[Ontbirds] Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area (19 Mar 2017) 32 Raptors
Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 19, 2017 --- SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total Season Total -- --- -- -- Black Vulture0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 12 72109 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 4 7 Northern Harrier 0 0 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 5 6 Cooper's Hawk1 8 8 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 5 5 5 Broad-winged Hawk0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 14 62 98 Rough-legged Hawk0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 0 1 1 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter0 0 0 Unknown Buteo0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 4 Total: 32162243 -- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 8.5 hours Official Counter:Chris Escott Observers: Visitors: Debbie and Steve Wood, Eric Holden, Sherry Pilkington, Joey Gardiner, Mike and Christine Bell. Weather: Started out fairly mild but overcast. The NE breeze picked up a bit during the morning but, by mid-day, it was still overcast with very little wind. Skies cleared during the afternoon and by the end of the count there wasn't a cloud in the sky and it was quite calm -- the wind never picked up all day as had been forecast. Raptor Observations: Slow day with just the occasional one or two birds at a time, and nothing very remarkable other than the first Red-Shouldered Hawks of the season to be reported from Beamer. Non-raptor Observations: Very slow day for non-raptors as well -- nothing worth commenting on unless the lack of songbirds and interesting fly-overs is worth mentioning! Predictions: Forecast suggests a pleasant morning with rain moving in during the afternoon. Report submitted by Chris Escott () Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area 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. ©2017 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO
[Ontbirds] 100 + tundra swans Cookstown
Hi, More than 100 tundra swans flew over the Cookstown Bruce trail at 6:00 pm this evening with one calling pretty much continuously. Diana Go to highway 89 just past Hwy 27. Take the trail going south across Hwy 89 from Tim Hortons. The swans flew over the trail going southeast. Sent from my iPhone ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
[Ontbirds] Harris's Sparrow - Milton
This morning Rob Dobos, Dave Don and I relocated the Harris's sparrow that was reported on ebird earlier in the week. Up until now the bird has only been seen at a private residence. The bird was seen this morning near the stormwater pond on Kearns Road near Derry and James snow parkway. Access to Kearns is off Trudeau. Seed has been placed here and on the walkway in between 1623 and 1625 Gowlings Terrace. The bird was frequenting the cedars and with a group of juncos. The bird was later refound by Mike Hallet in the cedars in the northeast corner of the stormwater pond. The stormwater is fenced off and is a construction site during the week. Cheryl, Dave and Rob Directions QEW to Bronte Road, to Derry Road and then east on Derry to just west of James Snow Parkway. Turn left on Trudeau and then right on Kearns. The stormwater pond is at the bend in the road. Thanks to Barb Charlton for the idea of the seed drop and to Ross Wood for getting that started! Cheryl --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
[Ontbirds] Peregrine Falcon in Peterborough
Hello, birders - I have received a 3rd-hand report along with an excellent photo of an adult Peregrine Falcon eating a Pock Pigeon near 25 Aylmer Street North, Peterborough, on March 6 this year. Cheers,John ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Sunday, March 19th, 2017
ROSS'S GOOSE EURASIAN WIGEON Snow Goose Cackling Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan American Wigeon Canvasback Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Bald Eagle Killdeer American Woodcock Iceland Gull Snowy Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Common Raven Eastern Bluebird White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Purple Finch The pace is slow and steady here in the Hamilton Study Area. A mild spell then a blast of winter last Monday brought out some of the migrants that had gone under the radar but generally we are on track for mid March here in the HSA. In our rarity column a couple of ROSS'S GEESE were subjects of discussion over the past week. One at the Desjardins Canal exhibited slight characteristics of a Snow Goose while a bonafide ROSS'S GOOSE has been at the Arboretum on Old Guelph Road for the past two days. Three Cackling Geese have been seen with the one at the Arboretum on and off. More Cackling Geese or perhaps some intergrades were seen at Shell Park a couple of days ago. There has been some discussion of all of these Cackling Geese over the week and at the end of the day I guess only the goose really knows if it's a Cackler but it appears that in Ontario there can be a wide range for identification of these birds. A bonafide Snow Goose was seen at Bronte Harbour just after the snow storm last Monday. Also of interest a male EURASIAN WIGEON was photographed and put on a facebook last weekend at Concession Rd. 7, between Gore Rd and Concession 1. A check of the area did not turn it up, there are lots of places for it to hide here and open water comes at a high price this week. As for the rest of the list here, Tundra Swans, American Wigeon, Canvasback, Pied-billed, Horned and Red-necked Grebe were all present at LaSalle Marina this week. A sizable flock of Wild Turkey were seen along York Road on the way to Dundas. Bald Eagles are still being reported around Cootes Paradise, likely getting ready to set up shop again. Killdeer are slowly finding more open spots to get food as the snow melts away again. Probably one of the best times to find American Woodcock is after a snow fall. A careful check of creek beds yielded one at Sedgewick, one at Petro Canada Park, and two more at other locations trying to find food. An Iceland Gull was a good find down at Suncor Pier in Oakville. It has been a slow winter for white winged gulls. On Thursday a Snowy Owl showed up on the outer break wall of Bronte Harbour. On Friday there were two, obviously a movement of these owls as none have been reported there all winter. Of note, a feeder which had a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker coming in intermittently in the winter had two come out of the woodwork during the snow storm. Common Raven sightings have significantly increased again in the HSA. Two were seen over the RBG last weekend and mid week three were seen cavorting in the wind down along the lakeshore at Appleby and New Street. Eastern Meadowlarks and Eastern Bluebirds have returned to the Gates of Heaven Cemetery to set up shop. White-crowned Sparrows continue to be seen at the end of Macpherson road in Oakville. Lastly in a year that has been poor for winter finches, Purple Finches and now Pine Siskins seem to be showing up in small doses at feeders. That's the news for the week, keep the faith that things will change for the better soon. Please keep sending your sightings! Cheers Cheryl Edgecombe HNC. --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus ___ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
