[Ontbirds]HSR: Holiday Beach (23 Nov 2007) 154 Raptors

[reports at hawkcount.org]

Holiday Beach
Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Nov 23, 2007
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Species            Day's Count    Month Total   Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Turkey Vulture               1           2168          31327
Osprey                       0              0            186
Bald Eagle                   0             21            173
Northern Harrier             2            182           1255
Sharp-shinned Hawk           1            150          12377
Cooper's Hawk                5            128            724
Northern Goshawk             0              4             16
Red-shouldered Hawk          1            204            504
Broad-winged Hawk            0              0          18400
Red-tailed Hawk            142           4464           6317
Rough-legged Hawk            1             16             20
Golden Eagle                 0             50             79
American Kestrel             0              3           1611
Merlin                       0              3            107
Peregrine Falcon             0              8             94
Unknown Accipiter            1              2              4
Unknown Buteo                0             12             37
Unknown Eagle                0              0              0
Unknown Falcon               0              0              4
Unknown Raptor               0              1              7

Total:                     154           7416          73242
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Observation start time: 09:00:00 
Observation end   time: 15:30:00 
Total observation time: 6.5 hours

Official Counter:        Bob Pettit

Observers:        Jim McCoy

Weather:
Very sunny with deep blue sky. Sky where everything disappears at a short
distance. Even large planes were not visible at lower altitudes. At higher
altitudes the sun sparkled on their surfaces. Contrails were non-existent
on any high plane until about 2 pm. Visibility 28 miles or more. Wind was
NNW swinging to West at the end of the period with speeds upwards to 19
km/hr and ending at 6 km/hr. Barometer steady 30.34 in of Hg. Temperature
-2.5 to +2.3 C.

Raptor Observations:
Most birds were Red-tails. The flight was sluggish with many individuals
landing and perching for several minutes to over an hour then moving on.
Many were actively searching for food while passing over the marsh close to
the vegetation. High birds passed either quickly or in small groups 2-6 in
a thermal moving slowly westward. Most birds were difficult to find or see
except those noted on the eastern and northern horizons. One rough-legged
light morph counted.

Non-raptor Observations:
Many Tundra Swans perhaps 150-200 in small groups very high over the tower
or out over the lake south of the tower with most heading southeast or
eastward. Coots, a few shovelers with mallards being the dominate species.
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Report submitted by Bob Pettit (redknot at earthlink.net)
Holiday Beach Migration Observatory information may be found at:
http://hbmo.org/