Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 18, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 96 972 972
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 5 28 28
Northern Harrier 0 11 11
Sharp-shinned Hawk 64 138 138
Cooper's Hawk 5 32 32
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 41 485 485
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 100 941 945
Rough-legged Hawk 7 12 13
Golden Eagle 1 3 3
American Kestrel 3 10 10
Merlin 0 4 4
Peregrine Falcon 1 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1
Unknown Buteo 0 5 5
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 4 4
Total: 323 2647 2652
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 17:00:00
Total observation time: 10 hours
Official Counter: Chris Escott
Observers: Barry Cherriere, Jean Iron, Kevin McLaughlin, Matt Mills,
Mike Walker, Phil Waggett, Ron Pittaway, Sandra Horvath
Visitors:
Other observers included Bob Curry, Glenda Slessor, Bill Reid, George &
Jean Holland, Rob Walderman, and a number of others. More than a dozen
non-birders also stopped by to ask what we were up to, then question us for
more details.
Weather:
Early morning fog was dissipating as I arrived at 7 a.m. but there was no
flight for two hours. Four hours of warm southwest winds and cloud cover
brought a good variety of birds at fairly low levels. Another four hours of
rather hot sunny weather and less wind was rather less productive with many
birds at very high altitude.
Raptor Observations:
Steady flow of birds all day. Golden Eagle was an adult; Bald Eagles
numbered two adults and three juveniles. Rough-legged Hawks were four light
morph and three dark morph.
Non-raptor Observations:
Other birds noted included an Eastern Phoebe, a Pileated Woodpecker and a
Fox Sparrow.
Predictions:
Probably much like today. Could be more birds as Ripley, NY had more than
1,000 birds today and the weather to the south of us should be better (much
of today's forecast rain slipped south of the Great Lakes).
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Report submitted by Chris Escott ()
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/
