Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 20, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 110 570 570 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 17 17 Northern Harrier 2 4 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 6 6 Cooper's Hawk 2 5 5 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 4 7 7 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 13 88 88 Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 1 1 American Kestrel 0 0 0 Merlin 0 0 0 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 1 2 2 Unknown Buteo 0 2 2 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 133 704 704 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Lyn Hanna-Folkes Observers: Bouwe Bergsma, Brian Roberts, John Hogeveen Visitors: Wendy Robins & Tammy Bevridge, birders from Welland who were at Beamer for the first time. Marco, photographer from Smithville. Dianna from Fergus with Barry Cherriere. Nicole and young Bishop from Grimsby. A steady trickle of dog walkers and hikers enjoyed the sunshine. Weather: High SW winds but mainly sunny and clear with no precipitation. Fairly steady brisk wind all day, 26 to 41 km/hr with gusts reaching 54 km/hr in late afternoon. Although the temperature slowly climbed from -1C to 6C, cold winds kept it feeling like below zero most of the day. Humidity was close to 60% at the start and end of the count but dipped to 44% in the early afternoon. Raptor Observations: Fairly steady flight dominated by Turkey Vultures, and then Red-tailed Hawks. A single Red-shouldered Hawk migrated each hour between 11 am and 3 pm. Female and male Northern Harriers were seen well plus a few Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawks. A few local Red-tailed Hawks and Turkey Vultures hunted along the ravine. Two Bald Eagles (adult and 3rd-yr) were not counted because they flew east or south, just above the trees. Many birds struggled to migrate against the strong winds. Non-raptor Observations: On my drive in, half a dozen Wild Turkeys were seen in a field not far from Beamer CA. A singing Killdeer and purring Carolina Wren were heard at the start. Two separate Common Ravens flew by, one chased by crows, and a Double-crested Cormorant flew south over the escarpment at 3:40 pm. Predictions: With more raptors coming through the US sites and better weather tomorrow (warmer and calmer) it should be better than today. ======================================================================== 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. Only the counter and designated spotters can drive into and park in the conservation area; there is a parking lot outside for visitors. 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 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. 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. 2) Vehicular traffic into the park is allowed, but visitors are asked to have their cars outside the gate by 3PM. If parking at the gate DO NOT LEAVE VALUABLES IN YOUR VEHICLE!!!