Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2012 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- 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. ======================================================================== 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
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