Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada 50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024 Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 25, 2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 2 Turkey Vulture 12 4596 8099 Osprey 0 20 20 Bald Eagle 1 50 113 Northern Harrier 0 28 53 Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 590 652 Cooper's Hawk 2 110 176 American Goshawk 0 1 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 22 241 Broad-winged Hawk 145 1126 1126 Red-tailed Hawk 16 247 827 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 4 Golden Eagle 0 1 10 American Kestrel 1 28 35 Merlin 0 5 12 Peregrine Falcon 0 3 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 3 7 Unknown Buteo 0 18 30 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 1 9 Unknown Raptor 0 32 55 Total: 184 6884 11478 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Phil Waggett Visitors: Many thanks to Phil Waggett for helping spot birds in the stratosphere. Marco and his son Dylan assisted as well. Adrian from St. Catharines stopped by for a couple of hours, and Ramin from Guelph helped out for an hour. Others visiting the tower included four Japanese=Canadians from Oakville, and a young couple visiting Beamer to photograph themselves in the lovely sunshine Weather: Clear blue sky all day, frosty morning to start but warming a little through the day, with a moderate to gusting NE wind that produced rather chilly conditions throughout the count. Raptor Observations: A decent count for the day given little evidence of birds in the pipeline yesterday, although very limited numbers of all species seen with the exception of Broad-wings. Winds were good, and skies were clear, but the peak flight occurred in the two hours from 11-to-1 (all times Standard), and very few birds after that despite migration-worthy conditions. Non-raptor Observations: Nothing unusual except for a half dozen Cliff Swallows to the south and a fly-over Purple Finch. Bird seed put out attracted almost nothing other than squirrels! Predictions: Once again, the nearest counts south of Beamer did not record very many birds, so the pipeline may once again be just a trickle. Clear blue sky and moderate NE winds are forecast, same as today. These signs all suggest a count similar to this date, i.e. a moderate flight but very difficult viewing conditions (high altitude birds against a clear blue sky). ======================================================================== 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. 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!!!