...on an east wind day.
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 2
Bald Eagle - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3
American Kestrel - 1
Total - 7
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 564
Osprey - 108
Bald Eagle - 91
Northern Harrier - 68
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1204
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 428
Merlin - 33
Peregrine Falcon - 16
Total - 2731
Eagle Time (EDT):
11:06 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
Others:
Monarchs - 14
Bob, Arvo, John, Freida, Norm, Betty, Susan & Frank
Walter
September 27th - More Of The Same...
All-blue sky, light wind - wrong direction, few birds! Other than that, it was a beautiful day!
Today:
Osprey - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3
Merlin - 2
Total - 6
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 108
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 68
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1201
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 427
Merlin - 33
Peregrine Falcon - 16
Total - 2724
Here's a couple of photos that I got today of our local Red-tailed Hawk looking for lunch...
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are now being seen mixed in with the Golden-crowns. 37 Monarchs were counted today.
Mike 3, Berle, Arvo, Terry, Bruce, and Manny were on-hand to keep me awake! LOL
With more of the same weather forecasted for tomorrow, it's very likely that I'll be exiting the park early.
Walter
Today:
Osprey - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 3
Merlin - 2
Total - 6
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 108
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 68
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1201
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 427
Merlin - 33
Peregrine Falcon - 16
Total - 2724
Here's a couple of photos that I got today of our local Red-tailed Hawk looking for lunch...
Ruby-crowned Kinglets are now being seen mixed in with the Golden-crowns. 37 Monarchs were counted today.
Mike 3, Berle, Arvo, Terry, Bruce, and Manny were on-hand to keep me awake! LOL
With more of the same weather forecasted for tomorrow, it's very likely that I'll be exiting the park early.
Walter
Special Post - A Park on the Edge
Back in the first or second week of August a young lady named Jessica Nelson approached me at the park and was very interested in knowing about the Raptor Watch. She also wanted to know about the gardens and the history of the park. Rosetta McClain Gardens: A Park on the Edge is a terrific profile of the park that she did for a Toronto Real Estate blog. On behalf of the staff and us at the Watch, I'd like to say thank you. Please visit again soon.
Walter
Walter
September 26th - 4 Peregrine Falcons!
With similar skies and winds again today I wasn't really sure if we were going to seen anything at all. Surprisingly two Osprey started off the day but again the rest of the birds were few and far between. Four Peregrine Falcons were the highlight of the day.
Today:
Osprey - 2
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 5
American Kestrel - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 4
Total - 13
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 107
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 68
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1198
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 427
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 16
Total - 2718
63 Monarchs were counted today. Also, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is our latest addition to the fall Bird List.
Thanks to all involved including: Trudy, Cori, Ron, Betty, Richard, Berle, Carol, Terry, Ann, and Lee who was out and about.
Walter
Today:
Osprey - 2
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 5
American Kestrel - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 4
Total - 13
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 107
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 68
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1198
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 427
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 16
Total - 2718
63 Monarchs were counted today. Also, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is our latest addition to the fall Bird List.
Thanks to all involved including: Trudy, Cori, Ron, Betty, Richard, Berle, Carol, Terry, Ann, and Lee who was out and about.
Walter
September 25th - Just 5 Birds
We had excellent whispy cloud cover high up for several hours today but unfortunately we couldn't find anything flying along. We counted just 5 birds in the span of 6 hours.
Today:
Osprey - 1
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 5
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 105
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 67
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1193
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 426
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 12
Total - 2705
The only shot that I took today...
Our big highlight of the day was a Pileated Woodpecker. A few people saw only a quick glimpse of it as it moved across the area. It was heard calling from several locations, the last being the parkette behind the Arts Council.
Ron, Trudy, Betty, Arvo, Manny, and a few others helped out with today's watch.
Walter
Today:
Osprey - 1
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 2
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 5
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 105
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 67
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1193
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 426
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 12
Total - 2705
The only shot that I took today...
Osprey
Ron, Trudy, Betty, Arvo, Manny, and a few others helped out with today's watch.
Walter
September 24th - 4 More Eagles!
Sorry, this is getting very repetitive but it was another all-blue sky today. Not one single cloud was seen overhead. Spotting was extremely difficult at best. By mid-morning we had started to see a few kettles of Turkey Vultures and a couple of Bald Eagles but then things abruptly stopped almost completely for the day. Only one Sharpie and an Osprey were seen in the afternoon.
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 72
Osprey - 2
Bald Eagle - 4
Northern Harrier - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 7
American Kestrel - 2
Merlin - 1
Total - 90
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 104
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 66
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1191
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 426
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2700
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:33 AM - BE adult
10:45 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
10:57 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
11:40 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
For anyone keeping score, I've added a Peregrine Falcon to yesterday's count after seeing a couple of photos that Cori took late in the afternoon. The bird was circling over the parking lot as we were about to leave yesterday and Cori was able to snap a few decent photos of it.
Here's a couple of photos courtesy of me...
More than 100 Monarch butterflies were seen today. Also, many Cabbage White butterflies, Orange Sulphur butterflies, and dragonflies of various species were in the air. One of the foxes came strolling through the gardens this afternoon adding some excitement to the day.
Another shot from me...
Watchers and waiters today included: Kris, Richard, Lorne, Effie, Carol, Berle, Betty, Terry, Ron, Hugh, Manny, and Trudy. Thank you!
Walter
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 72
Osprey - 2
Bald Eagle - 4
Northern Harrier - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 7
American Kestrel - 2
Merlin - 1
Total - 90
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 562
Osprey - 104
Bald Eagle - 90
Northern Harrier - 66
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1191
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 426
Merlin - 31
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2700
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:33 AM - BE adult
10:45 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
10:57 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
11:40 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
For anyone keeping score, I've added a Peregrine Falcon to yesterday's count after seeing a couple of photos that Cori took late in the afternoon. The bird was circling over the parking lot as we were about to leave yesterday and Cori was able to snap a few decent photos of it.
Here's a couple of photos courtesy of me...
Bald Eagle #89
Bald Eagle #90
Here's 2 shots courtesy of Richard Sigesmund...
Bald Eagle #90
A Merlin having a feeble go at a Monarch
More than 100 Monarch butterflies were seen today. Also, many Cabbage White butterflies, Orange Sulphur butterflies, and dragonflies of various species were in the air. One of the foxes came strolling through the gardens this afternoon adding some excitement to the day.
Another shot from me...
Red Fox
Watchers and waiters today included: Kris, Richard, Lorne, Effie, Carol, Berle, Betty, Terry, Ron, Hugh, Manny, and Trudy. Thank you!
Walter
September 23rd - Turkey Vulture Day!
We sure are getting our share of blue sky this fall. When I arrived at the park this morning we had pretty good cloud cover but as time went on the clouds disappeared one after the other. Most birds were seen flying high up. As afternoon approached the vultures started to soar over the trees. First it was small groups of 5-10 flying by and then a few hours later the last group was 60 birds strong. What a sight as they circled overhead! Even though Turkey Vultures are black, we could have very easily missed some. Again, thank you everyone for an excellent day of hawk watching!
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 349
Osprey - 3
Bald Eagle - 2
Northern Harrier - 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 39
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Broad-winged Hawk - 20
Red-tailed Hawk - 7
American Kestrel - 19
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 452
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 490
Osprey - 102
Bald Eagle - 86
Northern Harrier - 64
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1184
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 424
Merlin - 30
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2610
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:48 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
04:36 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
The following photos are courtesy of Ann Brokelman...
Only a couple of Loons flew over, at least that we saw, and 30 Monarchs were counted today.
David, Phil, Dave, Ron & Jean, Betty, Berle, Carol, Terry, Cori, Ann, Byron and likely a couple of others were on hand to help with the spotting. Also, I'd like to thank Lee and Ann for their field reporting a few kms to the east of our site. Although we don't always see every bird that they report, it's great when we do. It also shows if the birds are following the shoreline or not.
It appears that tomorrow's weather will be similar to todays. More Vultures?
Walter
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 349
Osprey - 3
Bald Eagle - 2
Northern Harrier - 9
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 39
Cooper's Hawk - 2
Broad-winged Hawk - 20
Red-tailed Hawk - 7
American Kestrel - 19
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 452
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 490
Osprey - 102
Bald Eagle - 86
Northern Harrier - 64
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1184
Cooper's Hawk - 19
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 139
Red-tailed Hawk - 61
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 424
Merlin - 30
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2610
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:48 AM - BE immature (non-adult)
04:36 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
The following photos are courtesy of Ann Brokelman...
Cooper's Hawk
Turkey Vultures
Bald Eagle #86!
Only a couple of Loons flew over, at least that we saw, and 30 Monarchs were counted today.
David, Phil, Dave, Ron & Jean, Betty, Berle, Carol, Terry, Cori, Ann, Byron and likely a couple of others were on hand to help with the spotting. Also, I'd like to thank Lee and Ann for their field reporting a few kms to the east of our site. Although we don't always see every bird that they report, it's great when we do. It also shows if the birds are following the shoreline or not.
It appears that tomorrow's weather will be similar to todays. More Vultures?
Walter
September 22nd - A Fabulous Day!
It was a fabulous day at the park with lots of sunshine, lots of birders, and of course, lots of birds! My thanks to everyone that came down and helped out and I hope all you newbies enjoyed the show. Also, thanks to Terry for bringing a group of birders from the TFN along today, hope you had a good time while visiting us. Likely one of our biggest crowds ever today.
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 89
Osprey - 8
Bald Eagle - 3
Northern Harrier - 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 255
Cooper's Hawk - 6
Broad-winged Hawk - 51
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
American Kestrel - 124
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 548
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 144
Osprey - 99
Bald Eagle - 84
Northern Harrier - 55
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1145
Cooper's Hawk - 17
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 119
Red-tailed Hawk - 54
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 405
Merlin - 29
Peregrine Falcon - 10
Total - 2158
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:17 AM - BE adult
12:22 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
01:09 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
Some beautiful shots courtesy of Ann Brokelman...
Today:
Turkey Vulture - 89
Osprey - 8
Bald Eagle - 3
Northern Harrier - 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 255
Cooper's Hawk - 6
Broad-winged Hawk - 51
Red-tailed Hawk - 3
American Kestrel - 124
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 548
To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 144
Osprey - 99
Bald Eagle - 84
Northern Harrier - 55
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1145
Cooper's Hawk - 17
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 119
Red-tailed Hawk - 54
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 405
Merlin - 29
Peregrine Falcon - 10
Total - 2158
Eagle Time (EDT):
10:17 AM - BE adult
12:22 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
01:09 PM - BE immature (non-adult)
Some beautiful shots courtesy of Ann Brokelman...
American Kestrel w/Dragonfly
Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
And the next 3 are courtesy of Paul Reeves...
Ruby-throated Hummingbird
These 2 cuties were a wonderful surprise
Lookin' Back
And here are some real crowd pleasers courtesy of Ann Brokelman...
Ready and Waiting
Some of the Toronto Field Naturalists group
Writing stuff down
Me, Lee and her 'big fat lens'
Gabriel (visiting from Costa Rica) and Julie (Ann's daughter)
Tomorrow (Monday) is looking promising with predicted "Clear. High of 18C. Winds from the North at 10 to 15 km/h" from wunderground.com.
Walter
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