In southern Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula, Hawkwatch has become an annual event for birdwatchers and nature lovers.
Every spring, tens of thousands of birds migrate from southern winter homes back north to spread out through Canada’s boreal forest.
Among them are vast numbers of raptors: hawks, owls, eagles, falcons and vultures.
This weekend marked the 41st annual event at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby,
however the migration and birdwatching actually goes on from the beginning of March to about the middle of May.
The various flight paths of the migrating birds tend to be funneled into Niagara. This is where they can take advantage of the warmer air and floating on rising currents caused by the ancient escarpment of Niagara helping them to conserve energy while avoiding the cold down-draughts over lakes Erie and Ontario, still cold and largely covered with ice.
As of this weekend, volunteers have counted 5,000 birds of prey with about 15,000 expected to cross the peninsula.
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