Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: May 15, 2016 -------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 131 4859 Osprey 0 5 45 Bald Eagle 0 5 35 Northern Harrier 0 10 83 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 217 1038 Cooper's Hawk 0 9 119 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 275 Broad-winged Hawk 0 490 2141 Red-tailed Hawk 0 73 1310 Rough-legged Hawk 2 3 28 Golden Eagle 1 3 4 American Kestrel 1 6 56 Merlin 0 1 21 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 8 Unknown Buteo 0 1 10 Unknown Falcon 0 1 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 1 Unknown Raptor 0 1 18 Total: 4 958 10060 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6.5 hours Official Counter: Mike Street Observers: Visitors: Niagara Healthy Kids Community Challenge Scavenger Hunt turnout was reduced by the weather. Carla Carlson, two visitors from Oakville and Rick Quirk stopped by. Weather: Mid-arctic parka + two fleeces + winter hat with ear flaps + wind pants = 15 May 2016 weather at Beamer CA. You don't have to be crazy to be a hawkwatcher, but it helps! Brief periods of corn snow at 1100 and 1300. NW wind strong at times. This was the last day of the 2016 count. Raptor Observations: Other than local TVs and RTs, no raptors until the last hour, and then only four in all. However, second last bird was an adult Golden Eagle, which made it well worthwhile! Non-raptor Observations: 26 non-raptor species seen or heard. Best new migrants were a pair of Eastern Kingbirds, a Least Flycatcher, a Wood Thrush that sang much of the time, a Gray Catbird and a Black-throated Green Warbler. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Mike Street (mikestre...@gmail.com) 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. © 2016 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 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
