This Hawkwatch was part of a series of Nature Vancouver’s Welcome Events and intentionally designed with access and accessibility in mind. Joanna Chin and Neill Vanhinsberg were the co-leaders for this Hawkwatch Sit. Participants were a diverse group of people that came from different communities in Metro Vancouver including: downtown Vancouver, Ladner, Richmond, Vancouver, and West Vancouver. We even had a participant as young as nine years old that had the day-off from school! We started off with a land acknowledgement of the original peoples that have occupied these lands and waters, and introduced the history of Hawkwatches at this location. Some of the highlights at this event were: the sharing of intergenerational knowledge, the joy and appreciation of noticing Birds and other living Creatures, as well as the sharing of more practical knowledge such as the characteristics of Buteos versus Accipiters, and how to positively identify Red-tailed Hawks, Cooper’s Hawks, and Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Favorite moments from participants:
“I enjoyed meeting and re-connecting with fellow birders. We found some very good-looking insects. Thanks to Joanna for sharing her library of bird books too!”
“My favorite moment is when my grandson had the grasshopper sitting happily in his hand and crawling up his arm and sitting there while he petted it!!”
“I loved seeing the Red-tailed Hawk soar so close to us. The sun shining and the rich intensity of its coloration and the red on its tail feathers was a picture-perfect moment!”
“I enjoyed seeing Turkey Vultures in the wild. I also enjoyed listening to the difference in the flight patterns of Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper’s Hawks.”

It was a cool and cloudy afternoon when fourteen folks plus one child joined the two co-leaders at the Quarry Lookout in Cypress Provincial Park. People set up their chairs on the south side of the field facing the ridge to the North and waited for the action to begin. For this year, the bulk of raptor migration seemed over so the day started off with a few Savannah Sparrows, Steller’s Jays, and Common Ravens flying about. Several flocks of Pine Siskins varying in size from about 20 to 50 flew about sporadically for most of the afternoon.

A Sharp-shinned Hawk and a Cooper’s Hawk were the first hawks of the day soaring East along the ridge to the North. Neill explained how the larger Cooper’s showed a bigger head and rounded tail compared to the small-headed and square-tailed Sharpie. A short while later another Sharpie and a Red-tailed Hawk soared in from the West along the same ridge. One Sharpie flew right over the group giving probably the best view of the day of an Accipiter. A couple Red-tailed Hawks soared by to the South of us riding the thermals there.

Five Turkey Vultures made an appearance to the South not long after, and Bald Eagle sailed by, heading almost directly South. When the action seemed to have slowed, a few folks went off to explore some of the trails nearby to see what Birds they might find.

A few more Sharpies, Red-tails and Turkey Vultures finished off this afternoon’s raptors. An hour and a half after brightening and heating up, the clouds moved in, and the Hawks stopped flying over.
Other birds seen and heard included: a Red-breasted Sapsucker, a Hairy Woodpecker, Band-tailed Pigeons and several Evening Grosbeaks. Participants expressed that they enjoyed the Hawkwatch and socializing with the other people there. It was a successful Hawkwatch for Nature Vancouver!

Our eBird list is here https://ebird.org/checklist/S197414629