[NatureNS] Big Hawk Flight in HRM Sept. 26

Date: Sun, 27 Sep 2009 14:23:28 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: Blake Maybank <maybank@ns.sympatico.ca>
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26 Sept. 2009 - Prospect Peninsula, HRM

On the Nova Scotia Bird Society's field trip on Saturday, 26 
September, we were lucky enough to experience the largest hawk flight 
I've ever seen in HRM.   We hiked the full length of the Wagner's 
Beach trail from the cul-de-sac at the end of the Cedar Court 
subdivision, to the "Yellow Bus" trailhead beside house #1225 on the 
Prospect Bay Road.   This trail runs N/S down the western side of the 
Prospect Peninsula, and as we cleared the trees and started along the 
barrens section of the trail we noted that the north winds had blown 
many raptors down the length of the Prospect Peninsula.   They seemed 
to reorientate along the higher coast north of Wagner's Beach, before 
flying west across the mouth of Shad Bay, in the direction of the 
East Dover Peninsula.

The bulk of the raptors were accipiters and falcons, and they (along 
with a harrier) were the only ones to cross the water.   The buteos 
simply soared up, and retreated north up the peninsula.    Other 
birds were caught up in this diurnal migration -- Blue Jays and 
Yellow-rumped Warblers.  Every time we scanned with binoculars we 
could see birds moving up and out across the mouth of Shad Bay -- 
warblers, jays, hawks, and unidentified finches.  Our conservative 
minimum count of the birds involved was as follows:

Sharp-shinned Hawk - 80+  (more soaring and flying birds were too 
distant to ID, but were likely SSHA)
Northern Goshawk - 4
Coopers Hawk - 1  (not confirmed, but it was highly suggestive based 
on size and shape -- but at a distance)
Northern Harrier - 2
American Kestrel - 3
Merlin - 1
Peregrine Falcon - 1
Red-tailed Hawk - 1
Broad-winged Hawk - 1
Blue Jay - 120+
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 75+ counted, but many, many warblers were 
seen high flying west, and were likely  Yellow-rumpeds as well.

Of note: the two raptors I most regularly encounter on the Prospect 
Peninsula, Osprey and Bald Eagle, were not seen.

Many of the raptors were seen at close quarters, giving us the 
opportunity to discuss flight field marks, and with Suzanne 
Borkowski's help we were able (by grace of the raptor fly-by) to help 
the beginners in the group a great opportunity to learn about 
migrating raptor identification.

And most of the group had life birds in the process, especially with 
the very cooperative Northen Goshawks, two of which put on a superb show.

Four species were new to the Wagner's Beach Trail list - Goshawk, 
Peregrine, Kestrel, and Red-tailed Hawk, bringing the trail list to 
more than 100 species.   Not too bad for a picturesque piece of 
coastal barrens and scrubby spruce.

Cheers, and good barrens' birding,

Blake Maybank


-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Blake Maybank
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca
902-852-2077

Editor, "Nova Scotia Birds"
http://nsbs.chebucto.org

author, "Birding Sites of Nova Scotia"
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns
Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back covers:
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d

White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada  
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<body>
26 Sept. 2009 - Prospect Peninsula, HRM<br><br>
On the Nova Scotia Bird Society's field trip on Saturday, 26 September,
we were lucky enough to experience the largest hawk flight I've ever seen
in HRM.&nbsp;&nbsp; We hiked the full length of the Wagner's Beach trail
from the cul-de-sac at the end of the Cedar Court subdivision, to the
&quot;Yellow Bus&quot; trailhead beside house #1225 on the Prospect Bay
Road.&nbsp;&nbsp; This trail runs N/S down the western side of the
Prospect Peninsula, and as we cleared the trees and started along the
barrens section of the trail we noted that the north winds had blown many
raptors down the length of the Prospect Peninsula.&nbsp;&nbsp; They
seemed to reorientate along the higher coast north of Wagner's Beach,
before flying west across the mouth of Shad Bay, in the direction of the
East Dover Peninsula.<br><br>
The bulk of the raptors were accipiters and falcons, and they (along with
a harrier) were the only ones to cross the water.&nbsp;&nbsp; The buteos
simply soared up, and retreated north up the peninsula.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;
Other birds were caught up in this diurnal migration -- Blue Jays and
Yellow-rumped Warblers.&nbsp; Every time we scanned with binoculars we
could see birds moving up and out across the mouth of Shad Bay --
warblers, jays, hawks, and unidentified finches.&nbsp; Our conservative
minimum count of the birds involved was as follows:<br><br>
Sharp-shinned Hawk - 80+&nbsp; (more soaring and flying birds were too
distant to ID, but were likely SSHA)<br>
Northern Goshawk - 4<br>
Coopers Hawk - 1&nbsp; (not confirmed, but it was highly suggestive based
on size and shape -- but at a distance)<br>
Northern Harrier - 2<br>
American Kestrel - 3<br>
Merlin - 1<br>
Peregrine Falcon - 1<br>
Red-tailed Hawk - 1<br>
Broad-winged Hawk - 1<br>
Blue Jay - 120+<br>
Yellow-rumped Warbler - 75+ counted, but many, many warblers were seen
high flying west, and were likely&nbsp; Yellow-rumpeds as well.<br><br>
Of note: the two raptors I most regularly encounter on the Prospect
Peninsula, Osprey and Bald Eagle, were not seen.<br><br>
Many of the raptors were seen at close quarters, giving us the
opportunity to discuss flight field marks, and with Suzanne Borkowski's
help we were able (by grace of the raptor fly-by) to help the beginners
in the group a great opportunity to learn about migrating raptor
identification.<br><br>
And most of the group had life birds in the process, especially with the
very cooperative Northen Goshawks, two of which put on a superb
show.<br><br>
Four species were new to the Wagner's Beach Trail list - Goshawk,
Peregrine, Kestrel, and Red-tailed Hawk, bringing the trail list to more
than 100 species.&nbsp;&nbsp; Not too bad for a picturesque piece of
coastal barrens and scrubby spruce.<br><br>
Cheers, and good barrens' birding,<br><br>
Blake Maybank<br><br>
<x-sigsep><p></x-sigsep>
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------<br>
Blake Maybank<br>
maybank@ns.sympatico.ca<br>
902-852-2077<br><br>
Editor, &quot;Nova Scotia Birds&quot;<br>
<a href="http://nsbs.chebucto.org/" eudora="autourl">
http://nsbs.chebucto.org<br><br>
</a>author, &quot;Birding Sites of Nova Scotia&quot;<br>
<font color="#0000FF"><u>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/birdingns" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/birdingns<br>
</a></u></font>Downloadable Nova Scotia Maps for inside front and back
covers:<br>
<a href="http://tinyurl.com/mr627d" eudora="autourl">
http://tinyurl.com/mr627d</a> <br><br>
White's Lake, Nova Scotia, Canada </body>
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