Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 23, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 2 2 3 Turkey Vulture 34 3707 5780 Osprey 3 39 40 Bald Eagle 5 13 34 Northern Harrier 6 44 55 Sharp-shinned Hawk 106 783 859 Cooper's Hawk 5 37 76 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 52 305 Broad-winged Hawk 1174 2424 2424 Red-tailed Hawk 36 551 1152 Rough-legged Hawk 0 13 20 Golden Eagle 0 4 8 American Kestrel 3 41 59 Merlin 1 7 12 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 4 Unknown Accipiter 1 3 3 Unknown Buteo 2 10 37 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 2 10 15 Total: 1381 7743 10887 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 17:30:00 Total observation time: 10.5 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Brian Hawthorne, Eric Baldo, Tim Foran, Tom Thomas Visitors: A number of people visited today including Mark Field and Lynne Freeman leading an OFO Young Birders outing, Keith Park, Dave Stead, Paul Shanahan for the second day visiting from Massachusetts, Stuart Laughton, a young lady named Joanne, and an NPHW scholarshiop candidate Karlie Haining. Weather: I arrived early to find Beamer shrouded in fog, which cleared quickly in a brisk SW breeze. For the remainder of the day the sky was cloudless, the SW breeze gusty at times, and the afternoon temperatures a taste of summer. Raptor Observations: The SW breeze, strong at times, pushed most birds towards the lake to the extent that many of the passing BROAD-WINGED HAWKS were very hard to see with the naked eye. It is quite likely many birds flew by unseen in the distance towards the lake. With the help of a determined group of observers, we found many passing kettles in the hazy distance. Five (5) BALD EAGLES was a treat, and a flyover trio of SANDHILL CRANE, but the sensation of the day was a pair of BLACK VULTURE (or were there more and we just assumed it was the same pair all five times we saw them) observed five times! On the fifth occasion they went to roost in the rocky gorge above Grimsby. Local TUVU and COHA (especially Garry) were very active all day. Non-raptor Observations: Three SANDHILL CRANE soared overhead. Several swallow species flew by, and a PURPLE MARTIN. A singe WILD TURKEY flew out of the woods past the quarry. Many WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and a couple of RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET were very vocal early, and a PURPLE FINCH sang briefly, but no warblers were seen and the woods were rather quiet. Predictions: The weather report for Grimsby says it will be sunny with a NE wind increasing through the day, but a bit cooler in the afternoon than today, which could bode well for another good flight. Anyone getting to Beamer early could get lucky and see the pair of BLACK VULTURE again. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chris Escott () 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
