Birders flock to Essex County ‘gem’ to watch migration

Holiday Beach hosts the Festival of Hawks.

On top of the tower at the Holiday Beach Conservation Area, a keen team stands at the ready, monitoring the sky through binoculars.

As a bird of interest begins to approach, one person begins to bark out its location.

“Bino and a half about two binos up,” One man yells out to identify the location of a bird.

Each notable bird earns itself a check in the official count for the Holiday Beach Migration Observatory (HBMO). The breath-taking sights were the highlight of the annual Festival of Hawks hosted by the Essex Region Conservation Authority.

Hugh Kent, the president of the HBMO, and members of his team stood by to help point out hawks and other species to visitors.

From September to November, they conduct the hawk count to help provide an accurate representation of the population.

“This is a really key area for migration of hawks in the fall, and we will get droves of hawks flying over here because they don’t want to fly across the lake,” Kent told CTV News.

In some cases, the hawks may end up in parts of Central America or even northern portions of South America.

Crowds quickly snapped from an American Kestrel to an Osprey dragging a fish.

“Hawks are really good indicators of the general health of the environment because they’re right at the top of the food chain,” Kent explained.

“If they’re not surviving, we know that there’s a problem with that.”

In our region, Kent noted there are strong populations of turkey vultures and bald eagles.

While Holiday Beach has served as a “gem” for bird migration, Kent noted there’s a need for more locations that allow birds to stop and eat to regain energy and fat stores.

“We should start making more because it reduces the risk of population reduction,” he said.