Start Late End Early Day Count 65

The anticipated big day did not materialize. Yesterday winds were just too strong. Today as expected things started abit late noonish before much started to move,but the tap went off early,such that by about 230pm not much was flying. Judging by some of the flight paths,other birds were north of our site. We did have some excellent raptors though today,with 2 Red-shouldered Hawks in with a few Redtails. It was a good example of size contrast and the obvious markings on the tail of the Red-shouldered Hawk. We had a juvenile Golden Eagle at 1:08pm,Peter's first. We also had a Roughlegged Hawk,our first this season...a new bird for Walter and Peter. In the morning while no raptors flew by,an Eastern Bluebird landed in a tree next to us. Ann (would we expect less) got a few nice shots of it. Thanks to everyone for their help spotting today,with tough blue skys. Thanks to Betty for the hot chocolates! Today we saw:

2-Turkey Vultures

3-Sharpshinned Hawks

5-Coopers Hawks

2-Red-shouldered Hawks

50-Redtailed Hawks

1-Rough-legged Hawk

1-Golden Eagle

1-Peregrine Falcon

From here on unless there is a north element in the wind,its unlikely I will be present. Anyone who sees anything please let me know. The next days forecast with any potential are Monday or Tuesday(Tues looking better) right now.

Ann and Carol Visit Hawk Cliff

Recently,a couple of our Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch regulars(who are highly irregular) paid Hawk Cliff a visit. What follows is Ann's account of she and Carol's visit..what they saw,highlights and some of Ann's great photos. Enjoy!

Visit to Hawk Cliff in Port Stanley:

From Oct 12 to 19 Carol and I went to Hawk Cliff to do some hawk watching. Hawk watching we did to the tune of 11,055 birds. We saw 16 Golden Eagles, 17 Bald Eagles, over 8700 Turkey Vultures, 81 Northern Harriers, 1194 Sharpshin Hawks, 71 Coopers Hawks, 2 Osprey, 140 Red Shouldered Hawks, 689 Red Tailed Hawks, 174 American Kestrels, 10 Merlins, 4 Peregrine Falcons, and 3 Rough Legged Hawks. This does not include the thousands of hawks we saw in Port Stanley and on the road to and from Toronto.

Highlight of my visit was a juv red tail hawk circling me while I was taking his photo. In the photo you can see the Redtail looking right at me. He went around and around with the sun shining through his wings. When he finally left he started to make the red tail cry. It is a moment in time I will never forget.

Carol told me her favourite moment was on the second morning at 7:30am we looked out on our cottage porch to see approximately 150 Turkey Vultures directly above us. They were kiting one way then they would fly really fast back. Carol called it the March of the Turkey Vultures. Some of the vultures were on the beach eating a dead fish, and some were just flying around. What a great way to start the morning.

If you have never been to Hawk Cliff to see the migration of hawks in Port Stanley PUT THIS ON YOUR MUST DO LIST - take a weekend, day trip or like Carol and I a week long trip. I have so many wonderful memories and a card full of photos to edit that it will take me a month to go through them. By the way the fall colours were amazing.-- Ann Brokelman

Painfully Slow And A Piliated

Oct18-20 has been very very slow,no count was done on the 19th or 20th. The 18th saw only 7 raptors.


1-Sharpshin


3-Redtailed Hawks


1-American Kestrel


2-Merlin





A Piliated Woodpecker has been around the park lately. Today as Ann,Mary and I wandered the park looking for owls,I stopped Ann in mid-story as I heard the Piliated Woodpecker. Mary noticed where it flew and we were able to track it down..what a team. This is one of Ann's great photos of the female Woodpecker.


The next 2 days(Tuesday and Wednesday) have incredible potential to be the last of the MEGADAYS this season. While counts of 100+ on one or 2 more occassions may occur in November,the next 2 days offer a chance at some huge counts. If U join us DRESS VERY WARM.