Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: May 09, 2014 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 2 Turkey Vulture 10 87 7004 Osprey 0 0 54 Bald Eagle 0 1 40 Northern Harrier 0 5 62 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 47 816 Cooper's Hawk 1 13 114 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 392 Broad-winged Hawk 1 116 1113 Red-tailed Hawk 1 16 1091 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 27 Golden Eagle 0 0 5 American Kestrel 0 1 30 Merlin 0 0 10 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 7 Unknown Accipiter 0 2 8 Unknown Buteo 0 0 74 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 18 Swainson's Hawk 0 0 1 Total: 17 288 10868 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Mike Street Observers: Visitors: Debbie, Ty and Belle Daniels, and four White-tailed Deer - two does and two almost as big but obviously younger ones. Weather: Thin cloud gave way to a thicker layer as the warm front approached. When it arrived there was a noticeable push of much warmer air and the wind increased quite a bit. Unfortunately it didn't bring any birds. Rain arrived ~1500. Raptor Observations: Some late TVs and a few hawks. Non-raptor Observations: Black-throated Green and Blue + Nashville Warblers, Ovenbird, Great-crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak (female), White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows. A Gray Catbird sang all day. A Red-bellied Woodpecker made regular trips to the feeder board, taking a seed and jumping into the tree, then doing it all over again. Predictions: The cold front bringing the rain should be through overnight. Good possibility of birds that moved before the cold front today finding their way around the end of Lake Erie to Beamer tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Mike Street ([email protected]) 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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