Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 19, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 93 1072 1072
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 2 30 30
Northern Harrier 4 15 15
Sharp-shinned Hawk 34 173 173
Cooper's Hawk 2 34 34
Northern Goshawk 1 1 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 11 496 496
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 27 969 973
Rough-legged Hawk 1 13 14
Golden Eagle 0 3 3
American Kestrel 0 10 10
Merlin 0 4 4
Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1
Unknown Buteo 6 11 11
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 3 7 7
Total: 184 2840 2845
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: John Stevens
Observers: Carol Horvat, David Weare, Jim Watt, Mark Lichtenberg,
Marty Shimano
Visitors:
Quite a few, most around midday for a short period, including Jack and
Linda Homer, Verne Evans, Peter Thoem, George Holland, Barry Cherriere, Don
and Giselle Mills.
Weather:
Early morning haze cleared by 9 EST. Overcast at first becoming
progressively sunnier although always with some cloud to the southeast.
Light winds from the south in the am switched to the north in the pm and
were never very strong.
Raptor Observations:
Treetop height in the first couple of hours and the last two but in between
the birds got very high with the flight line drifting south before stopping
abruptly about 1:15 EST.
Non-raptor Observations:
Not much of interest until about 3 EST when an Eastern Phoebe showed up and
shortly thereafter a Great Crested Flycatcher!, which I didn't think should
be within 500 km of Beamer on March 19th.
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Report submitted by John Stevens ()
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. © 2012 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/
