Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 0
Turkey Vulture 2 19 19
Osprey 0 0 0
Bald Eagle 0 3 3
Northern Harrier 0 0 0
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 1 1
Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0
Northern Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 1
Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0
Red-tailed Hawk 14 17 17
Rough-legged Hawk 1 1 1
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 2 2 2
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 0 0
Observation start time: 09:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 5 hours
Official Counter: Catherine Manschot
Observers: Carol Teed, Gianpiero Tondina
Visitors:
Carol Teed and Gianpiero Tondina were assisting in spotting and identifying
raptors.
Weather:
The morning was pleasant with the wind picking up a bit over the course of
the day. This calm wind came from the southeast which aided raptor, despite
the high cloud cover impeding the develpoment of thermals.
Raptor Observations:
Ths flight consisted of mostly Red-tailed Hawks trickling by hourly. They
were soaring and gaining altitude over the northeast corner from the tower
and then gliding across to the west. There must have been updrafts coming
up the escarpment. The only exception was the Rough-legged that used
powered flight making a direct westerly path along the escarpment, north of
the tower.
Non-raptor Observations:
Significant presence of songbirds singing in the morning which is always
lovely.
Predictions:
With the snowstorm hitting tonight and continuing over the course of
tomorrow morning, shifting winds, and more snow/rain expected later in the
day, the prospects of a good flight for tomorrow is unlikely.
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Report submitted by Catherine Manschot (hitthetrail.manschot@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.