Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 23, 2014
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 2
Turkey Vulture 10 5053 6862
Osprey 1 48 49
Bald Eagle 0 18 32
Northern Harrier 0 41 53
Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 666 707
Cooper's Hawk 1 57 86
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 168 392
Broad-winged Hawk 6 690 690
Red-tailed Hawk 14 618 1052
Rough-legged Hawk 0 13 27
Golden Eagle 0 1 5
American Kestrel 0 24 26
Merlin 0 5 9
Peregrine Falcon 2 3 7
Unknown Accipiter 0 3 6
Unknown Buteo 1 15 74
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 16 18
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1
Total: 38 7440 10098
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Sandra Horvath
Observers: Frank Horvath, George Holland, Gord Kozak, Peter Booker,
Tom Thomas
Visitors:
Gord Kozak, Peter Booker, George Holland, Tom Thomas, Eric and Molly, Peter
Thoem, Jonathan Hoskins visiting from Wales, Bill Stewart, Judy Simpson and
Dave Gallagher from Toronto and Jim Cram visited today.
Many thanks to Gord, Tom, George and Peter for making this very slow day
tolerable.
Weather:
Light drizzle and snow mixture in the early morning was followed by
clearing skies and sun with a cool North wind.
Raptor Observations:
Despite rather nice conditions and light winds, an excellent sky for
observation, unfortunately there were few birds to be seen. Those that were
seen were very high in a blue sky.
Non-raptor Observations:
2 Common Loons circled the tower, the Brown Thrasher was at the feeder with
the other more common birds, a group of 3 Ravens flew over the tower and 3
Purple Martins enjoyed feasting on the hatch of bugs that filled the air
around, above and in the tower.
Predictions:
To quote Ripley N.Y. who only had 9 birds today...
"Tomorrow, gentle northerly breezes and continued cold mean strong
migratory activity unlikely. Friday, with its warmer temperatures and
moderate southerly winds is more promising, if it doesn't rain. Saturday
will be cooler with westerly winds but could see modest activity."
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Report submitted by Sandra Horvath ()
Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area 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. © 2014 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
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