Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 05, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 39 1968 5434 Osprey 2 10 15 Bald Eagle 0 12 58 Northern Harrier 0 5 16 Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 59 179 Cooper's Hawk 1 13 64 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 4 219 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 1 154 559 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 9 Golden Eagle 0 0 3 American Kestrel 0 6 9 Merlin 0 1 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Accipitrine 0 4 6 Unknown Buteo 0 0 12 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 2 Total: 50 2238 6591 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Carol Teed, Phil Waggett Observers: Carol Teed, Joedy Groulx Visitors: A few families were out for a walk in the park. Pooja and Dev from Toronto visited the tower. A big shout out to Joedy Groulx and Carol Teed who held the fort early in the day before the counter arrived at 11:30. Weather: Frequent drizzle to light rain for much of the day; a few hours were relatively dry with just overcast skies for a few hours between 11 am and 1:30 pm. Winds were light and variable, with a westerly component. Temperatures with moderate in the low single digits. Raptor Observations: A few turkey vultures, shins, and 2 ospreys made up the flight today. Local TV's and coops were active. Non-raptor Observations: Only a few migrants were noted--great blue heron, common egret, and a few northern flickers. 3 fox sparrows were seen early in the day. Predictions: Clearing with a mix of sun and cloud should improve the flight but moderate to strong NW winds will not be favourable in the morning. Ripley and Hamburg had only small flights today so there may not be many birds in the pipeline. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Phillip Waggett (philip waggett <philipwaggett@hotmail.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. &copy;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!!!