Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: May 02, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 5 Turkey Vulture 2 3 5926 Osprey 2 2 58 Bald Eagle 1 1 55 Northern Harrier 4 4 79 Sharp-shinned Hawk 158 192 1572 Cooper's Hawk 2 3 135 Northern Goshawk 2 2 7 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 591 Broad-winged Hawk 274 281 3045 Red-tailed Hawk 5 6 1977 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 34 Golden Eagle 0 0 11 American Kestrel 1 1 54 Merlin 2 2 17 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 5 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 11 Unknown Buteo 0 0 25 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 12 Total: 453 498 13620 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: Sandy Darling Observers: Barry Cherriere Visitors: Gord Kozak helped for 6 hours and this was appreciated. Patrick and Liam Cuddy were there for a while and found the first Osprey Weather: Foggy for an hour and a half, then sun broke through, but there was cloud cover which was good for viewing. Winds from north-east to east gave lift off the escarpment. Raptor Observations: An excellent day for May. Total migrants of 453 exceeded the 15-day total for May 2011. 11 species with 2 Northern Goshawks starring and making Sharp-shins look tiny. Non-raptor Observations: Sandhill Crane was highlight. All other birds have been seen already this year at Beamer. Predictions: Unlikely to be as good as today - there is rain in the forecast ======================================================================== Report submitted by Sandy Darling () 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/
