Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 06, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 2 Turkey Vulture 1168 2431 4240 Osprey 3 8 9 Bald Eagle 7 12 26 Northern Harrier 3 14 26 Sharp-shinned Hawk 36 118 159 Cooper's Hawk 1 12 41 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 15 145 369 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 134 324 758 Rough-legged Hawk 4 4 18 Golden Eagle 0 0 4 American Kestrel 3 5 7 Merlin 2 3 7 Peregrine Falcon 1 1 5 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 3 Unknown Buteo 0 1 60 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 5 7 Total: 1377 3083 5741 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Tom Thomas Observers: Dave Sked, Gord Kozak Visitors: There were too many visitors to count today, but thanks to Gord Kozak, Walter Fisher, Phil Lameira, Dave Sked, Wayne Renaud, Mike williamson and many others for helping to spot the birds in what was a difficult sky with no clouds to pick them out. Weather: Fairly warm, with a cloudless sky for most of the day. Winds were light to moderate out of the south. Raptor Observations: A good flight today, mostly Turkey Vultures, but a good showing of other species, especially Bald Eagles and Red-tailed Hawks. I suspect that we missed many raptors today, that flew north of the tower and below the Escarpment beside the lake, as I saw quite a few kettles of Turkey Vultures along the highway into Hamilton.. Non-raptor Observations: Tree Swallows, Great Blue Herons, Killdeer, Eastern Towhee, Brown-headed Cowbird. Predictions: There could be a push of birds ahead of a front coming in tomorrow afternoon ======================================================================== Report submitted by Tom Thomas ([email protected]) Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area 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. © 2014 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
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