Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2013 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 11 254 254 Osprey 0 1 1 Bald Eagle 0 11 11 Northern Harrier 1 1 1 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 3 3 Cooper's Hawk 0 10 10 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 12 12 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 7 217 217 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 0 4 4 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 1 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 19 521 521 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 7.25 hours Official Counter: Sandra Horvath Observers: Frank Horvath, Gord Kozak Visitors: Lois Evans and Claude King Weather: The morning began with gusty, westerly winds. By 9 AM clouds had moved in and winds were stronger. Brief glimpses of sun occurred throughout most of the remainder of the day. Raptor Observations: The first Northern Harrier of the Beamer count season was recorded at 12:30 PM. Local TV's, Red-tail and Cooper's were seen throughout the day. Non-raptor Observations: The local birds were very active in the morning; but, no other noteworthy birds have arrived as yet. ======================================================================== 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. © 2013 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/
