Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 1 1
Turkey Vulture 38 427 427
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 2 18 18
Northern Harrier 0 2 2
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 7 7
Cooper's Hawk 11 17 17
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 20 33 33
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 24 182 182
Rough-legged Hawk 0 5 5
Golden Eagle 1 2 2
American Kestrel 3 6 6
Merlin 1 3 3
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 0
Unknown Buteo 2 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: Catherine Manschot
Observers: Katherine Stoltz
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:
The day began as warm and sunny with a nice SW wind. The count increased
each hour and peaked between 11 am and 1 pm. As the afternoon progressed,
the winds picked up and began to shift to the west. The day began with blue
skies with only minimal cloud cover forming in the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
There was at least one migrating COHA each hour between 8 am and 2 pm and a
significant turn out of RSHA peaking at 10 between 12 and 1 pm. Between 1
and 9 RTHA's passed through hourly between 8 am and 2 pm. We had 2 SA
Eagles between 11 and 12, and one SA Golden Eagle at 3:40 pm. We also had a
few AMKE and 1 Merlin over the course of the day.
Non-raptor Observations:
The morning included flyovers of 90 Canada Geese, 7 European Starlings, 36
Red-winged Blackbirds, 9 American Robins, 3 Common Grackles, a Killdeer, 7
duck sp. and 35 American Crows. Things slowed down in the afternoon as the
winds picked up. There were also American Crows, a Downy Woodpecker, a
Northern Cardinal, and a couple of Blue Jays present on site.
---======
Report submitted by Catherine Manschot (dboyd9@cogeeco.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.