With another raptor watching season in the books,both Walter and I wanted to thank everyone for an amazing seaon. While it sort of fizzled out at the end,we sure had alot of highs this fall! High day,month and season counts and many fantastic views of all 15 species. We welcomed more visitors then ever. We welcomed more photographers who contributed more photos then ever. Thanks to all of you! Ann Brokelman continued to offer her pictures for use on the blog,which deserve more superlatives then I can include. Thanks Ann!! Your contributions have been enjoyed by many folks all over the world that follow the blog. So many people have commented on how interesting the photos make the blog. We added some great folks to the Rosetta Regular Irregulars.
Before I go further,thanks to Walter most of all for his help running the watch. There is no way I could have done it without you! Walter's constant commraderie,good humor and enthusiasm,kept me up,excited and helped me hang in on slow days. His help passing on information and teaching others is invaluable.
To all the Rosetta McClain Gardens Regular Irregulars,thanks for your friendships,interest and coming out to share the fall with us.You all made things much more fun,rewarding and successful.It's great to see peoples interest and abilities to spot and identify raptors grow.Tim Horton's runs are something unique to us at Rosetta. Thanks to everyone who sustained us with coffee,hot chocolate,Timbits,donuts and even chilli now and then! Welcome Cori,Mike 2,and Hugh,to our band of irregulars. Walter and I cant thank you enough for your contributions. I will be in touch with as many of you as possible when we plan over winter birding and non-birding outtings.
To the staff and management of Rosetta McClain Gardens...thanks to all of you,for your contiuned friendships and the immense amount of assistance which you gave. Our visitors loved the gardens and clean facilities. You are to be commended,as,as you well know,the impact of your work represents not just yourselves,but our community and city. Thanks for your many kindnesses to Walter,myself and others. Hot coffee(caffine fixes) got us going many mornings! Without your help and co-operation,we couldnt do what we do.
People call this BIGFRANK's watch...NO WAY!!,it would never be the success that it is,without everyone playing their part. People not only around Toronto,but southern Ontario,now recognize Rosetta McClain Gardens as a great place to view birds of prey during migration.
Record Year!!! Wrap(tor)-Up Summary 2010
Another season of raptor watching has come to an end.It was a record setting fall,with a final total of 6545 raptors observed. This smashed our previous record of 5844. It seemed daily at peak migration time,that record after record fell,one day,one month and species final totals. Walter and I have been asked to submit a Toronto Records Committee report for our September 9th record Osprey count of 53 in one day. This is a GTA record! Thanks to Walter for this impressive list of records set this season at Rosetta. We set 21 and tied one other record this year.
53 Opsrey were seen Sept 9th,176 were seen in the month of September,which led to our season best 211. All new records! Bald Eagles were a similar story,18 were observed on Sept 10th a new site record. September saw a new monthly record of 43 Bald Eagles and a record final tally of 73 Bald Eagles were spotted. We saw a record number of Sharpshinned Hawks in September,finishing with 2067 and a new season high of 2797. 15 Northern Goshawks in the month of October was a new record. November 1st we had a record number of Redtailed Hawks fly by with 251. Roughlegged Hawks have moved in larger numbers then normal in southern Ontario and the sightings at Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch reflect this as well. We recorded a one day record of 9 on October 31st,a high of 18 in the month of November and a season best total of 28. We set records for all 3 falcon species. On Sept 9th we saw a day record of 203,a new month record of 581 in September were counted and the final total of 719 was also a record. We tied our best one day Merlin total of 10,on Sept 8th,had a record 52 sightings in September and observed 87 in total for another record. We saw the highest number of Peregrine Falcons for any southern Ontario count site,with a new site record of 85. On October 1st we tallied our best one day total of all raptors ever with 946! September saw our highest monthly count ever too,with 3385 total birds of prey counted. Lastly we had our most ever days with over 100 raptors observed,with 20. WHAT A SEASON WOW!!!!
Final Totals
211-Osprey
1195-Turkey Vulture
73-Bald Eagle
322-Northern Harrier
2797-Sharpshinned Hawk
82-Coopers Hawk
17-Northern Goshawk
21-Redshouldered Hawk
190-Broadwinged Hawk
707-Redtailed Hawk
28-Roughlegged Hawk
11-Golden Eagle
719-American Kestrel
87-Merlin
85-Peregrine Falcon
6545-Final Total
Thanks to everyone for an amazing season.
We also counted:
44-Great Blue Heron
20-Common Nighthawk
410-Common Loons
Oddities Seen This Season:
Cave Swallows
Sandhill Cranes
Snow Geese
American White Pelican
White-winged Crossbills
Short-eared Owl
Rusty Blackbirds
53 Opsrey were seen Sept 9th,176 were seen in the month of September,which led to our season best 211. All new records! Bald Eagles were a similar story,18 were observed on Sept 10th a new site record. September saw a new monthly record of 43 Bald Eagles and a record final tally of 73 Bald Eagles were spotted. We saw a record number of Sharpshinned Hawks in September,finishing with 2067 and a new season high of 2797. 15 Northern Goshawks in the month of October was a new record. November 1st we had a record number of Redtailed Hawks fly by with 251. Roughlegged Hawks have moved in larger numbers then normal in southern Ontario and the sightings at Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch reflect this as well. We recorded a one day record of 9 on October 31st,a high of 18 in the month of November and a season best total of 28. We set records for all 3 falcon species. On Sept 9th we saw a day record of 203,a new month record of 581 in September were counted and the final total of 719 was also a record. We tied our best one day Merlin total of 10,on Sept 8th,had a record 52 sightings in September and observed 87 in total for another record. We saw the highest number of Peregrine Falcons for any southern Ontario count site,with a new site record of 85. On October 1st we tallied our best one day total of all raptors ever with 946! September saw our highest monthly count ever too,with 3385 total birds of prey counted. Lastly we had our most ever days with over 100 raptors observed,with 20. WHAT A SEASON WOW!!!!
Final Totals
211-Osprey
1195-Turkey Vulture
73-Bald Eagle
322-Northern Harrier
2797-Sharpshinned Hawk
82-Coopers Hawk
17-Northern Goshawk
21-Redshouldered Hawk
190-Broadwinged Hawk
707-Redtailed Hawk
28-Roughlegged Hawk
11-Golden Eagle
719-American Kestrel
87-Merlin
85-Peregrine Falcon
6545-Final Total
Thanks to everyone for an amazing season.
We also counted:
44-Great Blue Heron
20-Common Nighthawk
410-Common Loons
Oddities Seen This Season:
Cave Swallows
Sandhill Cranes
Snow Geese
American White Pelican
White-winged Crossbills
Short-eared Owl
Rusty Blackbirds
Nov 29 The Finale 4 Raptors
On Monday,Carol,Pat,Nancy and Peter,dropped by the park. In addition to our local Redtailed Hawk being harrassed by American Crows and a co-operative Coopers Hawk,they observed a final 3 Redtailed Hawks and one migrating Coopers Hawk. Pat sent along these shots of a Redtail chased by a Crow.
Our Co-operative Coopers,fence sitting.
End of season summaries soon to come.
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