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November 1998 Sightings in the Windsor Area

Sunday, November 15: A bracing November day that proved to be more productive than all of last week at Holiday Beach where 4 Bald Eagles, 5 Northern Harriers, 4 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 1 Cooper's Hawk, 3 Northern Goshawks, 1 Red-shouldered Hawk, 31 Red-tailed Hawks, 1 American Kestrel, 1 Merlin and 1 Peregrine Falcon were recorded from the hawk tower (Bob Hall-Brooks).

Saturday, November 14: Alan Wormington saw an Ancient Murrelet flying east to west past the Tip of Point Pelee National Park at about 9:30am today. This is the first record of this very rare alcid for Pelee. Over 60 Franklin's Gulls, largely adults, were seen in the Pelee Birding area between the 11th and 13th (A. Wormington et al.).

Dave D'hondt found Northern Goshawk (immature), Rough-legged Hawk (adult), Hermit Thrush and 10 Eastern Bluebirds near East Riverside Park, Windsor.

A flock of 15 Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at Hillman Marsh C.A. on Friday (J.C. MacDonald).

Thursday, November 12: The first Tundra Swans of the fall were reported this week at Holiday Beach and Point Pelee. A rufous phase Eastern Screech-Owl was seen this afternoon poking its head out of a nest box in front of the Ojibway Nature Centre. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was found d.o.r. in Tecumseh today by Dave D'hondt and another was seen yesterday along the Wilf Botham Memorial Trail at Point Pelee (P.D. Pratt).

Wednesday, November 11: A highly unusual influx of Franklin's Gulls appeared along the Lake Erie shoreline today. Individual birds were found at Waterview St. in Linden Beach, foot of Division Road in Kingsville, Kingsville Harbour and another probable bird off the West Beach at Pelee. All the birds were either winter adult or second winter plumage (P.D. Pratt). Alan Wormington and John Keenlyside had another 5 individuals flying by the tip of Point Pelee and Betty Learmouth had a single bird at the Holiday Beach Hawk Tower. These birds were pushed into the region from the midwest by yesterday's big wind storm. Over 130 were seen on Tuesday in extreme southwestern Michigan.

Monday, November 9: Randy Horvath reported another Northern Shrike at Little River today. Sunday was a record day for American Pipits at Holiday Beach with 2,692 overflying the tower (Allen Chartier, Bob Hall-Brooks).

On November 5, Rob Tymstra found a Parasitic Jaeger, while crossing to Pelee Island on the Jiimaan ferry. He also reported a Red-throated Loon at Fish Point on November 6.

Wednesday, November 4: Cold weather brought the first frost of the season last night. A Common Gull (European race of the Mew Gull) was discovered at the tip of Point Pelee by Kevin McLaughlin this morning. Other sightings today included a Northern Shrike at Little River (Randy Horvath) and a "Richardson's" Canada Goose at Holiday Beach (Hank Hunt et.al.).

It is time to start looking for Northern Saw-whet Owls. Over 400 have been banded at Long Point recently and they have started to turn up at Point Pelee and Holiday Beach.

Monday, November 2: Yesterday, counters at Holiday Beach C.A. tallied 2 Bald Eagles, 25 Northern Harriers, 12 Sharp-shinned Hawks, 10 Cooper's Hawks, 3 Northern Goshawks, 84 Red-shouldered Hawks, 1,302 Red-tailed Hawks (550 in one hour!), 7 Rough-legged Hawks, 1 adult Golden Eagle, 1 American Kestrel and 1 Peregrine Falcon (fide Bob Hall-Brooks). Other migrants included 234 Turkey Vultures, 33 Snow Geese, 2,340 American Crows, +400 Cedar Waxwings and 1 Bohemian Waxwing found by Allen Chartier.