Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 18, 2011 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 2 1902 6606 Osprey 0 24 24 Bald Eagle 0 6 36 Northern Harrier 1 42 58 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 481 544 Cooper's Hawk 1 21 71 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 100 572 Broad-winged Hawk 0 224 224 Red-tailed Hawk 0 653 1632 Rough-legged Hawk 0 11 47 Golden Eagle 2 2 2 American Kestrel 0 11 20 Merlin 1 6 8 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 5 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 2 Unknown Buteo 0 8 29 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 4 Total: 7 3498 9887 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours Official Counter: John Stevens Observers: Visitors: Only Toni and Doris who came to assist but didn't stay because of the snow. Weather: A gloomy day, overcast throughout with wet snow starting at 0850 EST and continuing until 1345 EST. Winds light and temperature steady near 1C. Raptor Observations: A day of quality not quantity with two Golden Eagles, one adult and one undetermined. The local TVs were only seen at the end of the day. No sign of the Cooper's Hawks or the local RTs. Non-raptor Observations: A Brown Thrasher serenaded early and fed at the feeders when there were no squirrels. A Pileated Woodpecker flew west in the morning. Fox Sparrows, a Rufous-sided Towhee and a White-throated Sparrow sang and fed below the feeders. Both kinglet species were heard. Two male Wood Ducks made several passes, both singly and together, before the snow. Predictions: A little warmer than today but still cold for the time of year. Rain in the afternoon so there might be some movement ahead of it in the morning. All in all, not promising. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Stevens () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON 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. © 2011 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
_______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
