Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2017
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 1 1
Turkey Vulture 387 1504 1541
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 0 16 19
Northern Harrier 3 7 7
Sharp-shinned Hawk 20 45 46
Cooper's Hawk 4 28 28
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 35 145 145
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 38 341 377
Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4
Golden Eagle 0 3 3
American Kestrel 1 13 13
Merlin 0 4 4
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 15 18 18
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 1 5
Total: 504 2131 2212
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 8.5 hours
Official Counter: John Stevens
Observers: Barb Charlton, Barry Cherriere, Claude King, Darren Smillie,
David Weare, Don Cunliffe, Eric Single, John Hogeveen,
Phil Downey
Visitors:
Laurie and Bruce Mckenzie, Carol Horvat, Joanne Redwood plus several others
whose names I didn't get.
Weather:
Foggy for the first couple of hours but warm with southerly winds.
Brightening after 10 EST and even a little sun in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Big raptor migration day with birds moving on a broad front. Reports of a
river of birds along the lake plain to the north and also further south.
Flight lines from the tower included beyond the edge of the escarpment to
south of the houses.
Non-raptor Observations:
Sandhill Crane, lots of Killdeer, several Great Blue Heron, Eastern
Bluebird plus the usual feeder species
Predictions:
Once the fog clears in the morning it should be like today only not as warm
and with perhaps a more concentrated flight with the northerly wind.
========================================================================
Report submitted by John Stevens ()
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. ©2017 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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
Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
