Watching raptors fly

By Emma Butler

Bird watchers, animal lovers, families and photographers all gathered to witness the migration of hawks in Essex county.

The Holiday Beach Migration Observatory held the annual Festival of Hawks at the Holiday Beach Conservation Area Sept. 22. Around 100,000 raptors migrate through this area each autumn, which includes the peregrine falcon, Cooper’s hawk, red-tailed hawk, osprey, turkey vulture, black vulture, bald eagle and golden eagle.

Holiday Beach Migration Observatory formed in 1986 and is a non-profit volunteer organization that “strives to contribute to the understanding of migration and conservation of birds, insects and their habitats”. HBMO’s has been at its main location for 41 years at the Holiday Beach Conservation Area in the Big Creek Marsh.

Andrew Pearsons, a Michigan resident, is a member of HBMO and was at the adoption and donation tent during the festival.

“We probably get a couple thousand dollars from these festivals, from various donations. That helps pay for our paid counter. We have to buy nets and other kinds of equipment,” said Pearsons. “We also got a donation from the Detroit Zoo to help with our funding.”  

This location has been targeted as the best spot in Ontario to observe the raptor migration. The hawk tower was donated by Detroit Edison in 1986 and has been in use since.

“This particular site, because it’s right at the southeast corner of Ontario and right along the lakeshore, is one of the primo hawk sighting areas if there’s a north wind,” said Pearsons.

Members of Kingsport Environment Falconry Services also attended the festival. This organization is family based and members have attended the festival at Holiday Beach Conservation four years in a row.

Trish Morrison, considered the Kingsport’s bird expert, was eager to display her friends.

“We are here with six of our birds. We bring them out for educational display so we can teach everyone what’s in their backyard. We let them get up close and personal with something they might not ever get a chance to see in the wild,” said Morrison.

Chris Ropac and his four year old grandson Lleyton Harold were waiting to get their picture taken with their favourite raptor. Photos taken with the birds cost five dollars each.

“I brought him out here to see all the hawks and the owls because we both love raptor birds,” said Ropac.

In recent years, as many as 3,000 people have attended the hawk festival during the two week migration period.