Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: May 15, 2022 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 19 266 8284 Osprey 0 5 31 Bald Eagle 0 19 100 Northern Harrier 0 19 67 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 92 988 Cooper's Hawk 0 23 161 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 413 Broad-winged Hawk 1 191 1513 Red-tailed Hawk 1 71 1156 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 23 Golden Eagle 0 1 12 American Kestrel 0 2 37 Merlin 0 0 23 Peregrine Falcon 0 3 6 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 7 Unknown Buteo 2 6 35 Unknown Falcon 0 1 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 2 Unknown Raptor 0 0 12 Short-eared Owl 0 0 1 Total: 23 700 12874 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 12:00:00 Total observation time: 4.75 hours Official Counter: Katherine Stoltz Observers: Visitors: Craig from Hamilton Weather: It was a hot and sunny day with a few cirrus and cumulus clouds which never crossed the sun's path. Light winds starting from the southwest and switching to northwest. Good visibility Raptor Observations: Very few migratory raptors. Even the local TV's were flying high. Local CH and RT. As there were no birds counted in the last 1.5 hours, I shut it down at 12 EST when the risk of sunburn and heatstroke outweighted the probability of more raptors. The early flight path was north of the tower, but later birds flew beyond limit of naked eye to the far south Non-raptor Observations: Lots of passerines to make up for the dearth of raptors. FOY Black-billed Cuckoo, and Least Flycatcher. Also Ovenbird, Tennessee, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Bobolink, Pine Siskin, -breasted Grosbeak, Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher Predictions: see you next year ======================================================================== Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz ([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 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.
