Holiday Beach Hawk Watch Amherstburg, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Sep 26, 2020 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Osprey 0 3 3 Bald Eagle 0 27 27 Northern Harrier 3 190 190 Sharp-shinned Hawk 222 3424 3424 Cooper's Hawk 3 59 59 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1 Broad-winged Hawk 0 45173 45173 Red-tailed Hawk 0 184 184 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 20 1013 1013 Merlin 4 65 65 Peregrine Falcon 4 24 24 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 1 1 Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 4 1637 1637 Total: 260 51803 51803 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Mike Fitzpatrick, Noel Herdman, Tiffanie Rajki Visitors: We appreciate all the interest in the tower and the hawk watch but remind everyone that the tower remains closed to members of the public and has a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! Weather: Soaking up the sun for as long as possible! A lovely and warm day on the tower today with temperatures in the mid-20 degrees Celsius, very light cloud cover, and a slight breeze from the South. The visibility was not great again today, with the edge of the marsh visible but nothing beyond it. Raptor Observations: Another average September day filled with Sharp-shinned Hawks, 222 individuals to be exact! A good number of American Kestrels (20) flew by, as well as 4 Merlins, and 4 Peregrine Falcons. We were excited to witness a Peregrine catch a Blue Jay right out of the air and begin to eat on the wing! A few Cooper's Hawks, Northern Harriers, and Turkey Vultures also migrated over the marsh. Non-raptor Observations: The Woodcock came back, the very next day! We thought he was a goner, but the Woodcock came back; he just couldn't stay away! We were so happy to once again spot the American Woodcock right on the other side of the tower. A more casual day for Blue Jays, with only 29,600 individuals counted. They must be slowing down, right? A few delightful surprises came from seeing 2 Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, Tree and Barn Swallows, Chimney Swifts, and a Hairy Woodpecker. Lastly, we added the Northern Shoveler to our marsh list today. Full ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74096349 Predictions: Tomorrow's forecast is similar to today's; hot with some clouds and South-Western winds. Hopefully the South-western winds will push more Peregrine Falcons closer to our tower. We are happy to keep seeing Sharp-shinned Hawks and American Kestrels. ======================================================================== 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