Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 12, 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 158 1004 4130 Osprey 4 8 8 Bald Eagle 0 2 25 Northern Harrier 2 8 39 Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 64 214 Cooper's Hawk 0 10 59 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 264 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 22 90 950 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 22 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 4 11 30 Merlin 1 3 9 Peregrine Falcon 1 1 2 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 3 Unknown Buteo 0 1 6 Unknown Falcon 0 0 2 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 0 1 8 Total: 210 1207 5772 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 17:15:00 Total observation time: 7.75 hours Official Counter: Matt Mills Observers: Darren Smillie, Zakhar Husak Weather: Mostly cloudy with gusty northwest winds. A few welcome periods of sunshine were quickly swallowed by dark clouds but late in the day the wind and clouds seemed to ease a bit. Raptor Observations: Low numbers but good variety. An adult Peregrine just before 2:30 pm was the highlight. Birds were low and fighting the winds making the local vultures a nuisance. Non-raptor Observations: 11 Common Loons, a Belted Kingfisher, 3 Tree Swallows, 2 Purple Martin, Eastern Phoebe, a few migrating Flickers, 7 juncos were with 2 Fox, 3 Song and a lone American Tree Sparrow under the feeder late in the day. Predictions: Progressively more sunny and mild the coming 5 days with E/NE winds. It may take a day or 2 to develop but we are due for a pile of birds by the weekend. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Matt Mills () 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. © 2016 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
