Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 13, 2015
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 167 4024 7027
Osprey 4 23 23
Bald Eagle 1 18 67
Northern Harrier 5 34 43
Sharp-shinned Hawk 279 809 845
Cooper's Hawk 1 36 93
Northern Goshawk 0 1 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 2 108 694
Broad-winged Hawk 146 172 172
Red-tailed Hawk 44 686 1598
Rough-legged Hawk 4 24 39
Golden Eagle 0 5 13
American Kestrel 3 18 20
Merlin 0 4 7
Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 5 5
Unknown Buteo 4 29 33
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 1 2
Unknown Raptor 1 1 3
Total: 661 5999 10686
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Observation start time: 07:30:00
Observation end time: 16:30:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: John Stevens
Observers: Adam Capparelli, Barb Charlton, Betty McCulloch,
Brett Freed, Diana Capparelli, Kayo Roy, Terry Whittam,
Walter Fisher
Visitors:
Quite a few in the morning when there was lots of action in the air.
Notable was young Xavier Sandlos with his older brother William and
parents from St. John's NF. Xavier called all the birds, not always
correctly but he got them all. Others noted included Barb Charlton, Brett
Freed, Claude King, Kayo Roy, Mark McGuire (not medicated), Adam and Diana
Capparelli, and three folks from the Rosetta McClain Gardens Raptor Watch,
Betty McCulloch, Terry Whittam and Walter Fisher.
Weather:
Cloudy and cool to begin with southerly winds that strengthened during the
day bringing mostly clear skies until late in the afternoon. Temperature
rose rapidly during the morning such that despite the strong winds it was
shirtsleeve weather even on the tower. After 5 pm EDT, the sky clouded
over and rain began just after 5:30.
Raptor Observations:
The strong winds kept the birds at a reasonable elevation all day although
instead of being all near the edge of the escarpment, they were all over
the sky. Sharpies were skimming the trees and sometimes flying below the
height of the tower, often sideways, as they crossed the clearing. Two
Osprey flew west about five minutes apart between 3-4 EST then two went
east together about 15-20 minutes later. Look for them in the morning. A
juvenile Bald Eagle went east between 1-2 EST then what could have been the
same bird went west about half an hour later, so not counted.
Non-raptor Observations:
Flyovers included six Common Loon headed south, numerous Bonaparte's Gull,
many Northern Flicker, two Wood Duck and four Belted Kingfisher. A pair of
Eastern Bluebird stopped briefly. No sign of any Fox Sparrow, Brown
Thrasher, Field Sparrow or White-throated Sparrow.
Predictions:
Supposed to be sunny and warm so no excuse for less than ten species.
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Report submitted by John Stevens ()
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. © 2015 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
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