Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 06, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 6 10 10 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 1 1 Northern Harrier 0 0 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1 1 Cooper's Hawk 1 3 3 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 2 2 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 10 28 32 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 3 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 3 3 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 21 50 55 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Tom Thomas Observers: Visitors: The only visitor was Nigel Gough of Burlington Weather: Overcast early on, with the sun breaking through about mid-morning. Strong blustery south winds made for difficult viewing conditions on the observation tower. Raptor Observations: A typical early March count day, with a few raptors migrating through every hour. Turkey Vultures were flying very low due to the strong winds, and it was nice to see some early Red-shouldered Hawks. Non-raptor Observations: Not a lot of other species seen today.....Killdeer, American Robin, Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle, Common Merganser. Predictions: Only a fool would predict the next days flight so early in the season, so here goes........With today's strong south winds,this could have pushed up any birds in the pipeline, and with tomorrows predicted warm temperatures, this may produce some good thermals for a half decent flight. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Tom Thomas ([email protected]) 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. © 2012 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/
