Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada 50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024 Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 20, 2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 49 4374 7877 Osprey 1 17 17 Bald Eagle 2 37 100 Northern Harrier 0 25 50 Sharp-shinned Hawk 15 436 498 Cooper's Hawk 0 98 164 American Goshawk 1 1 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 22 241 Broad-winged Hawk 13 467 467 Red-tailed Hawk 1 218 798 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 4 Golden Eagle 0 1 10 American Kestrel 0 24 31 Merlin 0 3 10 Peregrine Falcon 0 3 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 2 6 Unknown Buteo 0 14 26 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 1 9 Unknown Raptor 0 23 46 Total: 82 5768 10362 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Markus Legzdins Observers: Phil Waggett Visitors: Many visitors assisted me in todays count. I'd like to thank everyone who came out and made today special as we celebrated the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch on their 50th year of counting migrating spring raptors here at Beamer. Phil Waggett, George Preiksaitis, Chris Escott, Murray Shields, Cathie Ferguson, Debbie Wright, Marc Decarolis, Sarah Stover, Tim Foran, Matt Mills, Simon Carter, Ina Legzdins, Bob Curry, Glenda Slessor, Deena Errampalli, Lyn Hanna-Folkes, and last but not certainly not least, our keynote speaker Brian Wargo and his family from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania on behalf of HMANA to see just how awesome Beamer really is. Weather: A chilly, breezy day up on the tower. A dense cloud cover rolled in during the second hour and conditions remained constant throughout the day. The occasional break in the clouds allowed the sun to shine through, warming us up. Something unexpected was the light snow flurries just before noon. Winds were out of the west and the temperature remained about 7 C. Raptor Observations: During the first hour while we still had a mix of cloud and blue skies, there was a slow but steady trickle of raptors right over the tower. As the day progressed, cloud cover increased, and a decrease in the raptor flight was noted. Occasional breaks in the clouds were followed by a movement of Sharp-shinned and Broad-winged Hawks. All the hawks counted today came over the tower individually and no kettles were observed. The height at which raptors were migrating was consistently just above the tree line making for great views and easy counting. Today we may have not have had the highest number of raptors but we did have a fantastic bird of the day that was enjoyed by many - a juvenile American Goshawk! This beast of an accipiter flew by at 1:30 EST making an appearance just north of the tower. Couldn't ask for a better bird on such a special day for the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch celebrating their 50th year anniversary. While on the topic of 50, the 50th raptor observed today was a second year Bald Eagle (49th was an adult). Non-raptor Observations: 34 non-raptor species were recorded from the tower. Highlights include a serenade of Ruby-crowned Kinglets singing just about all day, five Common Loons, three Lesser Scaup, three Purple Martins, four Pine Siskins, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Northern Flickers actively migrating, and a singing Field Sparrow. Predictions: Could be another similar day, number wise, but looking like less cloud cover which could be helpful. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Markus Legzdins (markuslegzdins@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. 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!!!