Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 22, 2019
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 1 5
Turkey Vulture 69 3127 5997
Osprey 4 23 23
Bald Eagle 4 15 47
Northern Harrier 3 29 48
Sharp-shinned Hawk 102 762 823
Cooper's Hawk 2 37 71
Northern Goshawk 0 1 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 31 414
Broad-winged Hawk 517 1267 1267
Red-tailed Hawk 23 295 890
Rough-legged Hawk 0 9 24
Golden Eagle 2 2 7
American Kestrel 5 16 22
Merlin 0 5 8
Peregrine Falcon 0 4 11
Unknown Accipiter 0 8 9
Unknown Buteo 0 8 26
Unknown Falcon 0 0 1
Unknown Eagle 0 1 1
Unknown Raptor 0 5 7
Total: 732 5646 9702
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Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 9 hours
Official Counter: Phil Waggett
Observers: Bruce Campbell, Catherine Manschot, Katherine Stoltz,
Lauren Booker, Mike Street, Peter Thoem,
Richard Tofflemire, Tim Foran, Tim King
Visitors:
A big thank-you to all who helped with today's count--Lauren Booker, Mike
Street, Katherine Stoltz, Bruce Campbell, Eric Single, Richard Tofflemire,
Catherine Manschot , Tim Foran, and Tim King, John Hogeveen, Peter Thoem,
Paige Au. Also visiting were Dave Wright & Gard Otis (Guelph), Loretta
Shields & Bev Hadper (Smithville), Marcie Jacklin, and Sandra Milligan
(all the way from Campbell River, BC).
Weather:
Mostly overcast in the morning with clearing starting just before noon.
Winds were light from the south before switching to E, NE around 1pm.
While east winds are usually very good for the Beamer Hawkwatch, today the
flight seemed to move further south beyond visual range around 2 pm.
Raptor Observations:
Not unexpectedly, today's flight was dominated by broad wings but we did
record 11 species with the highlights being two golden eagles. The local
coops, red-tails and turkey vultures continued to be active today.
Non-raptor Observations:
A good variety of migrants were observed, although not in great numbers.
Chipping sparrows, common loon, great blue heron, sandhill crane, purple
martin, pine warblers (2), brown creeper, many northern flickers. At the
point, 15 brant were observed.
Predictions:
Cloudy tomorrow morning with rain developing near noon--maybe a flight in
the morning. I think there are still birds in the pipeline but I wouldn't
expect too much tomorrow.
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Report submitted by Phil Waggett ([email protected])
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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