Todays Total 13 Raptors:3Bald Eagles,3Sharp-shinned Hawks,4American Kestrels,2Redtailed Hawks and 1 Northern Harrier. Year To Date Total: 15
A 2nd consecutive day of northwest winds,even this early in the migration season mattered. 3 Bald Eagles was a real highlight,2 circled together out over Lake Ontario,gaining height,before moving on. The 3rd came almost over immediately after,around 11am,reasonably low and circled right over the middle of the park,almost over my head. Eventually it headed southwest. A very co-operative Northern Harrier,which circled treetop high and directly in front of me for photos was another bit of excitement. 2 Sharp-shinned Hawks began harassing the Harrier,diving at it a few times.
Non-raptor highlights included 2 Lesser-yellowlegs flying past,3 Purple Martins and a Least Flycatcher which hung around the side of the bluffs.
Aug 3rd:And So It Begins
Todays count 2...Year To Date 2....one Redtailed Hawk and one Peregrine Falcon.
With ridiculous heat and humidity on the first and second of the month,5 minutes after starting my watch today,the first raptor counted went by,an adult Redtailed Hawk. It flew with purpose along the lakeshore from west to east and out of sight. And so it begins. At 10:55-11:00am,I spotted a juvenile Peregrine Falcon. It came reasonably low over the park,circling and gaining height,drifting out over the lake and gaining still more height. I was able to share this with 2 passersby who were amazed by this sighting. Raptor migration starts slowly in August,with the first 2 weeks being very hit and miss,though by the end of August the count should reach somewhere around 100-150 birds of prey.
Other good sightings of migrating birds were 6 Great Blue Herons,a few hundred Cedar Waxwings and Bank,Cliff,Barn and Tree Swallows. Bugs and animals noted were many Monarch Butterflys,a handfull of Black Swallowtailed Butterflys and a large yellow caterpillar or centipede(I took photos and when I get them back I will post..hopefully ID'd by then,one Cotton-tailed Rabbitt and the highlight of the day,a 30minute viewing of a youngish looking Red Fox. Its coat was beautiful. It was seen digging near an old log,presumably for grubs and bugs.
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