Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 10, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 3 Turkey Vulture 68 2083 5483 Osprey 4 30 34 Bald Eagle 1 7 42 Northern Harrier 5 20 42 Sharp-shinned Hawk 24 137 470 Cooper's Hawk 2 24 85 Northern Goshawk 0 0 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 6 573 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 12 279 1631 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 28 Golden Eagle 0 3 7 American Kestrel 1 12 28 Merlin 0 3 11 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 4 Unknown Accipiter 1 8 10 Unknown Buteo 0 3 16 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 2 9 Total: 118 2624 8478 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: John Black Observers: Barry Cherriere, Dan Salisbury, Denys Gardiner Visitors: Colin Burns Weather: A slight to moderate wind all day from the north west. Cloud cover increased from 15% to 85% over the first 6 hours and was 100% by the end of the observing period. At 1330 hours there was rain to our east which lasted about 30 minutes. In the period from 1400 to 1500 hours there was intermittent drizzle mixed with a little snow or sleet.Drizzle in the last 5 minutes of the count period. Raptor Observations: 5 Northern Harriers (3 adult males and 2 adults females) were observed. 1 Adult Bald Eagle was observed. Non-raptor Observations: Eastern Phoebe(1), Field Sparrow(1), Great Blue Heron (1), Double-crested Cormorant (15),White-throated Sparrow (1). Predictions: With the onset of the rain there were almost no additional raptors observed. Tomorrow, weather permitting, those raptors held up by the rain may appear in the early morning hours. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Black () 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