Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2015 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 235 2001 5004 Osprey 1 6 6 Bald Eagle 1 11 60 Northern Harrier 2 13 22 Sharp-shinned Hawk 9 141 177 Cooper's Hawk 1 15 72 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 83 669 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 32 299 1211 Rough-legged Hawk 2 8 23 Golden Eagle 0 1 9 American Kestrel 1 7 9 Merlin 0 3 6 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 2 2 Unknown Buteo 0 0 4 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 1 Unknown Raptor 0 0 2 Total: 288 2591 7278 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Phil Waggett Observers: Alan Meijer, Craig Corcoran, Phil Lameira Visitors: James & Ben Hartshorn (Guelph), Phil Lameira (Rosetta McLean Hawk Watch), Alan Meijer (formerly of Grimsby, now from North Carolina), Michelle & Mike Davies, Craig Corcoran, Hugh Currie Weather: Mix of sun and cloud--quite cloudy at times. Wind light to moderate out of the west in the morning, switching to the northwest in the afternoon. Quite cool with temperatures only reaching 3C. Raptor Observations: A flight dominated by turkey vultures. Some of the hawks were getting extremely high with the lift from the westerly winds. At 3:15, I spent 15 minutes below the escarpment in the Food City parking lot watching the local vultures--it appears that there are 19 of them. The local coop was around but less active than yesterday. Non-raptor Observations: Only two birds of note--a great blue heron and an eastern phoebe. Otherwise, migratory activity was almost non-existent. Predictions: Late in the afternoon the pipeline was pretty empty and with unsettled weather moving in I would not expect much of a flight. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Phil Waggett () 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. © 2015 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
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