Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 27, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 2 2 Turkey Vulture 246 2909 2909 Osprey 1 1 1 Bald Eagle 2 35 35 Northern Harrier 0 20 20 Sharp-shinned Hawk 18 320 320 Cooper's Hawk 2 59 59 Northern Goshawk 1 2 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 6 563 563 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 68 1271 1275 Rough-legged Hawk 0 20 21 Golden Eagle 0 4 4 American Kestrel 0 15 15 Merlin 0 7 7 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Accipiter 0 2 2 Unknown Buteo 0 13 13 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 7 7 Total: 344 5252 5257 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: George Naylor Observers: Rhondda James Visitors: Four groups of schoolchildren, and a boisterous but friendly German Shepherd. The morning group was brought to Beamer by Carla Carlson of Niagara Nature Tours, and a bus trip from Dunneville Christian School. Weather: Sunny, but cool. The day started off about 2C and warmed slightly in the afternoon. Fairly light NE winds for most of the day. Some cloud cover arrived about 2 PM, EST, and the winds started switching to the south. The cloud cover dissipated again in the last two hours of the count. Raptor Observations: An immature Northern Goshawk between 11 & 12 EST. (Missed by me because I was entertainingly talking to a a visiting school group about the joys and wonders of hawk watching) Two near adult Bald Eagles during the noon hour were a highlight, but the best bird of the day was the first Osprey of the year around 1:30 PM EST Non-raptor Observations: There wasn't much passerine movement during the day. A Fox Sparrow at the feeders, a few Tree Sparrows, two Eastern Phoebes near the washrooms. (A potential nest site?), and a single migrant male Purple Martin late in the day. ======================================================================== Report submitted by George Naylor () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON 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. © 2012 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch
_______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
