Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 17, 2010 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 3 4348 6331 Osprey 1 30 30 Bald Eagle 0 15 49 Northern Harrier 0 54 78 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1542 1720 Cooper's Hawk 0 26 97 Northern Goshawk 0 0 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 102 506 Broad-winged Hawk 4 205 205 Red-tailed Hawk 0 751 1925 Rough-legged Hawk 0 8 25 Golden Eagle 0 2 7 American Kestrel 0 35 40 Merlin 0 7 14 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 7 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 3 Unknown Buteo 0 0 5 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 5 Total: 9 7128 11056 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 14:30:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours Official Counter: Barry Cherriere, Phil Waggett Observers: Barry Cherriere, Cody Law, Sandra Horvath Visitors: Virtually none with only Cody Law, Barry Cherriere, and Sandra Horvath showing up to help with the count. Weather: Cool, blustery day following the passage of the cold front. Mostly overcast. Raptor Observations: Very sparce. Although the local TV's and male coop were very active, migrants opted not to migrate. Non-raptor Observations: The two interesting observations were a very late tundra swan at 8:30 am and an early blue-gray gnatcatcher found by Barry Cherriere in the early afternoon. Other birds noted were northern flickers (lots), white-throated sparrow, and ruby-crowned kinglet. Predictions: Some improvement will be likely but the big push of broadwings will be a few days away after the inclement weather that pushed through south of Lake Erie. ======================================================================== 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/
