Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 26, 2012 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 1 3 5 Turkey Vulture 4 2489 5889 Osprey 0 49 53 Bald Eagle 0 17 52 Northern Harrier 0 52 74 Sharp-shinned Hawk 8 964 1297 Cooper's Hawk 1 69 130 Northern Goshawk 0 2 4 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 24 591 Broad-winged Hawk 21 1266 1266 Red-tailed Hawk 0 561 1913 Rough-legged Hawk 0 10 34 Golden Eagle 0 7 11 American Kestrel 0 36 52 Merlin 1 7 15 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: 36 5585 11439 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 09:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 5 hours Official Counter: Brian Mishell Observers: Visitors: Bill Klein from Collingwood visited for 30 minutes just time to see the Coopers. Weather: 100% cloud cover all the time.Visibility was a constant 4-5 Km.Wind varied from the south at 9 a.m. went from the west for one hour , when the birds were moving,then went to the north. Light winds . The rain started at 12.45 p.m. and continued to 2 p.m. when I packed it in. Raptor Observations: All the birds went through quite high in 30 minutes from 10.15 until 10.45 except for the lone Coopers which whistled through very high at 11.35 a.m and the Black vulture and the Merlin which were only just over tree high so I had a good look. Non-raptor Observations: Plenty of migration taking place over the lake all morning.50 cedar waxwings were in the trees above the the flag pole for 5 minutes.Dueling songs took place between the N. Cardinal and the B. Thrasher for the first hour. Predictions: The strong winds in the forecast do not bode well, but it gets better over the weekend. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Brian Mishell () 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