Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 17 17 17
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 2 3 3
Northern Harrier 0 0 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 1 1
Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 1 1 1
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 1 3 3
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 0
Golden Eagle 0 0 0
American Kestrel 0 0 0
Merlin 0 0 0
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 0 0
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official Counter: Sandy Darling
Observers: Gianpiero Tondina, Lyn Hanna-Folkes
Visitors:
Steve Vine
Weather:
Above freezing, wind started north and moved to west, and cloud cover
oscillated during day between 100% to as low as 10%.
Raptor Observations:
All raptors had to power their own way and were low. Three Bald Eagles
provided good examples of aged plumage (1 two-year, 1 four-year and 1
three-year not counted because it was going east). First of season
Red-shouldered Hawk 30 yards north of tower about thirty feet above ground,
gave a great view under-lit by snow. Gianpiero Tondina and Lyn Hanna-Folkes
were a great help.
Non-raptor Observations:
Highlight was a high Sandhill Crane. Other birds were common.
Predictions:
Count will not be high with storm coming in.
---======
Report submitted by Sandy Darling (darlinga@cogeco.ca)
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at:
http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/
More site information at hawkcount.org: https://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=389
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: 1) Data in this report is not official until reviewed and finalized after the end of the season. ©2020 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch.