Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: May 10, 2016 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 7 83 4812 Osprey 2 4 44 Bald Eagle 0 5 35 Northern Harrier 0 9 82 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 211 1032 Cooper's Hawk 1 7 117 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 275 Broad-winged Hawk 18 485 2136 Red-tailed Hawk 9 58 1294 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 26 Golden Eagle 0 1 2 American Kestrel 0 5 55 Merlin 0 1 21 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 0 8 Unknown Buteo 1 1 10 Unknown Falcon 0 1 3 Unknown Eagle 0 0 1 Unknown Raptor 0 1 18 Total: 38 875 9977 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7.5 hours Official Counter: John Black Observers: Dan Salisbury Visitors: None Weather: Cool wind from the north east. Cloudy over much of sky. In particular there was white cloudy sky to our east which meant the birds were easily seen coming from the east. Raptor Observations: One American Kestrel flew west to east and was not counted. Resident Turkey Vultures were observed to the north flying along the escarpment all day. None counted as they flew both east -west and west-east. The resident Cooper's Hawk was only observed on one occasion. Non-raptor Observations: one, perhaps 2 Bobolinks were heard to the south. A total of 30 species of birds were observed form the viewing platform. A Great Blue Heron flew from east to west to our south. Predictions: Similar to today? ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Black () 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