St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club

Tag: Raptors

  • Hawk Cliff Woods Migration Weekend

    Saturday and Sunday, Sept 27 & 28, 2025 10 a.m to 3:30 p.m. above photo by Rob Paterson

    Note: new location at Hawk Cliff Woods north meadow entrance at 43277 Dexter Line, Union, ON.

    Celebrate the spectacular fall migration of hawks and other raptors and Monarch butterflies at this free outdoor event hosted in partnership with St. Thomas Field Naturalist Club, Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders, and volunteers of Monarch Watch. Learn about migrating raptors and Monarch butterflies, their lives, and conservation challenges and opportunities!

    Sunday and Saturday Program

    10:00 AM: Hawk Talk by the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders
    Be awed and inspired by the hawk and raptor conservation work of the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders! Learn about some of our local hawks and raptors, their migrations, and the banding work completed by volunteer banders. Live wild birds are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather and wind conditions.

    11:30 AM: Raptor Presentation by the Canadian Raptor Conservancy
    Get ready to be educated and entertained with the Canadian Raptor Conservancy! Learn about the natural history, size, prey species, range, and relationship to humans of a variety of birds of prey up close and personal. This demonstration showcases domestically produced, professionally trained birds in free-flight – you won’t want to miss it.

    1:00 PM: Monarch Presentation
    Learn about the amazing journey and life of the Monarch butterfly, and some of the great conservation work being done to protect our small but mighty friends. Live butterflies are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather conditions.

    2:00 PM: Hawk Talk by the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders
    Be awed and inspired by the hawk and raptor conservation work of the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banders! Learn about some of our local hawks and raptors, their migrations, and the banding work completed by volunteer banders. Live wild birds are responsibly handled under permit during this presentation, pending weather and wind conditions.

    Information supplied by Thames Talbot Land Trust

  • Annual Hawk Cliff weekends start Saturday

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    The annual autumn migration of raptors has begun and the St Thomas Field Naturalist Club and the Hawk Cliff Raptor Banding Station Committee will be showing raptors at 11 am and 2 pm. Saturday and Sunday weekends of September 13, 14 and 20, 21st. The raptor banders will be bringing live birds for the public to see and hear pertinent specs about each species on display. Kestrel, Merlin, Sharp-shinned and Cooper’s hawks are most likely. Northwesterly winds will produce the most raptor sightings. The majority of birds ride the thermals and follow the northern shore of Lake Erie to cross at the Detroit River.
    Ann and Bruce will be tagging and doing presentations on Monarch butterflies.
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    The club will have local nature books for sale. There is a portable washroom. Hawk Cliff Rd. is at the very end of Fairview Rd. (Regional Rd 22), the gravel road just south of Dexter Line. Take care parking, some areas have steep drop offs. The lands on either side of Hawk Cliff Rd. are private lands and the cliff face is eroding. For more information on hawk migration go to www.hmana.org.
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