Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 31, 2019 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 4 4 Turkey Vulture 35 2872 2872 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 32 32 Northern Harrier 2 19 19 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 61 61 Cooper's Hawk 0 34 34 Northern Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 383 383 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 595 595 Rough-legged Hawk 1 15 15 Golden Eagle 0 5 5 American Kestrel 0 6 6 Merlin 0 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 7 7 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 18 18 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 2 Total: 41 4059 4059 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 5.5 hours Official Counter: Rob Spaul Observers: Bob Stamp, Catherine Manschot, Darren Smillie Visitors: Great help counting from Darren Smillie, Catherine Manschot, Bob Stamp, Liam Thorne and Joshua Thorne. Weather: Snow and poor visibility prevented starting the count until 9:30, and dropped about 5 cm of snow at Beamer. When the weather cleared marginally, visibility was still somewhat limited for the entire day. On/off light to moderate snow continued throughout the day, and became heavier towards the end of the day. Winds were predominantly W and SW throughout the day, and picked up towards the end of the day too. Snow and reduced visibility also lead to shutting the observation down at 3 pm. Raptor Observations: Tiny little morning push of Sharp-shinned Hawks (3) and Turkey Vultures in the morning, and then things gradually stopped altogether, with just a trickle of Turkey Vultures. One nice dark morph Rough-legged Hawk was definitely the bird of the day. First day I've had here where I didn't see the local Cooper's Hawk pair at all. Non-raptor Observations: A nice male Eastern Towhee continues, and the first Fox Sparrows (2) of the year were around the feeders for the entire day. Also had a nice Eastern Meadowlark flyover. Predictions: Hopefully the weather should clear and the migration will get back on track, but things will still be rather cool, so I'd guess Tuesday will be a better day. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Rob Spaul () Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/ More site information at hawkcount.org: http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=389 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: 1) Data in this report is not official until reviewed and finalized after the end of the season. ©2019 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch. 2) Vehicular traffic into the park is allowed, but visitors are asked to have their cars outside the gate by 3PM. If parking at the gate DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE!!! _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. 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