Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 1 1
Turkey Vulture 28 501 501
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 2 28 28
Northern Harrier 0 2 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 7 7
Cooper's Hawk 0 21 21
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 6 74 74
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 14 231 231
Rough-legged Hawk 0 5 5
Golden Eagle 0 4 4
American Kestrel 0 8 8
Merlin 0 3 3
Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 0 2 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Lyn Hanna-Folkes
Observers: Keith Park
Visitors:
In order to comply with COVID safety provisions we remind you that the size
of gatherings is restricted and so we do not encourage visitors. Access to
the tower is restricted to the official counter and one assigned spotter,
whose names have been provided in advance to the appropriate authorities.
Please cooperate by keeping yourself and others safe.
Weather:
A cold morning with gusty North wind and blue sky. In the afternoon, wind
changed from the NE and calmed gradually.
Both temperature (-7C at 8 am to -2C at 4 pm) and cloud cover (0% at 8 am
to 45% at 4 pm) increased very slowly from start to finish. We had
excellent visibility all day with no precipitation.
Raptor Observations:
A slow spotty migration mainly along the escarpment edge, 50 migrating
raptors for the day with 74% after 12:00 pm. Height of migration varied
from 1 during the first hour to 3 in the last half of the afternoon as
winds calmed considerably. Two adult Bald Eagles migrated at 11:50 am and
2:28 pm. Red-shouldered Hawks started showing up high in the sky after 12
pm with a kettle of 4 very orange birds appearing before 2 pm. Local
raptors included Red-tailed Hawks (one pair in a mating display flight at
11 am and one immature hunting rabbits in the field south of the tower), a
pair of Cooper's Hawks, a pair of Bald Eagles flying low to the east at
2:43 pm, and several Turkey Vultures. Two separate Red-shouldered Hawks
flew up the ravine and then southeast, as some Turkey Vultures did
throughout the day as well.
Non-raptor Observations:
My FOY Red-bellied Woodpecker was heard throughout the day. A pair of
Common Ravens entertained us a few times in the afternoon. Carolina Wren
and Northern Flicker heard. Continuing flock of over a dozen Cedar Waxwings
visited twice. One mallard flyover. Other common birds hung around the
tower.
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Report submitted by Lyn Hanna-Folkes (lhfolkes8112@gmail.com)
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.