Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 176 668 3719 Osprey 1 1 2 Bald Eagle 7 7 39 Northern Harrier 5 5 12 Sharp-shinned Hawk 43 46 90 Cooper's Hawk 2 7 41 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 68 74 298 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 62 91 849 Rough-legged Hawk 2 2 15 Golden Eagle 0 0 3 American Kestrel 3 4 13 Merlin 1 1 2 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 2 Unknown Accipiter 1 2 3 Unknown Buteo 22 22 35 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 2 Total: 393 930 5127 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: John Black Observers: Dan Salisbury, Greg Vandervelde, Peter Booker, Tom Thomas Visitors: Terry Osborne, Mark Sawyer, John Hendrix, Barry Cherriere, George Holland, Craig Potter, George Bryant, Bob Stamp, Jim Heslop, Gerry Shemilt, Dennis Lewington, Gwen Lewington, Kayo Roy, Andy Morgan, Dave Don, Cheryl Edgecombe, Guelph Naturalists and others. Weather: Strong wind from the south to south-west all count period. Some light cloud , predominantly in the south. Raptor Observations: The strong south winds led to a large number of raptors flying below the tree line to the north of the observation tower. Hundreds of Turkey Vultures and many buteos flew over the lake and out of sight for us. Four Bald Eagles were seen by observers located on the escarpment that would not have been visible from out tower. Non-raptor Observations: 2 Northern Shovelers flew over going south. 2 Fox Sparrows were at the feeders. Predictions: Weather permitting migration should be comparable to today. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Black () 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. © 2013 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/
