Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 03, 2023 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 110 486 4052 Osprey 1 4 5 Bald Eagle 1 3 53 Northern Harrier 1 3 18 Sharp-shinned Hawk 28 56 104 Cooper's Hawk 7 14 48 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 13 334 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 8 103 678 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 6 Golden Eagle 0 0 5 American Kestrel 3 5 14 Merlin 1 1 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Accipiter 1 1 4 Unknown Buteo 0 3 15 Unknown Falcon 1 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 5 10 Total: 163 699 5354 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 15:30:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: John Stevens Observers: Bouwe Bergsma, Dave Sked, Deena Errampalli, Gianpiero Tondina, John Niewiadomski, Sandra Davey, Stuart Laughton, Tim Foran Visitors: A few people visited, whose names I didn't note, but for much of the time, there was a group of spotters helping on the tower, some of whom I hadn't seen in several years. A serious discussion arose on the formation of a separate group to be known as the orthodox hawkwatchers or possibly the orthohawkers. This involved aspects such as how to differentiate from a regular hawkwatcher, what were the conditions of inclusion, who the martyrs were, what the crest would include and what the anthem would be. To be continued. Weather: No precipitation. Very windy from the south until about the fifth hour when the wind subsided markedly. Partially cloudy until the last hour when the cover increased and the temperature that had risen to a comfortable mid-teens began to drop. Raptor Observations: TVs seemed to go round and round in the high winds, almost as though they were just playing in the breeze. Tough on the counter. Local CH seen displaying once and flying about a couple of times. Flight line was mostly south of the tower despite the winds from that direction. The only Red-shouldered was low and right over the tower to provide a satisfying end. Non-raptor Observations: A pair of Sandhill Cranes, a pair of Wood Ducks, and lots of Robins but not much else of great interest. Predictions: We are in prime migration time but the weather forecast for Tuesday is overcast and cooler than today. It might be tough to exceed 100 birds but then I thought it would be today as well, so don't go by me. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Stevens (jrstevens@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. 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!!!