Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2010
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 1
Turkey Vulture 677 2779 4762
Osprey 3 7 7
Bald Eagle 2 5 39
Northern Harrier 6 26 50
Sharp-shinned Hawk 397 872 1050
Cooper's Hawk 3 7 78
Northern Goshawk 0 0 7
Red-shouldered Hawk 11 83 487
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 97 378 1552
Rough-legged Hawk 2 7 24
Golden Eagle 0 0 5
American Kestrel 6 16 21
Merlin 2 3 10
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 7
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 3
Unknown Buteo 0 0 5
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 3
Total: 1206 4183 8111
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Phil Waggett
Observers: Barry Cherriere, Cody Law, Dave Sked, Geoff Carpentier,
Jim Watt, Marty Shimano
Visitors:
A relatively quiet day at Beamer with a few of the regular observers
staying home. Cody Law, Barry Cherriere, Geoff Carpentier, Jim Watt, Marty
Shimano, Dave Sked,
Jack Alvo, Eve Goldberg, Mark Stabb & Caroline Schultz from Uxbridge, and
Jean Iron helped with the count.
Thank you.
Weather:
Light west winds for the first two hours and then increasing to moderate SW
to S winds until the last hour when the wind became light again. This
wispy cloud for most of the day with the sun shining through; thickening
clouds in the last two hours. Unseasonably warm with temperatures reaching
29 C.
Raptor Observations:
An excellent flight dominated by TV's and sharp-shins. Eleven species were
observed today. Much less local activity in the past few days since the
red-tails started incubating and the coops are very close to nesting.
Non-raptor Observations:
Three sandhill cranes and our first common loon (Larry) were the highlight
of the watch. Also noted were more northern flickers, eastern phoebe, fox
sparrow, bluebird, more tree swallows, and a few great blue herons.
Predictions:
The weather will be cooler with a mix of sun and cloud following the
passage of a sharp cold front tonight. With a good flight over Ripley
again today, we could have a good flight at Beamer tomorrow.
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Report submitted by Phil Waggett ()
Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at:
http://www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/
Site Description:
The hawk migration at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is conducted by
the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). The counting is all 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 the cold days of 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 publically 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 the day�s observations 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. © 2010 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
