News Release: October 25, 2007

Look high in the sky and you will see them - not planes but raptors such as hawks, eagles and vultures, soaring and making their way south for the winter.  Each year between September and the end of November, raptors follow the Lake Ontario shoreline on their trek south and the best place to watch them on their journey is at Cranberry Marsh located in Lynde Shores Conservation Area, Whitby . 

“The two western viewing areas, via Halls Road , provide the best viewing opportunity,” says Patricia Lowe , Director of Outreach Education with Central Lake Ontario Conservation. “Raptor watching is something the whole family can enjoy and no special equipment is required, however, binoculars are a definite asset.”  To experience and learn more about this phenomenon, just head down to Cranberry Marsh and visit with the many volunteers participating in the annual Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch. 

The Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, lead by local naturalist Doug Lockrey, conducts daily raptor counts from the southern viewing area, which is often standing room only. Here, visitors can get a 180 degree panoramic view and volunteers with the raptor watch are only too happy to share their knowledge and enlist visitors in their counting efforts.  Raptor data has been collected and coordinated with other sites since 1993, following standard monitoring procedures.  “Broad-winged hawks, travelling to South America , leave our northern woods the earliest, peaking in numbers at Cranberry Marsh in mid-September,” says Doug Lockrey.  “The best raptor watching days are when the sun is shining or overcast with no threat of rain and winds are from the north-west.” Counters and observers report daily to the Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, witnessing 100’s of turkey vultures, sharp-shinned hawks, peregrine falcons and red-tailed hawks on many days.  Last year the count of raptors at Cranberry Marsh was more than 8,000 with an estimated 350 volunteer hours contributed by local naturalists with a passion for these extraordinary creatures. 

For more information on the Greater Toronto Hawk Watch, or to participate in the Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch, contact Doug Lockrey at lockrey33@rogers.com or check out www.torontobirding.ca  for a summary of statistics from previous years.  The raptor count concludes at Cranberry Marsh on November 30^th.

The Cranberry Marsh Raptor Watch viewing area is located on the west side of Cranberry Marsh at the bottom of Halls Road, south of Victoria Street and east of Lake Ridge Road in Whitby .  Follow Halls Road down to the second parking area and take the trail on the east side of the road to the viewing mound.  There is a recommended donation of $1 per person at this location for parking and trail use. 

Want to find out more about other migrating wildlife? Check out our website at www.cloca.com or contact Patricia Lowe at the Central Lake Ontario Conservation Authority offices at 905-579-0411 ext 126.