Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 01, 2021 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 0 0 0 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 1 1 1 Northern Harrier 0 0 0 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 0 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 0 Northern Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 1 1 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 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 3 3 3 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:30:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: 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: Talk about "March comes in like a lion"! It was overcast and just above freezing to start with a brisk west breeze, then snowflakes started falling around 11 AM and an hour later blowing snow squalls started in earnest until around 2 PM when blue sky broke through and a frigid west wind started to roar with great gusts hammering the surrounding woods (and the tower!). Raptor Observations: A pair of Red-Tailed Hawks roe briefly over the quarry in a mating flight, and the local Cooper's Hawks also made an appearance when the male was flushed in the woods by a passing dog and later on the female flew in from the west. Non-raptor Observations: The list of other bird species was quite short, but there were a couple of interesting observations. Three Common Ravens were seen, two singles headed west along the escarpment and the third flying in from the east then turning south and heading inland. Also, a flock of 29 Cedar Waxwings was around most of the afternoon, coming and going to the trees and bushes to the south of the loop road. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chris Escott (chris@escott.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. 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!!!