Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 19 266 8284
Osprey 0 5 31
Bald Eagle 0 19 100
Northern Harrier 0 19 67
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 92 988
Cooper's Hawk 0 23 161
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 413
Broad-winged Hawk 1 191 1513
Red-tailed Hawk 1 71 1156
Rough-legged Hawk 0 1 23
Golden Eagle 0 1 12
American Kestrel 0 2 37
Merlin 0 0 23
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 6
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 7
Unknown Buteo 2 6 35
Unknown Falcon 0 1 3
Unknown Eagle 0 0 2
Unknown Raptor 0 0 12
Short-eared Owl 0 0 1
Observation start time: 07:15:00
Observation end time: 12:00:00
Total observation time: 4.75 hours
Official Counter: Katherine Stoltz
Observers:
Visitors:
Craig from Hamilton
Weather:
It was a hot and sunny day with a few cirrus and cumulus clouds which never
crossed the sun's path. Light winds starting from the southwest and
switching to northwest. Good visibility
Raptor Observations:
Very few migratory raptors. Even the local TV's were flying high. Local
CH and RT. As there were no birds counted in the last 1.5 hours, I shut it
down at 12 EST when the risk of sunburn and heatstroke outweighted the
probability of more raptors. The early flight path was north of the tower,
but later birds flew beyond limit of naked eye to the far south
Non-raptor Observations:
Lots of passerines to make up for the dearth of raptors. FOY Black-billed
Cuckoo, and Least Flycatcher. Also Ovenbird, Tennessee, Common
Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager, Bobolink, Pine Siskin, -breasted Grosbeak,
Red-eyed Vireo, Great Crested Flycatcher
Predictions:
see you next year
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Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz (kstoltz5@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.