (provided they stay 2 meters apart), and we thank you for your understanding. Weather: A hot, humid, and hazy start to the 2020 count. Temperatures rose quickly in the morning and stayed in the high 20 degrees Celsius. As the air warmed and the wind picked up slightly, the haze that surrounded the marsh dissipated by the afternoon, yet the visibility stayed quite low for most of the day. Winds came in from the South and later South-West, which unfortunately did not bring us very many birds. Raptor Observations: In this very different year, we can find comfort in the constant that is fall migration. This season will have it's own challenges, but one thing's for sure; hawks will migrate above our heads. Our first hawk of the 2020 count was an immature Northern Harrier flying over in the morning. Throughout the day, American Kestrels, Turkey Vultures, a Red-tailed Hawk, and a Sharp-shinned Hawk flew over the tower for a total of 8 raptors today. Additionally, we are fortunate to observe resident Ospreys fishing in the marsh, as well as resident Bald Eagles. Non-raptor Observations: In the morning we were greeted by a small group of passerines including Black-White Warblers, Magnolia Warblers, American Redstarts, Chestnut-sided Warblers, Warbling Vireos, Great-crested Flycatchers, and Blue-gray Gnatcachers. A lovely surprise came from a few Red-breasted Nuthatches who have been making their way down this fall. Other notable sightings include 5 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, a Chimney Sift, and 10 Monarch Butterflies. Flocks of Mourning Doves, Common Grackles, Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, Purple Martins, and Tree Swallows were very common in the sky today. Lastly, the marsh is currently home to many Mute Swans, Double-crested Cormorants, Great Blue Herons, and Great Egrets. For full ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S73079899 Predictions: Tomorrow we are expecting another hot day, but with stronger winds from the West. We hope these winds will bring us more raptors such as Sharp-Shinned Hawks and American Kestrels, and that the predicated rain hold up until the evening. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Maryse Gagné (maryse.gagne35@gmail.com) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/ More site information at hawkcount.org: http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=100