Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2012
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
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Black Vulture 0 2 2
Turkey Vulture 176 3085 3085
Osprey 1 2 2
Bald Eagle 0 35 35
Northern Harrier 0 20 20
Sharp-shinned Hawk 6 326 326
Cooper's Hawk 1 60 60
Northern Goshawk 0 2 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 563 563
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 16 1287 1291
Rough-legged Hawk 0 20 21
Golden Eagle 0 4 4
American Kestrel 0 15 15
Merlin 1 8 8
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: 201 5453 5458
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Sandra Horvath
Observers: Bouwe Bergsma, Colin Horstead, Dave Sked, Frank Horvath,
Mike Street
Visitors:
Doris Southwall, Toni Carson, George Bostock, Jack and Linda Homer, Jean
Iron, Ron Pittaway, Mary Shimano, Dave and Maggie Sims, Liz Vanderwood,
Peter Thoems, Brian Hawthorne, Simon Bell, Barry Cherriere, George Holland,
Jean Scriven, Ty, Bell, and Debbie Daniels, April, Luke and Tucker, and a
group of children from the Covenant Christian School in Smithville.
Weather:
It was a beautiful, warmand breezy day lacking only a good number of
raptors. From 3 PM on the weather turned cooler, cloudy and the
temperature dropped considerably.
Raptor Observations:
The highlight of the day was an Osprey flying over at 1:15PM.
Non-raptor Observations:
Amigration of 25 Northern Flickers was observed during the morning. Also 2
Great Blue Herons, 2 Brown Creepers and a Tree Swallow were seen.
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Report submitted by Sandra Horvath ()
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/
