Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 11:00:00 Total observation time: 2.5 hours
Official Counter: Kiah Jasper
Observers: Mike Jaber
Visitors: Thanks to Mike and Bryce for keeping me company on the tower today. There weren't too many birds to see, so it was nice to have people to chat with : )
Weather: Today was one of those days when you don't want to move too far away from your spotting scope, for fear it may get swept off the tower, the wind potentially strong enough to bring it all the way to the mystical realm of Oz. The Southwesterly wind was around 35kph when I arrived, but by the end of the watch it was starting to pick up with some gusts over the 60kph mark! The temperature also dropped during the day, from 6C to 4C, making that strong wind off the lake feel fairly fresh. Large whitecaps could be seen out on Lake Erie all day, as the water is pushed towards the eastern basin. The sky remained overcast all day, with a few drops of rain near the end of the watch. Due to the lack of movement and increasing wind, the count was only conducted for three hours today.
Raptor Observations: Several of our resident Bald Eagles were up playing in the wind today, joined by a pair of Red-tailed Hawks for a bit. There was a lone Turkey Vulture seen to the East, but it held in place for over an hour and then seemed to drop down (smart bird).
Non-raptor Observations: The lake was fairly active this morning, with large numbers of Red-breasted Mergansers and scaup (mostly greater) flying past along the shoreline. Smaller numbers of dabbling ducks, Bufflehead and Common Goldeneye were seen, though the scope shake was so bad that it was difficult to see well at times. Highlights on the lake included Great Black-backed Gull (2nd this season) and Red-throated Loon (2nd this season). The songbird migration front was extremely quiet, 2 American Goldfinch, 12 Cedar Waxwing and 1 American Crow. These birds were being blown sideways at times and were really struggling to move West into the wind. On the marsh all the usual suspects were present, including our solo Trumpeter Swan friend. Only 45 species were recorded today, though the wind kept activity at a minimum and made it hard to hear, so that's no real surprise. eBird list available here - https://ebird.org/checklist/S286271251
Predictions: Overnight the wind will be switching from Southwest to West and gradually decreasing in speed, so in the morning it should be "only" 30kph. The gusts could still be over 60kph though, so it's not really a massive change compared to today. The temperature will be colder as well, starting below the freezing point and only climbing to around 2C. It is doubtful there will be much moving, but we shall see. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Kiah Jasper (<kiahbirder...>) Holiday Beach Hawk Watch information may be found at: http://hbmo.ca/
