Wind (current)

Sep 24th - A Quick Update...

I will update this further tonight...

Today:
Osprey - 7
Northern Harrier - 5
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 30
American Kestrel - 1
Merlin - 9
Peregrine Falcon - 6
Total - 58

Other Birds:
American Golden Plover - a new species for the park - #207!

Butterflies:
Monarch - 34

Hawk Watchers:
Bill, Terry, Mark, Allison, Betty, Carol, Gary, Berle, Pat & Nancy, Gord, plus several others.  Thankyou everyone!

Walter

Sep 23rd - In My Absence

I'd like to thank everyone for their participation in the Watch today in my absence.  At present (1:30am!) I feel okay and I'll most likely be back at the park in the morning...don't worry I'm not contagious in any way!

Today:
Northern Harrier - 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 39
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Total - 42

To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 4
Osprey - 72
Bald Eagle - 23
Northern Harrier - 80
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1861
Cooper's Hawk - 8
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 88
Red-tailed Hawk - 10
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 240
Merlin - 54
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2451

Other Birds:
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker - 1

Butterflies:
Monarch - 200

Hawk Watchers:
Berle, Bill, Hugh, Lee, Manny, MC, and Terry

Weather Prediction:
Sep 24th - mainly sunny, E 20km/h and gusting (theweathernetwork.com)

Walter

Sep 22nd - Red-tailed Hawks

Other than the local Red-tailed Hawks putting on another fantastic show not much else really happened today.  Unfortunately most Hawks we saw migrating over the park today were up high and hard to see in all the 'blue'.

Today:
Northern Harrier - 1
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 30
Broad-winged Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 1
Total - 33

To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 4
Osprey - 72
Bald Eagle - 23
Northern Harrier - 78
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1822
Cooper's Hawk - 7
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 88
Red-tailed Hawk - 10
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 240
Merlin - 54
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2409

 local Red-tailed Hawk (Kris)

...and the other local (Kris)

...and together (Walter)

Other Birds:
Common Raven - 2 flying along the bluffs

Butterflies:
Monarch - 300+, my best guess

Hawk Watchers:
Mark, Bill, Allison, Dave, Berle, Terry, Kris, Manny, Betty, Hugh, Cori, MC, Lester, and a couple of others.

Weather Prediction:
Sep 23rd - sunny, NE 5 km/h switching to S 10 km/h (theweathernetwork.com)

Walter

Of Interest...

There will be a rare Supermoon Eclipse over the city this coming Sunday night starting at around 8pm and if you don't have a better/darker place to view it, Rosetta might be your best option.  If the sky is clear, I'll see you at the park.

The Star - Where to see Sunday's rare Supermoon Eclipse over Toronto

Walter

Sep 21st - Very Similar Conditions to Yesterday

Today:
Osprey - 5
Northern Harrier - 8
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 128
American Kestrel - 7
Merlin - 7
Total - 155

To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 4
Osprey - 72
Bald Eagle - 23
Northern Harrier - 77
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1792
Cooper's Hawk - 7
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 87
Red-tailed Hawk - 10
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 239
Merlin - 54
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2376

a near adult Sharp-shinned Hawk (Ann)
(note the 'reddish' horizontal barring on the underside and yellow coloured
eye - a full adult would have a red coloured eye)

two juvenile Sharpies (Ann)

Other Birds:
Brown Creeper - 1 in the big maple tree directly behind us
Common Loon - 6 counted today
Common Raven - 3 flying along the bluffs
Lincoln's Sparrow - 1 seen in the northwest corner
Ruby-crowned Kinglet - 1 seen on the east side of the park

local Red-tailed Hawk (Ann)

such a thrill for many park goers (Ann)

 Ruby-throated Hummingbird (Ann)

Butterflies:
Monarch - 500+, my best guess as again today many were flying over the park way up high.

Hawk Watchers:
Bill, Mark, Terry, Pat & Nancy, Hugh, Judy, Arvo, Dave, Berle, Don, Ann, Betty, Cori, Carol, MC, Janina, and a few others who popped down.

Weather Prediction:
Sep 22nd - mainly sunny to sunny, E 10km/h switching to S 10km/h (theweathernetwork.com)

See you at the park,
Walter

Sep 20th - The Sharpies Just Keep on Comin'!

Not quite the day that most had hoped for but still not bad.  Judging by reports and photos I've seen, it appears that you could've stood anywhere from the lake all the way up to Steeles Avenue and saw migrating hawks!  Hopefully some people took notice of the bird migration over their neighbourhoods!  Anyway, at Rosetta most birds were flying just a little too high for most to enjoy.

Today:
Osprey - 6
Bald Eagle - 2
Northern Harrier - 10
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 245
Cooper's Hawk - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
American Kestrel - 10
Merlin - 4
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Total - 280

To Date:
Turkey Vulture - 4
Osprey - 67
Bald Eagle - 23
Northern Harrier - 69
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 1664
Cooper's Hawk - 7
Northern Goshawk - 0
Red-shouldered Hawk - 0
Broad-winged Hawk - 87
Red-tailed Hawk - 10
Rough-legged Hawk - 0
Golden Eagle - 0
American Kestrel - 232
Merlin - 47
Peregrine Falcon - 11
Total - 2221

Eagle Time (DST):
10:24 - BEx2 (adult)

first light! (Walter)

a Sharpie taking a dive straight down! (Lee)

 Red-tailed Hawk (Lee)

Merlin (Lee)

Sharpie! (Ann)

Peregrine Falcon (Ann)

Northern Harrier (Mike)

as BIGFRANK called it "Striatus coming at us!" (Mike)

Other Birds:
Blue-headed Vireo - 1 seen in the northwest corner of the park
Cackling Goose - 1 mixed in with a group of Canada Geese
Canada Goose - many small flocks migrating over the park early in the day
White-throated Sparrow - numbers are increasing around the gardens

Butterflies:
Monarch - 1500+ - likely a very conservative guess!

a Walking Stick (Ann)

...and an Orb Weaver spider (Ann)

Hawk Watchers:
Phil, Lorne, Peter, Mike, Mark, Monika, Martha, Allison, Norm, Ann, Laural, Richard, Carol, Lester, Pat & Nancy, Berle, Eleanor, Lee, Dahye, Betty, Hugh, and many others who stopped by!  Thankyou for another wonderful day.

Weather Prediction:
Sep 21st - mix of sun and cloud, E 5km/h increasing to 15km/h (theweathernetwork.com)

Walter