Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 22, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 2 4 Turkey Vulture 12 2467 5867 Osprey 0 46 50 Bald Eagle 0 16 51 Northern Harrier 0 52 74 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 934 1267 Cooper's Hawk 0 68 129 Northern Goshawk 0 2 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 24 591 Broad-winged Hawk 5 1231 1231 Red-tailed Hawk 7 552 1904 Rough-legged Hawk 0 10 34 Golden Eagle 0 7 11 American Kestrel 0 36 52 Merlin 0 6 14 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 9 11 Unknown Buteo 0 12 25 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 5 12 Total: 26 5482 11336 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Cody Law, Frances Alvo, Gord Kozah, Jack Alvo, Jaques Giraud, Pat Hogge Visitors: A couple of photographers, a few people on an organized field outing, and several families with young children stopped by. Weather: Strong NE winds, very cold, showers in the vicinity but never at Beamer, cleared somewhat late in the afternoon but no flight in evidence as the cold wind continued unabated. Not a nice day to be up in the tower all day! Raptor Observations: Despite the lack of rain, nothing was moving except the local TVs going back and forth. Perhaps there was bad weather further south preventing anything from getting started. Non-raptor Observations: Lots of White-throated Sparrows, with a few other singing Passerines including Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Field Sparrows, an Eastern Phoebe and a Brown Thrasher. A female Eastern Towhee was at the feeder. Fly-bys included a few Yellow-rumped Warbler, 2 Common Loon, a Caspian Tern, a Belted Kingfisher, a pair of Wood Duck, several Purple Martin and a small group of Barn Swallow. Predictions: The weather report is snow/rain for the next 2 days, followed by a week of unseasonably cold temperatures, so it's not looking good for a few days! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chris Escott () 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