While the weather has been warm and springlike the number of birds arriving has been still quite low. Its a frustrating time for birders because most have all the winter birds on their lists and the weather makes us think more birds should be around and so we hike and check local places but inevitably there is nothing new. We birded locally for the first 2 days of this week because my “needs alerts” were the same 3-4 common birds that I am not chasing.
On Wednesday we made our 10th attempt and 6th location for a Northern Hawk Owl and NOTHING! The info I had was a month old so the bird had likely moved on. We were pretty disappointed and upset to spend the time and driving such a long distance for nothing but that is unfortunately part of this Big Year Birding. I consoled myself with some hot french fries for the drive home. There will be birds that drop into your hand so to speak and others require persistence and multiple tries. I’m thinking it might be time to give up for this season and wait until December and hope to get it for 2024 and 2025 at the same time. We will see…
The Niagara Hawk Watch at Beamer started on March 1 so I have been getting the daily reports and Wednesday was a foggy rainy day with no hawks reported but the note at the bottom said “promising conditions” for tomorrow. I also had a note beside Golden Eagle on my list “March 8,9 Beamer”. When there are NE winds the migrating hawks coming along Lake Erie turn at Lake Ontario and get pushed over to the escarpment and decent numbers can be seen over the Beamer Hawk Tower. We were up early and off to Beamer on Thursday morning where we joined other birders and counters up on the tower anticipating a good hawk day. Red-tails and Red-shouldered Hawks appeared soon after we got there, not in huge numbers but nice to get close-up views as some flew overhead. A couple of Bald Eagles and smaller Cooper’s Hawks kept us entertained as well.
Around noon a very large, very dark bird appeared, as the sun hit it the golden head appeared in my bins and all around me the birders were confirming it – yep Golden Eagle! Woohoo! It’s a tough bird to get in spring and we were so excited watching it that Jerry did not even lift his camera so no picture! We will visit another Hawk watch in the fall when Golden’s are more likely and hopefully get a picture then. I’ve attached a pic we have of a Juvenile Golden from 2017. Bird #149 and one away from the half-way mark.
We birded locally on Friday and the weekend was filled with caregiving, hockey and dinner with friends. There are more reports of some early spring migrants arriving, shorebirds should be starting in the next week or so and things should start to pick up soon. We plan to head to Ottawa tomorrow for Snow Geese and one more chance at a Hawk Owl. Fingers crossed!
Week 10 1 bird added 149 species seen (J&E)