Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 19, 2017 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 12 72 109 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 4 7 Northern Harrier 0 0 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 5 6 Cooper's Hawk 1 8 8 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 5 5 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 14 62 98 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 0 1 1 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 4 Total: 32 162 243 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Visitors: Debbie and Steve Wood, Eric Holden, Sherry Pilkington, Joey Gardiner, Mike and Christine Bell. Weather: Started out fairly mild but overcast. The NE breeze picked up a bit during the morning but, by mid-day, it was still overcast with very little wind. Skies cleared during the afternoon and by the end of the count there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was quite calm -- the wind never picked up all day as had been forecast. Raptor Observations: Slow day with just the occasional one or two birds at a time, and nothing very remarkable other than the first Red-Shouldered Hawks of the season to be reported from Beamer. Non-raptor Observations: Very slow day for non-raptors as well -- nothing worth commenting on unless the lack of songbirds and interesting fly-overs is worth mentioning! Predictions: Forecast suggests a pleasant morning with rain moving in during the afternoon. ======================================================================== 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 birdalert@ontbirds.ca 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
