Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 11, 2009 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 1 6 6 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 5 6 6 Northern Harrier 0 3 3 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 4 4 Cooper's Hawk 1 6 6 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 3 99 99 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 0 0 0 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 4 4 Total: 10 133 133 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Sandra Horvath Observers: Barry Cherriere, Frank Horvath, Ian Smith Weather: Strong winds with stronger gusts from the West and major cloud cover for most of the day...partly sunny in the afternoon. Raptor Observations: The strong winds made for a slow day raptor wise with the exception of Eagles. Juvenile Bald Eagles sighted at 10:10 and 10:15; a 2nd year Bald Eagle at 1:25; mature Bald Eagles at 1:40 and 3:20. Ian Smith, Barry Chereier and Frank Horvath assisted with the count. Non-raptor Observations: Contrary to weather predictions, a nice though very windy day at Beamers produced lots of sun and 5 Bald Eagles. An unidentified swallow was most likely a Tree Swallow. Five Wild Turkeys roamed the adjacent field and woods to the south. A total of 9 Killdeer flew past during the day along with a multitude of Robins. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Sandra Horvath () Beamer Conservation Area, Grimsby, ON information may be found at: http://www.hwcn.org/link/niaghawk/ Site Description: The hawk migration at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). The counting is all 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 the cold days of 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 publically 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 the day’s observations 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 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. © 2008 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch