Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 17, 2019
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 1 5
Turkey Vulture 78 3008 5878
Osprey 5 15 15
Bald Eagle 1 10 42
Northern Harrier 1 22 41
Sharp-shinned Hawk 52 462 523
Cooper's Hawk 1 29 63
Northern Goshawk 0 1 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 25 408
Broad-winged Hawk 88 95 95
Red-tailed Hawk 35 255 850
Rough-legged Hawk 0 9 24
Golden Eagle 0 0 5
American Kestrel 1 9 15
Merlin 0 4 7
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 10
Unknown Accipiter 0 7 8
Unknown Buteo 0 6 24
Unknown Falcon 0 0 1
Unknown Eagle 0 1 1
Unknown Raptor 0 5 7
Total: 262 3967 8023
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Bill Lamond
Observers: Barry Cherriere, Bill Read, Bouwe Bergsma, Bruce Campbell,
John Hogeveen, Stuart Laughton
Visitors:
Barry Cherriere, Bouwe Bergsma, Barry Campbell, Bill Read. A plethora of
"Bees" as Stuart Laughton pointed out, feeling the odd man out until he
remembered his nickname was "Bar", then all was well. John Hogeveen was
very helpful in the late afternoon when the low clouds cleared and birds
appeared again.
Weather:
The weather was quite variable. Started out relatively clear with many
contrail clouds. Good sky for finding hawks. Winds were light from N. Over
the course of the next three hours, winds switched to NE and were moderate
to moderately-strong. NE winds kept location cool, well below temperatures
in inland areas. After 12:30, fast moving low clouds appeared (essentially
fog or fog-like) and stayed this way until around 3:00 p.m. when it
cleared.
Raptor Observations:
A reasonably good flight of raptors, especially Broad-winged Hawks, was
shut down with the appearance of the low clouds from 12:30 to 3:00 p.m.
After this, the flight resumed and continued until just before 5:00 when it
petered out. We ended up with nine raptor species.
Non-raptor Observations:
A total of 41 species of non-raptors were observed from the tower. Nothing
terribly noteworthy but best were Yellow-rumped Warbler (1), Purple Finch
(1), Field Sparrow, Chipping Sparrow, three Common Ravens and the three
most likely swallows (brain-teaser).
Predictions:
Hard to know for sure but could be good from 10 a.m. until 2:00 p.m. as
possibly mix of sun and cloud then, with moderate to strong south winds.
After that, rain. All a question of timing.
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Report submitted by Bill Lamond ()
Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at:
http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/
More site information at hawkcount.org:
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=389
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: 1) Data in this report is not official until reviewed and
finalized after the end of the season. ©2019 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch.
2) Vehicular traffic into the park is allowed, but visitors are asked to have
their cars outside the gate by 3PM. If parking at the gate DO NOT LEAVE
VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE!!!
_______________________________________________
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