Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 09, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 3 Turkey Vulture 95 2015 5415 Osprey 9 26 30 Bald Eagle 0 6 41 Northern Harrier 2 15 37 Sharp-shinned Hawk 9 113 446 Cooper's Hawk 3 22 83 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 573 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 8 267 1619 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 28 Golden Eagle 0 3 7 American Kestrel 2 11 27 Merlin 0 3 11 Peregrine Falcon 1 2 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 7 9 Unknown Buteo 0 3 16 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 9 Total: 129 2506 8360 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 17:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: John Stevens Observers: Carol Horvat, George Holland, Joe Gardner, Verne Evans Visitors: Many children under 10 on this partial holiday and lots of people whose names I didn't get. Also Terry Brown of Powell River, BC; Blanca Bolea of Aragon, Spain; and Simon Davis of Liverpool, UK. (Blanca was very excited to see her first Northern Cardinals.) Weather: Mostly sunny with increasing cumulus cloud throughout the day. Very windy from the northwest and gusty. Leaves and dust being lifted by the wind. Swarms of midges forming. Raptor Observations: Few small birds moving into the wind. Good Osprey flight. Local TVs fought their way west at about 5 kph then rocketed back east about 100 kph. Bird of the day was a stunning adult DARK MORPH Red-tailed Hawk with a black body and wing coverts with a rufous tail. Non-raptor Observations: A few swallows and over 100 Double-crested Water Rats, I mean Cormorants, but little else. Predictions: Same winds again with partly sunny in the morning and rain starting in the mid-afternoon. Likely similar to today but a possible rush ahead of the rain. ======================================================================== 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. © 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/
