Holiday Beach Migration Observatory
66 Richmond St., PO Box 92 N9V 2Z3 Amherstburg, ON, Canada

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/

New Life Family Membership! Steve and Michelle Mastellotto THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/

November 14th 2018, Holiday Beach banded an adult Red-tailed hawk during their fall migration monitoring. Today Charlotte and Malcolm retrapped this bird in our west site!

Please support our projects. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/

ROCKETTE - BRIDGE PEREGRINE. Banded on July 9/2020 by Bob Hall-Brooks RECAPTURED at Lake Station on October 11/2020 Support our projects. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 18/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent Weather: Cold start to the day with the temperature at -3 degrees Celsius. A thin sheet over ice covered the small pond and puddles in the area. Thankfully, the sun came up quickly over the trees and gradually warmed the air, and by the end of the day we were sitting at a nice 7 degrees. The wind did keep a chill in the air, blowing from the South-West all day. Turkey Vulture - 10... Northern Harrier - 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 Cooper’s Hawk - 2 Red-shouldered Hawk - 6 Red-tailed Hawk - 58 Rough-legged Hawk - 1 Merlin - 1 Total = 81 Observation notes: Today's flight line could be described as: as far away from the counters as possible. Raptor sure delivered on that promise. Red-tailed Hawks were the most abundant with 58 individuals. A few Red-shouldered Hawks (6), Turkey Vultures (10), Northern Harriers (2) Cooper's Hawks (2), and a Sharp-shinned Hawks joined in the migration fun. Our exciting species for the day were a Merlin, seen early in the morning and a dark-morph Rough-legged Hawk cruising far north. Non-raptors have really slowed down but some species are continuing their migration, including 200 American Crows. Finches are still coming through, most of them American Goldfinches. A few Pine Siskins, Purple Finches, House Finches, and Common Redpolls are also joining in. Today we counted a few more Eastern Bluebirds and Cedar Waxwings. At the base of the tower, American Tree Sparrows, Brown Creepers and Golden-crowed Kinglet are still seen. Buffleheads are gaining ground on the marsh, their white little bodies shinning out against the water. A couple of Hooded Mergansers, Ruddy Ducks, Red-breasted Mergansers made an appearance on the marsh today. The eBird platform is currently undergoing maintenance for 48 hours. Checklists will be uploaded at a later time. 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support.

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 17/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Kory Renaud, Michelle Mastellotto, Paul Pratt Weather: The day started with a little fall of styrofoam-like snow which lingered for a few hours. The temperature stayed cool all day, never reaching higher than 2 degrees Celsius. The killer today was the wind. The promising North-West wind blew very strongly, gusting at 40km/h. Thankfully, the sun came out from time to time, warming us up just enough to endure ...the next gust of wind. Bald Eagle - 2 Northern Harrier - 8 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 19 Red-tailed Hawk - 116 Rough-legged Hawk - 1 Golden Eagle - 3 Peregrine Falcon - 1 Total = 151 Observation notes: We had our hopes set high for today, the North-West winds, mix of sun and cloud pointed to a great day. But the wind got eager and blew with slightly too much gusto for our raptors. We still had a good flight with 151 raptors. Red-tailed Hawks were the most abundant with 116 individuals, and 19 Red-shouldered Hawks mixed in as well. We were very happy to count a Peregrine Falcon aggressively passing over the marsh and swiping at the Bonaparte's Gulls sitting on the water. 3 Golden Eagles graced us with their presence in the afternoon, and the first bird of the day was a Rough-legged Hawk. Not a bad day overall! Drastic decrease of most species in area. Smaller birds were few and far between but included Ruby-crowned Kinglet, American Tree Sparrow, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Cedar Waxwings, American Goldfinches, and Pine Siskins. Also happy to count a few Common Redpolls in the morning. Blackbirds have all but disappeared as only a few Red-winged Blackbirds (45) and a single Rusty Blackbird were seen. The ducks seemed to huddle at the edges of the marsh, protecting themselves from the wind. Northern Pintails and Northern Shovelers were abundant today. Lastly, the highlight species of the day was a Common Loon flying low across the marsh. The eBird platform is currently undergoing maintenance for 48 hours. Checklists will be uploaded at a later time. 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

LAKE STATION Gorgeous young Red-shouldered Hawk - available. Red-tailed Hawks - 6 Cooper's Hawk -1 Bob Hall-Brooks , Tim Jarrold and Chip Ogglesby... HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Red-shouldered Hawk - $50 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about the bird banded today. Also, if this bird ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

BANDED LAST NIGHT! OWL CERTIFICATE FOR XMAS? - 6 Adoption available. We have 5 girls plus one young sex unknown owl! You can adopt any owl you wish. Please make a comment on the bird picture of your choice first. Complete donation as specified in the post, and we will send you printable certificate with the picture of that bird. HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offe...r a banded bird certificate. Northern Saw-whet Owl - $30 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Also, if this birds ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 16/2020 Counter: Hugh Kent Observers: Elizabeth Kent Weather: The day started overcast and cold with a brisk wind from the south west. The cloud cleared through the day and the temperature rose a little to 6c. The brisk wind stayed with us all day. Turkey Vulture - 16... Bald Eagle - 1 Northern Harrier - 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2 Northern Goshawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 18 Peregrine Falcon - 1 Total = 43 Observation notes: A slow day with low numbers, but a good variety of 8 species. The highlight was a Northern Goshawk mid morning passing quite close to the tower and heading over the marsh. Another nice sighting was a very fast adult Peregrine low over the marsh. Red-tailed Hawks (18) took the highest number prize with Turkey Vultures (16) just behind. Northern Harriers provided a mix of 'one of each' and Sharp-shinned Hawks, Red-shouldered Hawk and Bald Eagles were in ones or two. Very few smaller species today, with Pine Siskins (36) and American Goldfinches (75) the most abundant. Blackbirds have almost disappeared compared to last week. It looked as though wildfowl numbers were much reduced, with the exception of the usual rafts of Ring-necked Ducks (2550). However on closer inspection most were taking shelter on the edge of the marsh. The species mix is similar to last week. It was good to see Tundra Swans (171) resting on the marsh. One flock that flew over the marsh had a Snow Goose hanging on at the back. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76349660 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76352486 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! Photo: Northern Goshawk HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

COVID GUIDELINES Tower closed to the public for the 2020 Hawk Watch. 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone!

BLUE JAYS WE WILL GO OVER A MILLION TOMORROW!!! HAWK TOWER COUNT October 14/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent, Noel Herdman... Weather: The day felt much cooler today, mostly due to the extensive cloud cover and lack of sun, even if the ambient temperatures stayed around 15 degrees Celsius. Winds blew from the South-West most of the day, and did not bring us many raptors. The only good thing about Southern winds is that we are sheltered from them on the tower, so we are sure to stay slightly warmer. Turkey Vulture - 376 Northern Harrier - 11 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 48 Cooper’s Hawk - 2 Red-shouldered Hawk - 2 Red-tailed Hawk - 14 American Kestrel - 1 Merlin - 1 Peregrine Falcon - 1 Total = 456 Observation notes: Quite the slow day with only 456 raptors in total, the bulk of which were 250 Turkey Vultures all coming in a frenzy around 2 o'clock. Turkey Vultures often meander and take their time crossing, but this batch was on a mission and crossed the marsh at record speeds! Our other raptors came slowly and very high throughout the day; 48 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 11 Northern Harriers, 2 Red-shouldered Hawks, and 14 Red-tailed Hawks. Finally, 3 falcons zipped past the tower one for each species, an American Kestrel, a Merlin, and our last bird a Peregrine Falcon. Today we tallied up 46,260 Blue Jays, which puts our season total at 999,351 individuals so far! Now, if everything goes well tomorrow (and the weather cooperates), we will hit 1 million Blue Jays!! *touch wood*. Finches were on the move today as House Finch, Purple Finch, Pine Siskin and American Goldfinch were all counted.Tree Swallows and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were spotted feeding over the marsh and in the air above the tower in the afternoon. In the morning, we heard two Sandhill Cranes in the far distances of the marsh, and we also heard a Common Loon calling from the lake. Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwalls, and American Coots currently rule the marsh with really numbers for each species. 2 Monarchs seen. Looking forwards to seeing more variety coming in soon. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74825162 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74827538 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 11/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent Weather: Goodbye Southern winds! We were very happy to see steady winds from the West today. The temperature also dropped slightly, staying around 8 degrees Celsius. No clouds in sight most of the day and very good visibility which was useful to spot hawks flying very high in the sky. Turkey Vulture - 63... Bald Eagle - 7 Northern Harrier - 10 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 8 Cooper’s Hawk - 6 Red-shouldered Hawk - 14 Red-tailed Hawk - 159 Rough-legged Hawk - 2 Golden Eagle - 1 American Kestrel - 1 Total = 271 Observation notes: Up, up, and away was today's flight path for most hawks, and there were plenty today! Most of the migration took place after 11 o'clock, when the air was warm and hawks could reach insane heights. They flew so high that the hawks seemed to appear out of nowhere, and disappear just as quickly. In the deep blue sky, 159 Red-tailed Hawks were the main flyer for the day. Among them; 1 Golden Eagle, 1 American Kestrel, 7 Bald Eagles, 14 Red-shouldered Hawks, 6 Cooper's Hawks, 8 Sharp-shinned Hawks, and 10 Northern Harriers also took to the sky. Additionally, few more Turkey Vultures (63) were added to the count. The only raptors that did not get the memo on the agreed upon height of flight was a pair of Rough-legged Hawks. The two playfully popped-up over the tree line and while the first flew west quickly, the second came to inspect the tower and its counter very closely. I wonder if it heard the audible gasp, and "wow!" coming from the counter? Raptors were not the only ones seen in the blue sky; Tundra Swans were on the move today. 191 Tundra Swans were counted, often heard first and then seen, shining and sparkling against the sky. One flock was even lead by an American White Pelican! Most small birds have dwindled in numbers, but the American Goldfinch is still going strong with 526 individuals today. Plenty of ducks for everyone, today the Northern Shovelers were abundant while the Northern Pintails did not produce very good numbers. It is interesting to see the composition of the marsh change daily. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76135386 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76137745 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

JAYS to date - 952,884 HAWK TOWER COUNT October 13/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Michelle Mastellotto Weather: Such beautiful weather today; warm temperatures, a nice breeze from the West, and a clear blue sky! If only hawks enjoyed migrating under these circumstances. The blue sky sent the raptors very high and the westerns winds sent them quite far North all day long.... Turkey Vulture - 1627 Northern Harrier - 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 52 Cooper’s Hawk - 3 Red-shouldered Hawk - 7 Red-tailed Hawk - 32 Peregrine Falcon - 3 Total = 1727 Observation notes: Our first and last birds of the day were Peregrine Falcons! However, not a whole lot else in between them. Turkey Vultures were the most abundant by a long shot with 1,627 individuals. Kettles were all very far north of the tower, forcing the use of scopes to properly count migrants. Within the kettles, 32 Red-tailed Hawks and 7 Red-shouldered Hawks were spotted, looking small and brown compared to the vultures. Some Sharp-shinned Hawks flew, not even breaking 100 individuals, and 3 Cooper's Hawks and 3 Northern Harriers made their way across the marsh in their respective fashion. Blue Jays took a slight break today with only 11,150 individuals flying past the tower. We are getting very close to hitting a million jays, let's hope they keep coming a little while longer! American Crows have slowly started to move with 88 individuals. I may need to prep another clicker soon! In the afternoon, a small flurry of kinlgets and Yellow-rumped Warblers invaded the base of the tower and among them was an Orange-crowned Warbler. Lastly, ducks are becoming very abundant! Ring-necked Ducks, Gadwalls, and American Coots are taking over the marsh hiding among the dead vegetation. Soon they will be very visible and their true numbers will be revealed. 8 Monarchs seen. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74787015 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74788864 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

LAKE STATION Gorgeous adult male Cooper’s Hawk - available Beautiful adult Red-shouldered Hawk available One young Sharp-shinned Hawk , one young Cooper’s Hawk and three Red-tailed Hawk (one with the black belly plumage) Total = 7 ... Bob Hall-Brooks, Tim Jarrold and Chip Ogglesby HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Cooper’s Hawk - $40, Red-shouldered Hawk - $50 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about the bird banded today. Also, if this bird ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT October 12/2020 Counter: Hugh Kent Observers: Elizabeth Kent Weather: The day started overcast with a light easterly wind. The sky cleared during the morning, but became overcast again in the afternoon, slowing the migration. Temperature was around 20c rising to 24c in late morning, falling again in the afternoon. The wind gradually rose in the afternoon moving SE. Luckily the rain held off. Turkey Vulture 1,071... Northern Harrier - 16 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 47 Cooper’s Hawk - 8 Red-shouldered Hawk - 3 Broad-winged Hawk - 6 Red-tailed Hawk - 48 American Kestrel - 1 Merlin - 3 Total = 1,203 Observation notes: Raptor numbers were much reduced today, with migration happening mid to late morning. The variety was similar to yesterday, with Red-tailed Hawk (48), Red-shouldered Hawk (3) and Broad- winged Hawk (6) all making an appearance. Turkey Vultures (1071) took a mostly northern track. Sharp - shinned Hawks appeared in lower numbers (47), but it was good to see more male Northern Harriers (4/16). Falcons were almost absent with one American Kestrel and 3 fast and direct Merlins. It was great to be welcomed to the tower this morning by an over-flight of 2 Sandhill Cranes. Blue Jay numbers were down but still with a respectable 17,710. Total to date - 941,734. Blackbird numbers continue to increase with 692 Common Grackle, 930 Red-winged Blackbird and a few more Rusty Blackbirds (31). Waterfowl numbers are growing on the marsh including 560 American Coots, 220 Gadwall and 230 Ring-necked Duck. It was good to see a female Indigo Bunting in the bushes below the tower at the end of the day. One Monarch seen. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74758436 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support.

LAKE STATION - We did not band yesterday in the SW Ontario wind storm. Today, Bob Hall-Brooks and Tim Jarrold ventured out to Holiday Beach. The winds were out of the West but not too high. Unfortunately someone forgot to tell the raptors that they could fly and we only caught one young Cooper's Hawk female. MARSH STATION - Steve Dickson banded one young Red-tailed Hawk and one Cooper's Hawk. SUPPORT HBMO with donation. Your donation is tax deductible. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/

RAPTORS AT LAKE STATION TODAY! With Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby SUPPORT HBMO with donation. Your donation is tax deductible. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/... Start or renew your membership now! http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 10/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Noel Herdman Weather: A very warm day on the tower, with the mercury reaching all the way to 18 degrees Celsius! Very hard to believe it is November! The winds blew in from the South-East, and a mix of sun and cloud broke up the blue sky. Turkey Vulture - 12 ... Northern Harrier - 9 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 10 Red-shouldered Hawk - 4 Red-tailed Hawk - 54 Rough-legged Hawk - 1 Golden Eagle - 2 American Kestrel - Total = 92 Observation notes: A rather slow day with less than 100 raptors in total. The most spectacular moment came when two Golden Eagles crossed the marsh at the same time! The two sub-adults came up over the eastern tree line, circled each other for a time and set off across the marsh. Red-tailed Hawks were the most abundant migrants with 54 individuals, while only 4 Red-shouldered Hawks were seen. A few more Sharp-shinned Hawks, Northern Harriers, and Turkey Vultures were counted, only about a dozen individuals for each species. Finally, a gorgeous light-morph Rough-legged Hawk crossed in the afternoon. Today's most interesting observation came from seeing 10 Great Blue Herons all flying at the same time over a section of the marsh. Other migrants included American Robins, Cedar Waxwings, and American Goldfinches but their numbers were lower than in the last week. Ring-necked Ducks are taking over the marsh with over 2,000 individuals, looking like small black dots on the water. Northern Pintails, Northern Shovelers, and Ruddy Ducks are also seen in good numbers. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76096310 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76098082 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

STUNNING male Cooper’s Hawk LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby Eight birds banded at the Lake Station at Holiday Beach today including three Cooper's Hawks and five Red-tailed Hawks.

LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby Red-tailed Hawk - 3 Photo: Beautiful adult Red-tailed Hawk... HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Red-tailed Hawk - $40 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about the bird banded today. Also, if this bird ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!! RECORD BLUE JAYS 99,715 HAWK TOWER COUNT October 11/2020 Counter: Hugh Kent Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Noel Herdman, Paul Gosselin... Weather: Wind was mostly from the north and light to moderate. Visibility was good but cloud cover changed throughout the day. Temperature was a comfortable high teens. Turkey Vulture 10,967 Bald Eagle - 1 Northern Harrier - 35 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 149 Cooper’s Hawk - 27 Red-shouldered Hawk - 32 Broad-winged Hawk - 33 Red-tailed Hawk - 118 American Kestrel - 9 Merlin - 1 Peregrine Falcon - 4 Total = 11,376 Observation notes: The day bought gradually increasing numbers of Turkey Vultures kettling generally close to the shore reaching a respectable 10,967. A good selection of buteos accompanied the Turkey Vultures with Red-shouldered Hawks (32), Broad-winged Hawks (33) and Red-tailed Hawks (118) in the mix. Northern Harriers (35) were also in the stream. Sharp-shinned Hawk numbers were slightly lower at 149, falcon numbers were also low. When we thought that Blue Jay numbers were on the wain, once again they amaze with an incredible 99,715!!!! A constant stream most of the day. Maybe one million this season is possible! The marsh is gradually filling with more ducks, with a noticeable increase in Ring-necked Duck, Gadwall and of course American Coot. Blackbird species and numbers are increasing with a nice 4 Rusty Blackbirds alighting in a nearby tree. Also a nice flock of Pine Siskin paid a visit. 2 Monarchs seen. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74716723 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74720821 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 9/2020 Counter: Hugh Kent Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Noel Herdman Weather: Another beautiful day on the tower. Light winds from the south east all day with the clouds disappearing throughout the morning, to bring a sunny afternoon. Temperatures gradually rose from 13c to an unseasonable 20c, but we weren't complaining! Turkey Vulture - 86... Northern Harrier - 15 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 12 Cooper’s Hawk - 4 Red-shouldered Hawk - 15 Red-tailed Hawk - 82 Rough-legged Hawk - 2 American Kestrel - 1 Total = 217 Observation notes: Again a day of quality not quantity. 2 nice Rough-legged Hawks flew over the marsh, one a dark morph, first of the season. Red-tailed Hawks (82) were in similar numbers to Turkey Vultures (86) but generally closer and lower. A good number of Northern Harriers (15) passed us today also mostly closer to the Tower. Red-shouldered Hawks were in reduced numbers at 15, closely followed by Sharp-shinned Hawks (12). A valiant single male American Kestrel determinedly headed west. Similar to yesterday but with reduced Finch numbers. A good passage of Eastern Bluebirds (145), mostly in the morning. There was a significant movement of blackbird flocks in the first hour with numbers being high for the day; Red-winged Blackbirds 3450 and Common Grackles 2500. An Eastern Meadowlark stopped off from accompanying a flock to perch on a nearby tree. Wildfowl numbers are being maintained, with even more Ring-necked Duck (4070) today. A good variety of duck species can be seen on the marsh. Double-crested Cormorant numbers have dwindled to 17. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76061422 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76063016 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

AMAZING ROCKETTE IS BACK! ADOPTION AVAILABLE! BRIDGE PEREGRINE. Banded on July 9/2020 by Bob Hall-Brooks, recaptured at Lake Station today. SHE GREW UP A LOT! Chip Ogglesby with Rockette, she was not very friendly! HBMO is a Non-profit, Charitable Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Peregrine Falcon - $100 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a ce...rtificate with information about one of the birds banded today. Also, if this birds ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

LAKE STATION - Stunning adult Red-tailed Hawk Adoption available. Bob Hall-Brooks, Tim Jarrold and Chip Ogglesby Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2... Cooper's Hawk - 1 Red-tailed hawk - 6 HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Red-tailed Hawk - $40 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about the bird banded today. Also, if this bird ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!!! HAWK TOWER COUNT October 10/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Noel Herdman Weather: A pink and slightly hazy sky greeted us this morning. Though there were no clouds in the sky, the visibility was quite low throughout the day, even as the sun rose higher in the sky. A fresh breeze from the South-West kept us from overheating as the temperature rose to 25 degrees Celsius, quite warm from October! Finally, clouds rolled in during the last ...2 hours cooling off the air for the day. Turkey Vulture - 561 Northern Harrier - 9 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 173 Cooper’s Hawk - 5 Red-tailed Hawk - 3 American Kestrel - 10 Merlin - 8 Peregrine Falcon - 3 Total = 772 Observation notes: Not our busiest day with 772 raptors, but thankfully Turkey Vultures brought up our daily total with 561 individuals. Sharp-shinned Hawks were our next most numerous migrants with 173 individuals. Other species came in small numbers, but we were excited to count 8 Merlins today! The fast and aggressive falcons zipped across the marsh with 5 individuals coming in the same crazy hour. Any and all activity died down in the afternoon, and we feared checking the "no raptor" box of shame for the last hour when 2 lovely Sharp-shinned Hawks popped up above the trees with minutes to spare before heading home. Raptors were not the only ones taking a break from flying today. Not much to report from the non-raptors apart from 24,750 Blue Jays, keeping us awake during the raptor lulls. Total to date 824,309 European Starlings were also very busy, forming massive murmurations stretching across the marsh. Various species of finches flew across the tower including House and Purple Finch, Pine Siskins, and American Goldfinches. Tree and Northern Rough-winged Swallows were busy hawking over the marsh for bugs and a flock of 12 Chimney Swifts flew above in the morning. We are seeing more American Robins around the tower, their lovely songs reminding us of spring time, which seems like an eternity ago! Finally, Gadwalls and American Coots, which have taken the marsh hostage, are very numerous on the water. 5 Monarchs seen. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74664236 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S74666456 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! http://hbmo.ca/ http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 8/2020 Counter: Hugh Kent Observers: Elizabeth Kent Weather: Another beautiful day on the tower, sunny and clear until late afternoon, light winds from the south east and temperatures starting at 11c and reaching a comfortable 17c in the afternoon. Turkey Vulture - 35... Northern Harrier - 5 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 6 Cooper’s Hawk - 6 Red-shouldered Hawk - 26 Red-tailed Hawk - 64 Rough-legged Hawk - 2 Golden Eagle - 1 Merlin - 2 Total = 147 Observation notes: Quality not quantity today. Highlights were an immature Golden Eagle mid morning, first spotted perched but then flew off over the marsh. Red-tailed (64) and Red-shouldered Hawks (26) were in the majority, but it was great to see 2 Rough-legged Hawks fairly close low over the marsh. Surprisingly Cooper's matched Sharp-shinned Hawks at 6 each and there were 5 Northern Harriers including 2 beautiful Gray ghosts. It was good to see 2 Merlins flashing by. With 35 Turkey Vultures, a total of 9 species. Lots of movement of smaller birds today with good numbers of blackbirds; 1910 Red-winged Blackbirds, 443 Common Grackles and 330 Rusty Blackbirds. Surprisingly no Brown-headed Cowbirds, we did look for them! Eastern Bluebirds (332) were a joy seeing and hearing them overhead. Finches were ever present with Pine Siskins (103), American Goldfinches (101), House Finches (22) and Purple Finches (3). Horned Lark (64) and American Pipits (7) got our notice with their flight calls. Wildfowl numbers are up again, with Ring necked Duck (3640) showing as many black spots in the marsh. A good variety of duck species are present, nice to see Bufflehead and Hooded Merganser. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76018524 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S76020608 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

1 Monarch! HAWK TOWER COUNT November 7/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Dave Martin, Linda Wladarski Weather: We are in November, right? A beautiful day with temperatures reaching 15 degrees Celsius, and very slight winds from the South. Once again, the visibility was quite poor at the far end of the marsh, making it difficult to easily spot and identify flying raptors without the use of scopes. Let's enjoy this gorgeous weather while it lasts!... Turkey Vulture - 43 Northern Harrier - 7 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 16 Cooper’s Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 6 Red-tailed Hawk - 35 Golden Eagle - 1 American Kestrel - 1 Peregrine Falcon - 1 Total = 111 Observation notes: More migrants today with 111 raptors counted. Turkey Vultures were the most abundant with 43 individuals, but Red-tailed Hawks were not far behind with 35 individuals. Great to see an American Kestrel zip by in the afternoon, as well as a Peregrine Falcon after it made all the ducks in the area fly up. Lastly, Golden Eagles always seem to come right after other observers leave (sorry Dave and Linda!). The impressive juvenile flew right over the tower and soared for a few moments before taking off to the west. Very busy day for passerines like American Goldfinches (277), Pine Siskins (115), Eastern Bluebirds (93), Cedar Waxwings (110), and American Robins (271). Blackbirds and Starlings rule the tree tops in the morning, making an unbelievable racket as the sun rises over the marsh. Ducks are very abundant on the water, and rafts of Greater Scaup can be spotted in the distance on Lake Erie. Lastly, a single Monarch Butterfly was seen flying right over the tower in the afternoon. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75956336 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75959142 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

Happy World Migratory Bird Day!!! LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby Beautiful AHY Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 Cooper's Hawk and 3 more young SSHA.... HBMO is a Non-profit, Charitable Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Sharp-shinned Hawk - $20 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about one of the birds banded today. Also, if this birds ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 6/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent, Michelle Mastellotto Weather: A beautiful day on the tower! With a bright sun and slight winds from the South, the air warmed up quickly and reached 15 degrees Celsius by the afternoon. The only downfall was a fog in the morning, lowering the visibility. After the fog lifted, the visibility did not improve much making it difficult to spot raptors flying over the Northern tree line, t...heir preferred route today. Turkey Vulture - 41 Northern Harrier - 6 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 8 Red-shouldered Hawk - 7 Red-tailed Hawk - 23 Rough-legged Hawk - 1 Golden Eagle - 1 American Kestrel - 1 Total = 88 Observation notes: A nice variety of migrating raptors today. We were happy to see an American Kestrel, a Light-morph Rough-legged Hawk, and an immature Golden Eagle. Quality not quantity people! Other migrants included Red-tailed Hawks (23), Red-shouldered Hawks (7), Sharp-shinned Hawks (8), a few Northern Harriers (6), and finally Turkey Vultures (41), for a grand total of 88 raptors. We were happy to enjoyed the warm day and count a few birds. Still seeing big movements of passerines including Cedar Waxwings (273), American Robins (268), American Goldfinches (306), and Pine Siskins (98). A few more Horned Larks (40), Eastern Bluebirds (71), and American Pipits (4) also came in small flocks over the tower. Over the marsh, a small flock of Dunlins seen, flying over slightly smaller groups of American Coots. Their numbers as well as Gadwalls are dwindling. Bonaparte's Gulls are gaining in numbers with approximately 80 individuals flying around the marsh today. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75911855 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75913463 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. Thank you for your support. See more

Thank you for your support. HBMO Board of Directors http://hbmo.ca/ https://www.facebook.com/HolidayBeachMO/ https://www.flickr.com/photos/98053979@N07/sets/... https://twitter.com/HolidayBeachMO See more

LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks, Tim Jarrold and Chip Ogglesby Beautiful weather in November ! Bah ! Southwest winds and high temperature do not push Raptors to migrate. Young Cooper’s Hawk - 1 Young Sharp-shinned Hawks 2

6 Red-shouldered Hawks! Photo from the tower. HAWK TOWER COUNT October 9/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent Weather: What a beautiful October day to be outside! Very slight winds from the South-East and absolutely zero clouds kept the day quite warm and pleasant. Of course the blue sky sent raptors very high up making them difficult to see in the vast blue. Tomorrow we are expecting hot temperatures with winds from the South-West most of the day...Continue reading

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 5/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent Weather: An incredible sunrise welcomed us to the tower, with pinks, yellows, and oranges all over the sky. Unfortunately, clouds came in quickly to cover the sun and make the sky a drab gray most of the day. Thankfully, the temperature was quite warm reaching 13 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The wind came from the South and was not felt on the tower once again today. Turkey Vultu...re - 19 Northern Harrier - 5 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3 Cooper’s Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 1 Red-tailed Hawk - 4 Golden Eagle - 1 Merlin - 1 Total = 35 Observation notes: Alright, who turned off the raptor tap? Another slow day with a trickle of 35 raptors. This total was saved by the 19 Turkey Vultures that decided to move quickly past the tower. Northern Harriers were the next most abundant with 5 individuals, then we counted 4 Red-tailed Hawks, and finally 3 Sharp-shinned Hawks. The rest came in singles; 1 Cooper's Hawk, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, and 1 Merlin, what a nice surprise! Finally, 1 immature Golden Eagle flew just above the trees to the far North edge of the marsh. With this slower week, we are telling ourselves that it's quality not quantity that matters! A very special bird passed by the tower today; a Bohemian Waxwing was seen in the trees by the tower! The gorgeous waxwing was in a flock of Cedar Waxwing and stood out because of the rusty colour under the tail. If the raptor tap was shut off, the passerine tap was flowing today! Cedar Waxwings came in big groups with a total of 535 individuals. American Robin totalled over 700 individuals and Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches were seen in the hundreds. During the last hour of the count, Common Grackles, Rusty Blackbirds, and Starlings invaded the tree surrounding the tower. The thousands of birds made such a racket as they stripped the bushes of their few remaining berries. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75875954 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75877098 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby Banded our 200th Sharp-shinned Hawk of this fall season. That's the good news. The bad news is that this was the only raptor banded today. Southwest winds and cloudy skies and only four raptors seen. Photo: Chip Ogglesby with #200. SUPPORT HBMO with donation.... Your donation is tax deductible. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Start or renew your membership now! http://hbmo.ca/become-a-member/ See more

LAKE STATION Bob Hall-Brooks with Chip Ogglesby Chip Ogglesby and I almost closed the Lake Station at Holiday Beach before we opened today (Friday). I followed a grader into the park and we had been advised that the Conservation Authority was planning on resurfacing the roads in the park. While there was no early activity in the park area, there was a Ross the soy bean field in front of the station. Lake Erie Country Club road was also being tarred and chipped this morning w...ith considerable noise. Our farmer also showed up to fertilize the field during our first hour of operation. Hip and I hung in hoping that the activity would not impede our banding operations too badly and a few Raptors came but avoided us. The park road activity then started right behind us and the Lake Station was vibrating from the heavy equipment. Not often do you lure for raptors and receive a vibra-massage at the same time. A Cooper's Hawk, our first adult of the season came in as the noise was at its greatest...Go figure. We then had a break and lured in our second Peregrine Falcon of the season, a young female, who came in at field level hard from the beach. The noise continued shortly thereafter and we finally abandoned hope at 13:00 hours HBMO is a Non-profit, Charitable Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Cooper’s Hawk - $40, Peregrine Falcon - $100 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ We will send you a certificate with information about one of the birds banded today. Also, if this birds ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support.

HAWK TOWER COUNT November 4/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent Weather: Another beautiful November day on the tower! With a bright blue sky and not a single cloud in sight, the temperature reached 15 degrees Celsius in the afternoon. The wind blew in from the South, creating waves on Lake Erie, but was not felt on the tower, as we are sheltered from the wind on that side. Turkey Vulture - 48 ... Northern Harrier - 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk - 11 Cooper’s Hawk - 1 Red-shouldered Hawk - 4 Red-tailed Hawk - 30 Golden Eagle - 2 Total = 97 Observation notes: Slow day all around, with 97 raptors as a daily total. However, on those 97, two were Golden Eagles! The first flew in North of the tower and very low over the trees just before 10 o'clock. This adult let us see it's golden mane and patterning on the top of the wing. The second, a sub-adult, took the very similar route of as far from the tower as possible just before 11 o'clock. Today's other migrants were 48 Turkey Vultures, 30 Red-tailed Hawks, 22 Sharp-shined Hawks, and 4 Red-shouldered Hawks. A single Cooper's Hawk and Northern Harrier also flew over the marsh. Thankfully, it is more bearable to have a slower day when the temperatures are nice then when we wonder if two coats are enough. Finches were busy today, with many flocks of Pine Siskins and American Goldfinches bouncing over the tower. A few more Tree Swallows are still spotted hawking over the marsh in the morning. On the marsh, some species of ducks have all but disappeared like American Wigeons and Wood Ducks. The number of Gadwall and Coots has also dropped slightly, but do not worry, Buffleheads and Mergansers have taken their place. Non-raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75835863 Raptor ebird list: https://ebird.org/checklist/S75837287 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 have a three-person limit reserved for the Hawk Counters. Thank you to all who are respecting these precautions. Be safe everyone! HBMO is a Non-profit, Registered Charitable Volunteer Organization. Donate to the best Hawk Watch in Canada. Tower activities will continue until November 30. https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/ Thank you for your support. See more

JUST BANDED AND AVAILABLE! By Bob Hall-Brooks and Chip Ogglesby PEREGRINE FALCON ! HBMO is a Non-profit, Charitable Organization. Due to COVID, to survive as an organization we are asking for donations. We offer a banded bird certificate. Peregrine Falcon - $100 https://www.canadahelps.org//holiday-beach-migration-obse/... We will send you a certificate with information about one of the birds banded today. Also, if this birds ever gets recapture somewhere else, we will inform you of its whereabouts. Band recoveries help us answer questions about raptor populations we are tracking in our count studieswhat are their geographical ranges? How long do birds live? Recoveries also give us insight into causes of raptor injuries and deaths. Thank you for your support. See more

BLUE JAYS everywhere! First Northern Goshawk! HAWK TOWER COUNT October 8/2020 Counter: Maryse Gagné Observers: Elizabeth Kent, Hugh Kent, Michelle Mastellotto...Continue reading