Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 29, 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 5 Turkey Vulture 47 3317 6188 Osprey 0 34 34 Bald Eagle 4 22 54 Northern Harrier 0 31 50 Sharp-shinned Hawk 8 917 977 Cooper's Hawk 1 59 94 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 32 415 Broad-winged Hawk 66 3054 3054 Red-tailed Hawk 9 392 997 Rough-legged Hawk 0 9 24 Golden Eagle 2 4 9 American Kestrel 0 18 24 Merlin 0 7 10 Peregrine Falcon 0 4 11 Unknown Accipiter 0 8 9 Unknown Buteo 1 29 46 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 0 15 17 Total: 138 7955 12021 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 14:45:00 Total observation time: 7.25 hours Official Counter: John Stevens Observers: Visitors: Chris Bailey of Hamilton helped for more than an hour in the afternoon. Weather: Single digit temperatures and moderate winds, always with an easterly component, made for a seasonally cool, no cold, day on the tower. Morning sun was gone by 9 EST. Light rain began at 2:40 EST and as the flight had stopped, I left. Raptor Observations: Surprisingly little considering the favourable wind direction. Good for eagles though with two GE before 9 EST and four young BE including two that interacted all the time they were in view. One high BW kettle and during the 12-1 hour the BW elevation became steadily lower. Non-raptor Observations: A pair of Ravens heading west. Brown Thrasher sang continuously when I arrived, took a 30-minute food break and then sang for another 30 minutes. By then it had clouded over and though seen later was not heard again. Five species of woodpeckers but nothing really new for the year. Predictions: The rain should stop tonight and conditions Tuesday should be similar to today but a little brighter. Dress warmly. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Stevens () 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!!! _______________________________________________ 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
