Best area in Ontario to see raptors.

[Tom Cudzilo]

Any ideas where I could go to see hawks, osprey etc etc... If not in the wild there has to be some sort of sancuary where there have flight displays.

thank you for any info.

[Ron Luft]

For raptors the best time is migration. Spring flight (now complete) go to Beamers Cons. Area on the Niagara Esc. (Hamilton Naturalist's would have the info on their web site. For Fall migration check out Hawk Cliff south of St. Thomas (Sept - Nov) see postings on the ONTBIRDS site. Currently the only garranties are Red Tail Hawks can be seen daily driving along highways even in Missisauga, Toronto, Oshawa etc. There are Redtails apparently nesting on Queens Park.  Kestrels are also fairly common. Osprey's are a garranty near Canal Lake, Bolsover, Lake Dalrymple area. A cruise along the roads through there should easily produce a few nesting pairs. Also a drive west of the city in the Halton hills area will be almost a given for Turkey Vultures. Check Peregrine Foundation website for nesting sites in GTA/S.Ont. area for Peregrines.  For captive opportunities try Mountsberg Con.Area near Campbellville on Guelph Line (Halton Reg. Cons. Authority - website) or even Lion Safari.

[Anonymous]

Tom

 There is no need to travel all the way to Hawk Cliff in the fall as there is a very good Raptor viewing area right in Toronto at High Park called Hawk Hill that is active from Sept. 1st to Nov. 30th every year.

 The season starts with Ospreys, Sharp-shinned Hawks and A. Kestrels moving on to Cooper's and Broad-winged Hawks (sometimes in their thousands) then Bald Eagles to Merlins, Perigrine Falcons, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. In mid Oct. the Golden Eagles pass through and during most of Sept. and Oct. there are many hundreds of Turkey Vultures passing through. Also passing in good numbers are N. Goshawks, N. Harriers, and also to be watched for are the numerous Passerines that also migate through.

 Some of the Passerines are Eastern Bluebirds, C. Loons, R-T Hummingbirds, thousands of BlueJays, Crows, Rd-winged Blackbirds and C. Grackles, Sparrows, Finches, Warblers and Grosbeaks. I personally have seen 136 species on and over Hawk Hill during this time and if a fallout occurs while you are at The Hill then you have a large park to fill your day with birds.

 There are always bird identifiers on the hill and all are welcome.

DIRECTIONS TO HAWK HILL IN HIGH PARK

 High Park is located in the west end of Toronto and is bounded on the south by The Queensway, the north by Bloor Street and on the east by Parkside Drive.
 To reach High Park you can take the TTC Subway to the High Park Station or the Queen Street Streetcar #501 to either the Parkside Drive or the Colborne Lodge Drive streetcar stops or you may drive in from High Park Avenue at the north end of the park.
 Hawk Hill is east of or right beside the Algonquin Restaurant (about halfway into the park) which is south of the soccer field. If you can not find the hill for the trees then you can enquire at the restaurant as to the location as almost everyone is aware of the goings on up there now.
 There is always someone on the hill from Sep. 1st to around Nov. 30th.
 Best days are days with a good NW or N wind and if a cold front comes along with those winds after a rainy day then you should see lots of Raptors (No Guarantees).

[Leslie Kinrys]

If you have a car, another good spot is Cranberry Marsh (Ajax/Whitby on the lake). A raptor watch is conducted there in the fall, too. We've seen N. Harriers, Osprey, Turkey Vultures, Merlins, Broad-winged Hawks, to name a few. Also, other migrants pass through. Last fall, Ruby-Throated Hummingbirds fought over a sugar feeder. In the past winter, there was a Barred Owl hanging around the feeders.

Directions: 401 to Westney, south to Bayly, east past Lakeridge Road, right onto Halls Road (hard to see entrance to a dirt road).