Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 113 2394 2401 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 22 23 Northern Harrier 5 24 24 Sharp-shinned Hawk 47 101 101 Cooper's Hawk 7 42 43 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 260 260 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 11 804 805 Rough-legged Hawk 0 18 20 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 4 19 19 Merlin 0 6 6 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 3 3 Unknown Buteo 0 5 5 Unknown Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 7 7 Total: 192 3707 3719 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Phil Waggett Observers: Bruce Campbell, Keith Park Visitors: Not surprisingly, we had a large number of birders arrive anticipating a good raptor flight. Among these were Ron Pittaway, Brandon & Eric Holden, Barry & Linda Cherriere, Keith Sealy, Chris Cheatle, and Richard Tofflemire. Also a large number of families were out visiting Beamer park. Weather: Dense fog to start the hawkwatch for the first two hours, then clearing with high thin clouds for the next three hours. Winds were light out of the north east. At 12:45, with a wind shift to the north, the fog rolled back in and shut down the hawkwatch--very disappointing given that we had a moderate flight during the three hours of good weather. Raptor Observations: Primarily a turkey vulture flight but a noticeable increase in the number of sharpies migrating today. The local coops, red-tails, and turkey vultures were again active. Non-raptor Observations: Very little migratory activity observed but there was some passerine activity at the feeders--fox sparrow, song sparrows, golden-crowned kinglet, eastern phoebe, and red-bellied woodpeckers. Predictions: Rain tonight and tomorrow will likely result in very little activity tomorrow but the forecast for Tuesday looks more promising although the moderate NW winds may hold birds back. There are certainly many birds in the pipeline. ======================================================================== 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. © 2016 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
