Hawk Watch results – 10 and 11 September 2016
Hawk Watch results – 10 and 11 September 2016
|
Species/Groups |
01 |
02 |
03 |
04 |
05 |
06 |
07 |
08 |
09 |
10 |
11 |
Total |
|
Turkey Vulture |
4 |
33 |
8 |
|
1 |
36 |
12 |
1 |
6 |
5 |
2 |
108 |
|
Osprey |
|
|
4 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
5 |
|
Bald Eagle |
2 |
9 |
1 |
10 |
11 |
4 |
6 |
5 |
15 |
23 |
3 |
89 |
|
Northern Harrier |
1 |
8 |
2 |
4 |
11 |
4 |
12 |
7 |
12 |
5 |
1 |
67 |
|
Sharp-shinned Hawk |
|
3 |
5 |
4 |
2 |
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
1 |
17 |
|
Cooper’s Hawk |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
|
3 |
|
|
|
1 |
8 |
|
Accipiter sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
1 |
2 |
|
Broad-winged Hawk |
|
2 |
5 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
10 |
|
Swainson’s Hawk |
|
|
2 |
1 |
1 |
|
1 |
|
2 |
3 |
6 |
16 |
|
Red-tailed Hawk |
5 |
49 |
35 |
36 |
36 |
11 |
51 |
16 |
26 |
28 |
5 |
308 |
|
Rough-legged Hawk |
|
|
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
Buteo sp. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
|
|
|
6 |
|
American Kestrel |
2 |
53 |
3 |
5 |
7 |
11 |
9 |
1 |
7 |
|
|
98 |
|
Merlin |
|
3 |
1 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
1 |
6 |
|
20 |
|
Peregrine Falcon |
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Prairie Falcon |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
1 |
|
1 |
|
Large falcon sp. |
|
|
1 |
1 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2 |
|
Total species |
6 |
9 |
12 |
9 |
10 |
6 |
10 |
7 |
7 |
7 |
9 |
14 |
Some of the routes were new or altered from previous years, making comparisons difficult. Turkey Vultures continue to be below their peak of some years ago, while American Kestrels were a bit above the average of recent years.
Group 1 – Nella Schmidt, James Whitelaw and Ron Dueck covered Patricia Beach, Gull Lake, Traverse Bay, Victoria Beach, Grand Beach, Grand Marais and Beaconia before returning to Winnipeg. Highlights included four species of grebe, including 45 Pied-billed Grebes, 95 Forster’s Terns and a Blackburnian Warbler. The group recorded 66 species.
Group 2 – Peter Taylor, Randy Mooi, Richard Staniforth and Rudolf Koes started at Walter Chryplywy Park in Beausejour, then visited Allegra Rd., Brightstone, Lac du Bonnet, the Winnipeg River to Pine Falls, and back to Beausejour via PR. 304 and the Brokenhead River. They noted five species of vireo, including a singing Yellow-throated, a Black-throated Green Warbler at the Brokenhead River (seen by Randy only), with a late Indigo Bunting and Eastern Wood-Pewee in the same vicinity. Total 93 species.
Group 3 – Robert Parsons, Jo Swartz and Liis Veelma drove from Winnipeg to Carman, continued to Windygates, and on to Mowbray and Snowflake, returning via Rathwell. Their four Ospreys included three birds at a Winnipeg nest. They were the only ones to see Wild Turkey and Baird’s Sandpiper, and also recorded Red-headed Woodpecker. No sparrows, other than House Sparrow, were seen. At twelve species, their raptor total was the highest of all parties. Total 66 species.
Group 4 – John Weier, John Hays, Gene Walz drove via Hwy. 26 to Lynch Point and returned via Delta to Winnipeg. Traditionally this route produces the biggest species list of the day; it did this time with 97 species. Best were an early roughleg, a Great Egret, 11 species of shorebird and 9 species of warbler. They conducted the watch on Sunday 11 September.
Group 5 – Gord Grieef and Andy Courcelles ran their traditional route from Winnipeg to Oak Hammock Marsh and then on to Hecla Island via Clandeboye and Riverton. They saw 50 Snow Geese, a bittern, 5 Great Egrets and a roosting nighhawk at Oak Hammock. One of the rarest birds of the day was a Glaucous Gull at the marsh. Total 85 species.
Group 6 – Ryan Porteous, Peter Douglas, Lars Jansson, Red Clarke. Starting at Deacon’s Corner, the route continued to Lorette, Dufresne, Ste. Geneviève, Elma and River Hills to Seven Sisters Falls, and home from there. They also recorded Snow Geese (10), had a high total of Horned Grebes (27) and saw 302 Sandhill Cranes. Total 51 species.
Group 7 – Katharine Schultz, Neil Butchard, Cathy Dewar, Linda Pearn. The group birded from Winnipeg to Elie and south of Portage la Prairie, then on to the Assiniboine valley, Rossendale and Portage la Prairie. They observed a Common Nighthawk, a Red-headed Woodpecker, a Wilson’s Phalarope and were the only ones to spot House Finches. Their tally of 51 Redtails was the day’s highest. Total 67 species.
Group 8 – Cal Cuthbert was on his own as the spent the day in the Portage Creek/Delta area. He had 13 species of shorebird, including 82 Semipalmated Sandpipers and the day’s only Marbled Godwit and Stilt Sandpiper, plus 11 warbler species. Total 85 species.
Group 9 – Ward Christianson, Marlene Waldron. Area covered was from Winnipeg to the Shoal Lakes, St. Ambroise, the PR. 227 dump, PR. 248, PR. 221, Winnipeg. All 15 Bald Eagles recorded were immature birds. They found nine Great Egrets, 44 Northern Flickers, seven Eastern Bluebirds, a Philadelphia Vireo and they managed to see the long-staying Lesser Black-backed Gull at the PR. 227 dump. Total 84 species.
Group 10 – Ray Méthot visited Whitewater Lake, an area never previously included in the fall hawk watch. Not surprisingly, he added several species not recorded by others: Snowy Egret, Cattle Egret, Great Horned Owl, Prairie Falcon and Bobolink. He counted no less than 558 ibises as they left their roost early in the morning! Only three of the 23 Bald Eagles were adults. Total 49 species.
Group 11 – Colin and Scott Blyth, Ken, Colleen and Dan Barclay, Margaret Yorke, Millie Reid, Erika Alex, Linda Boys, Glennis Lewis. The Brandon group birded in the morning at the Assiniboine River valley near Virden. They had a quiet day, but did see three White-faced Ibises and six Swainson’s Hawks. Total 36 species.
by: Rudolf Koes