Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 15, 2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 28 501 501 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 2 28 28 Northern Harrier 0 2 2 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 7 7 Cooper's Hawk 0 21 21 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 6 74 74 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 14 231 231 Rough-legged Hawk 0 5 5 Golden Eagle 0 4 4 American Kestrel 0 8 8 Merlin 0 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 50 888 888 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Lyn Hanna-Folkes Observers: Keith Park Visitors: In order to comply with COVID safety provisions we remind you that the size of gatherings is restricted and so we do not encourage visitors. Access to the tower is restricted to the official counter and one assigned spotter, whose names have been provided in advance to the appropriate authorities. Please cooperate by keeping yourself and others safe. Weather: A cold morning with gusty North wind and blue sky. In the afternoon, wind changed from the NE and calmed gradually. Both temperature (-7C at 8 am to -2C at 4 pm) and cloud cover (0% at 8 am to 45% at 4 pm) increased very slowly from start to finish. We had excellent visibility all day with no precipitation. Raptor Observations: A slow spotty migration mainly along the escarpment edge, 50 migrating raptors for the day with 74% after 12:00 pm. Height of migration varied from 1 during the first hour to 3 in the last half of the afternoon as winds calmed considerably. Two adult Bald Eagles migrated at 11:50 am and 2:28 pm. Red-shouldered Hawks started showing up high in the sky after 12 pm with a kettle of 4 very orange birds appearing before 2 pm. Local raptors included Red-tailed Hawks (one pair in a mating display flight at 11 am and one immature hunting rabbits in the field south of the tower), a pair of Cooper's Hawks, a pair of Bald Eagles flying low to the east at 2:43 pm, and several Turkey Vultures. Two separate Red-shouldered Hawks flew up the ravine and then southeast, as some Turkey Vultures did throughout the day as well. Non-raptor Observations: My FOY Red-bellied Woodpecker was heard throughout the day. A pair of Common Ravens entertained us a few times in the afternoon. Carolina Wren and Northern Flicker heard. Continuing flock of over a dozen Cedar Waxwings visited twice. One mallard flyover. Other common birds hung around the tower. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lyn Hanna-Folkes ([email protected]) Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/ More site information at hawkcount.org: https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=389 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: 1) Data in this report is not official until reviewed and finalized after the end of the season. ©2020 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch. 2) Vehicular traffic into the park is allowed, but visitors are asked to have their cars outside the gate by 3PM. If parking at the gate DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE!!! -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To edit your membership settings visit the Birdnews setup page at: http://ontbirds.ca/mailman/listinfo/birdnews_ontbirds.ca. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all Ontario birders should be taking extra precautions and following local, provincial, and federal regulations regarding physical distancing and non-essential travel. To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
