Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 09:00:00
Total observation time: 1.25 hours
Official Counter: Kiah Jasper
Observers:
Visitors:
Noel and Juliette dropped off hot chocolate for me when I arrived, a nice
treat on a morning like this. Otherwise I didn’t see a soul at the park
today, no surprise given the weather.
Weather:
Today’s weather was just as horrendous as it was forcasted to be.
Arriving at the tower I was greeted by a steady downpour of rain, light
southeast winds and the feeling of dread. The visibility was very reduced
today, I could hardly see out over the lake or to the far side of the
marsh. Fog continued to build as the hour went on, which coupled with
intensifying rain led to the count being ended for the day at 09:00. The
rain was meant to stop mid afternoon, however due to the fog and wind
direction, it seemed unlikely that birds would be moving today. At the
least the temperature was bearable, at 7C. The barometer fell drastically
again, and will continue to fall until midday tomorrow as a low pressure
system moves through our area.
Raptor Observations:
The only raptors seen today were the local Bald Eagles, perched along the
edge of the marsh and not looking too interested in doing anything. Can’t
blame them.
Non-raptor Observations:
Normally when the raptor flight is dead, there is some other activity going
on… songbirds migrating overhead, waterfowl on Lake Erie… well today
there was no detectable migration during my time spent at the tower. The
only birds seen were songbirds around the tower area and some marsh birds
that I could make out through the fog. Duck numbers were heavily reduced
today because I couldn’t even see the most productive parts of the marsh.
Sparrows foraged around the edge of the marsh in good numbers, highlighted
by a single lingering Fox Sparrow. The male Hairy Woodpecker that has been
hanging around for the last week is still here, sometimes uncommon species
at the site (and generally in Essex). On the marsh the lone Trumpeter Swan
continues to hang around it’s group of 4 Mute Swans, who are friends or
enemies depending on the moment.
Pitiful eBird list available here - https://ebird.org/checklist/S286115792
Predictions:
Well tomorrow is certainly interesting from a weather standpoint.
Interesting in the way that gale force winds are expected to cause a seiche
on Lake Erie that could be one of the largest in recent history, with the
water level on the western basin being as much as 6ft lower, and 11ft
higher in Buffalo, New York! The wind could be gusting to as high as 75kph
from the Southwest, with precipitation likely in the morning.
This equals absolutely terrible conditions for migrating raptors, so I
expect a near repeat of today. I am curious to see if there are any
gulls/ducks moving on the lake though, so I’ll still head over to check
things out at the tower.
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Report submitted by Kiah Jasper (<kiahbirder...>)
Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at:
http://hbmo.ca/
