Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 30, 2011
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 1 1
Turkey Vulture 400 4691 4691
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 0 30 30
Northern Harrier 1 16 16
Sharp-shinned Hawk 10 63 63
Cooper's Hawk 4 50 50
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 74 472 472
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 107 979 979
Rough-legged Hawk 4 36 36
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 9 9
Merlin 0 2 2
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 3
Unknown Accipiter 1 1 1
Unknown Buteo 0 21 21
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 2 2
Total: 601 6376 6376
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Sandra Horvath
Observers: Barry Cherriere, Bouwe Bergsma, David Weare, Frank Horvath,
Phil Waggett, Sandy Darling
Visitors:
Art Ward, Cy Nobel, Joe Turner, Michael Sandell, John Houle, John Stevens,
Rebecca Horvath and Kingston, Eric Single and Molly, Linda Cherriere, Dave
Sked, Don Pfeffer, Ivor Simmons, Fregus Chapman, Lee Xin, Jihou Xin, Bill
Cuddy, Doug Gee, George Holland, Kevin Mclaughlin and others. Please
forgive me if I missed your name.
Weather:
Sunny with cool light winds, blue sky turning to cloud cover later in the
afternoon. A very pleasant Spring day.
Raptor Observations:
A good flow of Red-shouldered Hawks was seen along with 4 Rough-legged
Hawks and one adult Northern Harrier. The number of Turkey Vultures
passing over Beamer remains high.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Common Loons were spotted. With the approach of another weather system a
good number of people turned out. Unfortunately, we saw no eagles today
and there still have been no Golden Eagles sighted.
Predictions:
The weather forecast shows snow flurries and possible rain so there is
doubt as to the number of raptors expected.
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Report submitted by Sandra Horvath ()
Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at:
http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/
Site Description:
Hawk migration monitoring at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in
Grimsby, Ontario is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). All
counting is 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 cold days, particularly in March, a
black plastic wind guard is installed around the tower's 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 publicly 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 seven day's worth of observation data 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 71/72, 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. © 2011 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/