Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 26, 2014 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 1 2 2 Turkey Vulture 198 826 826 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 1 14 14 Northern Harrier 0 5 5 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 20 20 Cooper's Hawk 1 17 17 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 7 95 95 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 14 279 279 Rough-legged Hawk 0 11 11 Golden Eagle 0 4 4 American Kestrel 0 2 2 Merlin 0 2 2 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 1 1 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 222 1280 1280 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Sandra Horvath Observers: David Weare, Frank Horvath, Gord Kozak Visitors: Gord Kozak, David Weare, Frank Horvath, Greg Vanbervelue, Antti Tuomala,and Ron and sons, Joshua and Elliot Depagter from Welland. The latter two are keen-eyed and already great raptor spotters. Thanks to all who helped with the day's count. Weather: Very cold mostly sunny day with strong gusty winds from the NNW. Windchill -16 but the sun helped to take the bite out of the air. Raptor Observations: Good flight of Turkey Vultures with a few nice shows of Red-shoulder Hawks. Late afternoon gave up a Black Vulture close enough to the tower and in good sunlight for great viewing. One 4th year Bald Eagle flew over the old owl tree at 3:07PM. Non-raptor Observations: One Killdeer flew by and an American Woodcock was viewed from late afternoon till.... It was feeding, probing around and in the grasses and dried leaves in front of the (right) bird feeder. Predictions: Good strong S to SSW winds and temperatures increasing throughout the day, ahead of Thursday's predicted rain around 4 PM, could bring a nice flow of raptors. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Sandra Horvath () 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. © 2014 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch