Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 25, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 304 759 796 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 14 17 Northern Harrier 0 1 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 17 18 Cooper's Hawk 0 19 19 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 69 69 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 5 258 294 Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 3 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 0 10 10 Merlin 1 4 4 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 3 3 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 1 5 Total: 312 1161 1242 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 12:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 4 hours Official Counter: Phil Waggett Observers: Visitors: None. Weather: Rain to start, ending at 12:30. Overcast for the afternoon with a cold, stiff ENE wind. Raptor Observations: A vulture flight set up as soon as the rain ended with the first birds rapidly appearing at 12:38. By 1:40, I had counted 273 TV's but then the flight petered out with steady but sporadic sightings for the rest of the afternoon. The wind brought the birds to the top of the escarpment--there was no activity to the south and I saw no evidence of any north over the plain. Local TV's were active. Only 5 red-tails, 1 red shoulder, 1 sharp-shin, and 1 merlin rounded out the count. Non-raptor Observations: Common loon, killdeer, and a great blue heron. A small herd of 6 white-tailed deer crossed the field south of the tower. Predictions: Rain/showers are forecast. If there are some breaks, a flight could develop given that 3000+ vultures passed Ripley yesterday. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Phil Waggett () 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. ©2017 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
