Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2009 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 56 56 2375 Osprey 0 0 2 Bald Eagle 0 0 47 Northern Harrier 2 2 31 Sharp-shinned Hawk 14 14 212 Cooper's Hawk 2 2 85 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 4 703 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 16 16 2034 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 51 Golden Eagle 0 0 5 American Kestrel 2 2 18 Merlin 0 0 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 5 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 4 Unknown Buteo 0 0 20 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 43 Total: 96 96 5638 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Geoff Carpentier Observers: Terrie Smith Visitors: Barry Cherriere and Graham Jones. Weather: Rain - heavy at times in morning. Clearing by 10:15 a.m. Winds moderate to high throughout the rest of the day. Raptor Observations: Birds had a great deal of trouble battling the winds when they finally started to fly at 10:32. Flight pattern was all over the place as they struggled to find thermals and gain altitude. Non-raptor Observations: All land birds were having trouble with the winds and song was minimal. Fox Sparrow (1), Common Loon (1), Wood Duck (4), Lesser Yellowlegs (1) seen. Predictions: Birds were bottled up today. Flight should be good with improving weather. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Geoff Carpentier () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at: http://www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/ Site Description: The hawk migration at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). The counting is all done by volunteers. Not all members are counters nor does a counter have to be a member. Typically one person is the designated counter for each day but other observers present assist with the spotting and identification. Counting is done from a steel observation tower with a wooden floor. For wind protection on the cold days of March, a black plastic wind guard is installed around the towers platform. This platform easily accommodates ten people but on most busy days, no more than five or six observers would be on it. The site lies within a publically accessible property owned by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. There is no charge for admittance. The tower stands in the centre of a mowed area with a gravel ring road near the outer edge. This provides lots of room to park vehicles (along the road) and set up lawn chairs, telescopes and cameras. Toilet facilities are present. During the counting season, the NPH erect a counting board to display the days observations for the public. The box enclosing the sign contains brochures and silhouette sheets for the public as well as bulletin boards with news and historical sighting records. Directions to site: To get to Beamer CA, take the QEW to Exit 72, follow Christie St./Mountain St. to the top of the escarpment, turn right on Ridge Road West, and go 1.6km to Quarry Rd. Turn right on Quarry Rd. and drive 100m to the conservation area. Parking is normally available inside the park. If parking at the entrance or on the roads, do NOT leave valuables in your car. Please note: Data in this report is not official until reviewed and finalized after the end of the season. © 2008 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
