August 11th - Quiet Day!

It was just another beautiful day to be at the park but unfortunately no birds were observed.  Actually very few birds at all were seen.  It happens.

On a happier note, Lee, Betty, Richard and Mark stopped by to help search as well as a new friend John Barker.  John has been an avid hawk watcher for many years and in 1993, through his efforts, The Greater Toronto Raptor Watch was organized.  He initiated the co-ordination of the Cranberry Marsh hawk watch and the previously informal hawk watch in High Park.  John has also visited many watch sites across the province, the country and the United States.  He has birded with the likes of William S. Clark and Brian K. Wheeler.  Much of their work you've probably either read or looked at in books or on the internet.  John will be visiting us on weekends and will be helping out as much as possible while there.  He is very interesting in gathering our data from over the last 10 years and entering it in to the HMANA (Hawk Migration Association of North America) website's database.  This in-turn will put our 'little' hawk watch on the map!  It was a real pleasure to meet and talk with John today and we'll look forward to his friendship and expertise this fall season.

Our butterflying friend Susan was also at the park today but reported no new species for the day.  We are eagerly anticipating the arrival of maybe one or two Giant Swallowtail butterflies this month, please watch for them.  They are huge black and yellow butterflies with 6 inch wingspans.  Speaking of insects, John will be conducting a Dragonfly Watch as well when he's at the park.  This is something new that is being done at many hawk watch sites now.  I will be monitoring the Monarch butterfly migration this fall as their numbers have dropped off by as much as 90% recently.

As it stands right now, tomorrow afternoon will see rain but both Tuesday and Wednesday have predicted northwest wind.

Walter