Manitoba Falcon Cam Forum
News, Videos & Other Webcams => Birds in the News => Topic started by: The Peregrine Chick on February 10, 2012, 10:11
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Okay, first report has come in through Hawk Count ...
Borrego Valley, California, USA raptor migration site reported 15 Turkey Vultures migrating through on February 4th.
Borrego frequently has the first, or among the first counts every year:
- 31 Jan 2011 - 3 Turkey Vultures
- 3 Feb 2010 - 33 Turkey Vultures
- 11 Feb 2009 - 100 Turkey Vultures, 29 Swainson's Hawks
- 1 Feb 2008 - 1 Swainson's Hawk
- 2 Feb 2007 - 19 Turkey Vultures, 2 Swainson's Hawks, 4 Red-tailed Hawks
- 1 Jan 2006 - 15 Turkey Vultures
So it looks like we are off and running folks - and pretty much on schedule so far at least ...
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What an encouraging report -- spring (and falcons) are on the way! 8)
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Feb 27th at a New York State Hawkwatch our first falcon - a Merlin - was sighted. Last year we had American Kestrels observed starting in March, along with a couple of Prairie Falcons before the first Merlin on March 8th.
Does this mean the birds are returning faster than anticipated, can't say that. Merlins are known to overwinter here in Manitoba so they most certainly are overwintering in New York's more hospitable winter climate, so it could be a bird that didn't migrate on a tour.
But there are quite a few hawkwatches up and running so if the falcons are coming back early, we'll know soon enough .... last year the first Peregrine was reported at a Delaware Hawkwatch on March 13th. Our first bird was on March 17th (Sandy) and our first resident birds were the 18th and 19th I believe (Jules & Ivy) ...
Island Girl, the Baffin Island nesting tundrius peregrine with a transmitter, was still just hanging around north of Constitucion as of Feb 24th so the tundras don't appear to be on their way quite yet ...
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Two more falcon sightings reported on the 27th - both in New York State - another Merlin and our first American Kestrel ... still doesn't make for an early return however for our kids though ;)
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Very exciting! Yes, indeed, the season is beginning! ;D
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At this point there have been under two dozen American Kestrels and Merlins combined at all sites reporting. Also one Peregrine and two Prairie Falcons on March 4th and 5th at Dinosaur Ridge in Colorado.
Island Girl the female tundrius with the transmitter that nests on Baffin Island is still just north of Constitucion in Chile and she hasn't moved much since mid-December, so she isn't ready to go yet.
Hard to tell whether the Colorado peregrine is just very fast or just a bit ahead of the "wave" ...
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We had a second Peregrine turn up - this time at a hawkwatach site in New York state, so definitely not the same bird identified in Colorado on the 4th. Colorado has racked up another 3 if not 4 Prairie Falcons though ... Only a very few more Merlins and American Kestrels reported from sites right across the US. Doesn't really look like the falcons are on the move, just a few "keeners" perhaps? Guess we will have to see what happens over the next week ...
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...Doesn't really look like the falcons are on the move, just a few "keeners" perhaps? Guess we will have to see what happens over the next week ...
Well, talons crossed that some of ours will be the "keeners"! ;)
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More birds coming through but not fast, pretty much the same old, same old.
One more peregrine sighting, this time at Tussey Mountain in Pennsylvania ...
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Looks like we do have a "keener" afterall, if that's Ivy who has returned to the downtown! 8)
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We are finally hitting some real numbers for migrating raptors ....
At the Ancon Hill Spring Hawkwatch in Panama City, Panama
Mar 12 - 1,965 turkey vultures + 95 broad-winged hawks
Mar 13 - 408 turkey vultures + 54 broad-winged hawks
Mar 14 - 1,171 turkey vultures + 0 broad-winged hawks
Mar 15 - 1,231 turkey vultures + 3,682 broad-winged hawks
Migration sites also note non-migratory raptor species observed and non-raptor observations - in the case of Ancon Hill (which is a lookout from which you can see the Panama Canal) tourists are included in the non-raptor observations category (really!) :D
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I would bet that many have never seen a Turkey Vulture in real life ?
By the Turkey Vulture numbers that are posted I would think that we should be seeing them like Sparrows or Robins... and it makes me wonder just where they end up as we don't see just that many in Manitoba ?
Just my thought.
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Hey, we have lots of Turkey Vultures in the southern interior of BC.
They aren't here yet, obviously just being spotted migrating, but are fascinating to watch soaring on the thermals in our valley on hot summer days.
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When I was growing up, in Manitoba's parkland region, I never saw a turky vulture up close. That being said, every fall when we were killing chickens (fall harvest) we would get about twenty of them circling high overhead--just like in the movies. Since we did not leave out any carcasses (or anything else) for them, they would simply move along.
You could tell from their size, shape and colouring, that they were turkey vultures and not ravens, crows, magpies, hawks, or anything else. That is how we knew they were in the area, but we never saw them at any other time.
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On my "2-do" list...find a pair of nesting Turkey Vultures. Sorry, "bucket list " is just way over used :-\
I have seen a couple.
http://www.pbase.com/photosbydennis/trukey_vulture
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As of today, the vultures, broad-winged and red tailed hawks are the movers! Spring, and feathers are in the air!
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I was checking out the hawkcount migration site over the weekend, and I couldn't believe what I read!
On Saturday, March 17th, there were 2000 unknown raptors viewed at a certain observation site within an 8 hour period and today, Sunday March 18th, there were over 1200 unknown raptors viewed at another site where many raptors are observed migrating.
Is it untrained eyes watching or is it just that the flying patterns are similar to other raptors??..?. I'm curious!
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Trained eyes Allikat - all the observers are trained though frequently there are visitors hanging out to learn the ropes so to speak.
It should show at the bottom of each day's observations who where the observers and recorders and it there were guests.
As for the large numbers, you will frequently find that species - say broad-winged hawks - come through in huge flocks together which makes it easier to count them - and they use those hand-held clickers, the kind you sometimes see door greeters or parking attendants at events use to count quickly.
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When I went to by Daughter's in St. Adolphe on Sat. there were a bunch of people sitting at the St. Adolphe bridge with scopes etc watching the bird migration.
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When I went to by Daughter's in St. Adolphe on Sat. there were a bunch of people sitting at the St. Adolphe bridge with scopes etc watching the bird migration.
Its a very popular place and one that is close enough to town to do it a few times during migrations. If anyone hasn't checked it out, days with south winds and no rain are often good times to go.
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Trained eyes Allikat - all the observers are trained though frequently there are visitors hanging out to learn the ropes so to speak.
It should show at the bottom of each day's observations who where the observers and recorders and it there were guests.
As for the large numbers, you will frequently find that species - say broad-winged hawks - come through in huge flocks together which makes it easier to count them - and they use those hand-held clickers, the kind you sometimes see door greeters or parking attendants at events use to count quickly.
Thanks for the information, TPC -- I'd often wondered how the migration is observed and recorded. It's so interesting to read the various types of bird returning and, in some cases, in such large numbers. Even better to know how the process works!
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When I went to by Daughter's in St. Adolphe on Sat. there were a bunch of people sitting at the St. Adolphe bridge with scopes etc watching the bird migration.
Its a very popular place and one that is close enough to town to do it a few times during migrations. If anyone hasn't checked it out, days with south winds and no rain are often good times to go.
Did they say what varieties they were seeing?
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There used to be a formal hawk watch at St Adolphe but that ended in 2006, now its just birdwatchers who head out there.
The Pembina Valley hawk watch at Windygates is the only formal (ie reporting) hawk watch in the province:
http://hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=646&ryear=2012&rmonth=03
And they list counts per species per day, per month and per migration season.
On March 18th they had bald eagles, northern harriers, sharp-shinned hawks, northern goshawks, red-tailed hawks, roughed-legged hawks and an unidentifiable eagle. Oh ya, 1 peregrine. Could have been Jules' companion I suppose ...
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I would bet that many have never seen a Turkey Vulture in real life ?
By the Turkey Vulture numbers that are posted I would think that we should be seeing them like Sparrows or Robins... and it makes me wonder just where they end up as we don't see just that many in Manitoba ?
Just my thought.
At least two turkey vultures have now made it to Victoria, BC. We saw them soaring with their characteristic tipping flight above the ferry terminal as we were leaving Vancouver island this morning.
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Trained eyes Allikat - all the observers are trained though frequently there are visitors hanging out to learn the ropes so to speak.
It should show at the bottom of each day's observations who where the observers and recorders and it there were guests.
As for the large numbers, you will frequently find that species - say broad-winged hawks - come through in huge flocks together which makes it easier to count them - and they use those hand-held clickers, the kind you sometimes see door greeters or parking attendants at events use to count quickly.
Thank you for the clarification.
Raptors are still on the move...Great site to visit in the spring!
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hmmm, tis a short jaunt from home, perhaps the coming week I'll take a drive.
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That would be a grand idea! What a trip that would be! Go for it!
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Yup, and I'll try to find another fanatic ( retired ) to go with me.
Lots of pictures to follow.
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Yup, and I'll try to find another fanatic ( retired ) to go with me.
Lots of pictures to follow.
Ooooooooooh.....can't wait!!! Please share?!
Hey, did you need the site address for this?
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Yup, and I'll try to find another fanatic ( retired ) to go with me.
Lots of pictures to follow.
Ooooooooooh.....can't wait!!! Please share?!
Hey, did you need the site address for this?
yes please.
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Here you go, B! It's a great site, I highly recommend it!
http://hawkcount.org/index.php
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Here you go, B! It's a great site, I highly recommend it!
http://hawkcount.org/index.php
Thanks Alli, this week for sure.
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Ah....You are very welcome! ;D
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There used to be a formal hawk watch at St Adolphe but that ended in 2006, now its just birdwatchers who head out there.
The Pembina Valley hawk watch at Windygates is the only formal (ie reporting) hawk watch in the province:
http://hawkcount.org/month_summary.php?rsite=646&ryear=2012&rmonth=03
And they list counts per species per day, per month and per migration season.
On March 18th they had bald eagles, northern harriers, sharp-shinned hawks, northern goshawks, red-tailed hawks, roughed-legged hawks and an unidentifiable eagle. Oh ya, 1 peregrine. Could have been Jules' companion I suppose ...
Interesting information, TPC -- and definitely an interesting site. Thanks!
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Was curious to see how many peregrines had been reported at hawk watch sites this spring ... so far, only 23 according to the lists I've received. Know lots of birds have been overwintering in the East and some in the Midwest, but what about the rest of them? If I had the time I would run through the spring 2011 lists to see how many had come in by this point, seems to me that it should be more, but maybe I'm falling into the early spring trap and the peak isn't until a wee bit later ...
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Valid point, however, this is why I posted my question earlier regarging the "unknown falcons" that were observed migrating. Any thoughts on that?
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Valid point, however, this is why I posted my question earlier regarging the "unknown falcons" that were observed migrating. Any thoughts on that?
Sorry Alli, I answered about trained observers but not about the unknown raptors in your post.
As you have undoubtedly surmised, since I know you are fan of the HawkCount site, "unknown falcon" just means they couldn't identify species but they were able to identify family/genus. Usually because of distance between viewer and bird, or it could be weather or lighting conditions or even the number of birds bombing through an area (the Ancon Hill site in Panama is a good example). The most commonly used "unknown" is "unknown raptor". So far there have been 4 unknown falcons this spring but thousands of unknown raptors reported.
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First raptor migration report just turned up on the HawkCount website
Borrego Valley, California - 22 turkey vultures on Feb 7th
And that is the start of the wave ... though apparently there are birds in downtown Topeka (Manitoba grand or great-grandkids) and a bird spotted at the nestbox in Lincoln, Nebraska (possibly Alley?)
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Just a note, I've merged the 2012 and 2013 thread here so folks can go back if they wish to see what happened last year ... thought it might be useful for comparison's sake ...
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The first of the falcons appeared on the hawk migration site HawkCount. It was an American Kestrel today at the Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby, Ontario. How it managed to get all the way up there without being seen anywhere along the way is interesting. We will have to see if it really is the first of the returning birds or an overwintering bird in the right place at the right time to be counted.
According to the reports from these migration sites, there are some birds moving but not many so it looks like it is only just starting. Looking at last year's numbers for March 1st, the birds are (so far) moving slower than last year.
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March 2, 2013
First peregrine spotted going through Mission, Texas on Hawkcount. :-* 8)
2013-03-02: Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park , Mission, Texas, USA
http://hawkcount.org/day_summary.php?rsite=468&ryear=2013&rmonth=03&rday=02
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One peregrine spotted on March 17th in Borrego Valley and 585 Swainson's hawks. :o
2013-03-17: Borrego Valley , Borrego Springs, California, USA
http://www.hawkcount.org/day_summary.php?rsite=545&ryear=2013&rmonth=03&rday=17&PHPSESSID=2cb2499ae5c5e40cb232ad6bb80faf14
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Sorry... Could not find te "hawkcount" thread... So, if anyone has been on that site lately, you might want to. The hawks are on the move. 6 peregrines were spotted at Windygates hawk site the other day, and 1 Peregrine was spotted in St. Adolphe! Very interesting....
From TPC: moved post to migration threat
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Holy cats, Windygates in the Pembina Valley reported 22 peregrines going through yesterday (April 25th). That brings this year's total through the valley to 57 when it is normally 2!
Just a note, the Pembina Valley site has had what a much more experienced birder called a "sustained and more organized hawk watch" the last couple of years but still this number is astounding! Who knows who might turn up where or how far west some of these birds may be heading ...
Wishing I'd been at Windygates yesterday ... :'(
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Speaking of spring migration...in the last two days, I have seen, literally, thousands upon thousands of snow geese way up high flying West. It's absolutely amazing to see and hear!
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Speaking of spring migration...in the last two days, I have seen, literally, thousands upon thousands of snow geese way up high flying West. It's absolutely amazing to see and hear!
Wow! That would be! Funny, I had always thought snow geese were an endangered species, but I Googled and discovered that they are doing well. Yay!
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WOW!! 46 peregrines were counted at Windygates yesterday. Hopefully some of those are our Manitoba birds. :)
(http://i803.photobucket.com/albums/yy320/Blondechik_2010/windygates3.jpg)
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Today when I went to St. Adolphe there were a few people at the bridge set up with scopes, binoculars, chairs etc looking up in the sky.
Was good to finally see them there again.
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According to the Windygates site, another 20 Peregrines were spotted April 28th, and 17 Peregrines were spotted today! Well folks, I can do the math, and that's an aweful lot of Peregrines coming through! I think this is absolutely promising news for this phenominal raptor!
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Has migration begun? Would love to view the migration site, however, I don't know the site. Can someone post this information, please. Thanks. :)
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I used the Search tab above and typed Migration. I found the topic Migration: Raptors Spring and scrolled through to find mention of a website. Thanks to allikat for this one!
http://hawkcount.org/index.php (http://hawkcount.org/index.php)
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:) Thanks bcbird for posting this information. As you can tell, I am very anxious for the return of our falcons. At present, I am watching a Great Horned Owl cam from Savannah, Georgia. They have a night vision camera as well. I am posting the site if you care to watch. There are two owlets. They certainly grow fast. They are three weeks old.
http://cams.allaboutbirds.org/channel/46/Great_Horned_Owls/?utm_source=Cornell+Lab+eNews&utm_campaign=3854016a9f-Cornell_Lab_eNews_2015_01_21&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_47588b5758-3854016a9f-278023401
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Thanks to allikat for this one!
http://hawkcount.org/index.php (http://hawkcount.org/index.php)
You're very welcome!
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Saw a flock of Canada Geese this morning by Polo Park. They were heading south! :D
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I saw them too! I also heard they are showing up at Fort Whyte.
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They were spotted here in Brandon too, but probably not the same flock. ;D