Thanks BF for your reports - I had no idea you would be able to see so many different species. I have never been part of a raptor count but those numbers look very good!! We have bald eagles close to me and I usually take part in the "watch" held at a nearby lake.

Glad U both enjoy the reports. Fani,as U know I live very near Lake Ontario,where the park is I do my watch from. Im very very lucky to be right on a migration path. As for looking up more often...it is amazing whats there!! Honestly until 2002.I had no idea most of these great birds I see even existed,let alone that I could see them in Toronto. People who stop at the park to see what Im doing,are as awed as I was to find out Bald and Golden Eagles,Peregrine Falcons and even Turkey Vultures can be seen there. I always thought of vultures as only being in Africa of course,or in the western US from old cowboy movies ..Who knew??
Judy..glad U enjoyed your experience with the owl. They are a beautiful bird,and seeing one up close is a real treat! With luck I will see a Great Horned Owl this Sunday and possibly even get a photo or 10.

Well done BF!! I still enjoy your reports. You have so much knowledge. If ever I get to your area I would like to go walking with you. I see lots of birds but can't ID them on the fly. I had my pic taken with a great horned owl last week-end but of course it was posed. Still a treat though.

Do you live in a Paradise (Raptor Pardise LOL) or we dont look at sky....??:shock:
Thank you for posting your reports here...BF.
The only I have seen here the last days was a sparrowhawk while I had lunch yesterday...looked outside the window and I saw it flying over the buildings...I wondered then if I didnt look enough often to the sky....and maybe raptors are more common here too...

Thanks again for the great report

Let me start by thanking all those who came to observe and help count raptors this fall at the 2006 Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch. In addition to a fall with more normal weather patterns contributing to a record count,all of the extra eyes certainly added to the number of sightings as well. Thanks to all my raptor/birdwatching friends who came,for their comraderie and support. Many thanks to the many new folks as well. It was a pleasure to share the birds with U all. Id hoped this fall to attract some new people and show them alot and teach them at least a little about the amazing raptors we have the priviledge of observing in southern Ontario. I was very pleased with the turnout. Im also very glad that Scarborough or eastend birders have a local spot to enjoy the spectacle that is the fall migration. Amazing views at eyelevel of all species were greatly enjoyed. Several species co-operatively perched in the park,including Broadwinged Hawk,Merlin,American Kestrel,Sharpshinned Hawk,Coopers Hawk,Redtailed Hawk and Northern Goshawk.

Record numbers of all 15 species were recorded this fall. The greatest factor in this was undoubtedly the weather,but again as above,the great amount of help from all who joined in watching is also responsible for the increased number of sightings. On Oct 25 and 26th,13 of 15 species were counted and on Sept 29th and Oct.24th 12 species were seen. On 19 days more then 100 raptors were counted. Among them was the new one day record of 559(almost one per minute for 10 hours),3 days over 400,3 days over 300 and 8 days over 200.(note if over 300 counted,that is included in over 100,200 and 300 and so on as applicable) The highest hourly total this year was 125,or just over 2 raptors per minute,for that hour. In all there were 82 days of observation,as I count from August till the end November,for 510hours(best estimate without checking records),for an average of just over 11 birds an hour. This is undoubtedly significantly more hours,then some sites,but I as this is only year 3 of counting at Rosetta McClain Gardens,and the 2nd year of extensive coverage,I am still learning which times are active and need coverage.

SEASON DAILY HIGHS OF NOTE:

10 Merlins on Sept.9

10 Peregrine Falcosn on Sept 24

12 Ospreys on Sept. 9

142 American Kestrels on Sept. 20

282 Sharpshinned Hawks on Sept.20

48 Northern Harriers on Sept. 20

204 Red-tailed Hawks on Oct 25

Final Totals

Specie
Turkey Vulture.................436(old record 372)

Osprey..............................92(old record 64)

Bald Eagle.........................46(old record 25)

Northern Harrier...............488(old record 129)

Sharpshinned Hawk.........2561(old record 1618)

Coopers Hawk...................127(old record 94)

Northern Goshawk..............24(old record 20)

Redshouldered Hawk...........29(old record

Broadwinged Hawk............225(old record 22)

Redtailed Hawk.................828(old record 336)

Roughlegged Hawk.............11(old record 6)

Golden Eagle......................11(old record 5)

American Kestrel...............679(old record 294)

Merlin.................................60(old record 25)

Peregrine Falcon..................58(old record 40)

Final Totals......................5675(old record 3042)

Of specieal note,a Hudsonian Godwit(shorebird) on Sept 7th and on Oct 25th a partial albino Redtailed Hawk was sighted,which was seen later on Oct 29th at Holiday Beach Raptor Watch,at Lake Erie,giving us confirmation of where some birds we see cross into the US to continue their journey south.

Oct 24th,myself and 3 friends enjoyed a fantastic flight of raptors again at Rosetta McClain Gardens. We counted 232 raptors,encompassing 12 of the 15 regularily seen species. We saw both Bald and thanks to perseverance a beautiful juvenile GOlden Eagle(the 5th already this season with hopes of more today(25th). We had fantastic views of a few male Northern Harriers,and 3 of 4 Red-shouldered Hawks gave us great views as well,with opportunities to look at their field marks. A juvenile Goshawk seems to be staying in the area and it flew past giving terrific views. A Merlin did a magic trick too...it zoomed in giving us beautiful views,banked and went behind some thinning trees(lots of leaves falling now) and we thought we had viewed it through the trees,and out the other side. 3 of us believed we had followed the bird and picked it up as it flew out of the trees....oops seamlessly it had come out as a Northern Flicker(woodpecker). Apparently the Merlin flew into the wooded area,spooking the Flicker and the Flicker carried on where the Merlin left off. Too funny when we realized our mistake. My year to date total is now 4582 raptors,so there is a very good chance I will count over 5000 by the end of November.

Though my count wasnt as high as Id hoped for today,I did reach several milestones and see good birds. The milestones first...I saw Northern Harrier number 400 today,Sharpshinned Hawk number 2000 and Raptor number 4000 today! Totals not previously counted at Rosetta McClain Gardens before.
MidOctober Totals look like this
Speceis.................................Day...................Oct1-15....................YTD..........
Turkey Vulture........................2.........................61........................274..........
Osprey...................................0..........................8..........................91...........
Bald Eagle..............................0..........................4..........................42...........
Northern Harrier.....................8........................85..........................404..........
SharpShinned Hawk.............36......................348........................2015..........
Coopers Hawk.......................3.......................27...........................84.........
Northern Goshawk.................0........................3.............................8..........
Red-shouldered Hawk.............0........................0.............................0.........
Broadwinged Hawk................0.......................10..........................225.......
Redtailed Hawk.....................1.......................46..........................131.......
Rough-legged Hawk..............0........................0.............................0.......
Golden Eagle.........................1........................1.............................2.......
American Kestrel....................0......................23..........................653.....
Merlin...................................1........................8............................48.....
Peregrine Falcon....................0......................10.............................52.....
Totals..................................52......................634.......................4029.......

The highlight of today was easily the adult Golden Eagle,which I spotted out over the lake abit at a distance. Immediately I started fumbling through my napsack for my camera hoping the eagle would get closer. I soon remembered DOH DOH!! that I had my camera around my neck. I finally got the camera focus on the Golden Eagle when it went behind the big Poplar tree atop the ridge....I have a lovely photo of the Poplar tree...oops. It then popped up and along the side of the bluffs almost right beside Keith and I. It was Keiths first Golden Eagle,and it passed within 30ft of us,at almost eye level! What a view we enjoyed for over 5minutes. After I got a blurry shot of the eagle,I gave up and just watched it with binoculars. What a beauty!! Keith was very happy,and couldnt believe how close it had passed. With luck I will get another photo opportunity like that. Im told from October 20th onward the Golden Eagles start to fly in greater numbers.

Hi BF !....seems you are quite ok !!

Hi Gang over the past few weeks the peak raptor migration period has started and will last until the middle of October. Needless to say Im in my glory...and even going abit loopy trying to spot raptors north,south and directly above me all at once. Ive enjoyed the company of many old friends and made many new ones this season and all have added to the count and enjoyment of the days.
The count as at today is far ahead of the last 2 years(the only 2) I have counted at Rosetta McClain Gardens. I believe this is due to the increased contributions of more observers,combined with seasonal weather patterns,which we havent had the last 2 years. The current count is an amazing 2278 birds of prey. The biggest day was a park record 559 or close to an average of one per minute for the 10hours of observation! My head was spinning that day!
We get 15 species of raptors regularily in southern Ontario,and I counted 12 of 15 in one day recently(the others simply dont in general migrate at this stage). The breakdown of my count is as follows:
Osprey.............................62(record is 64)
Turkey Vulture...................13(mass migration happens in Oct)
Bald Eagle..........................32(new record..old was 25)
Northern Harrier.................201(new record..old was 129)
Sharpshinned Hawk...........1181(record is 1618)
Coopers Hawk......................33(lots to come yet)
Northern Goshawk..................2
Broadwinged Hawk...............155(new record..was 22)
Redtailed Hawk......................53(mass migration occurs in Oct)
Golden Eagle..........................1
American Kestrel..................509(new record..was 294)
Merlin...................................26(new record..was 25)
Peregrine Falcon.....................10

No Redshouldered Hawks or Rough-legged Hawks have been seen as yet,Redshouldered Hawks should be showing up soon and Roughies come later in October or even through November so plenty to look forward to.