Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 26, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 6 2317 6612 Osprey 3 32 37 Bald Eagle 1 35 76 Northern Harrier 1 33 42 Sharp-shinned Hawk 22 747 847 Cooper's Hawk 5 52 122 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 10 357 Broad-winged Hawk 86 2322 2322 Red-tailed Hawk 2 224 494 Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 7 Golden Eagle 0 5 7 American Kestrel 1 31 40 Merlin 0 2 5 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 5 Unknown Accipitrine 2 6 12 Unknown Buteo 0 6 27 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 18 33 Total: 129 5847 11047 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: John Hannah Observers: Harim Oh, Marco D, Michelle Davis, Mike Davis Visitors: Observers today were Harim Oh from Hillfield Strathallan College (Harim has been birding for a couple of weeks now, and was able to confidently and accurately identify ALL birds in view. His life list is now 59!). Special thanks to Marco D., Mike Davis, and Michelle for helping spot hawks. More than 100 visitors enjoyed the afternoon in the park. A couple of dozen climbed the tower, including Shawn and Cheryl Addison from Hamilton, Mariana and Alex from Welland, Tony Dobson, Joe Caruso and Josie from Welland, Sangjoon and Emily Oh, as well as a group from the Niagara Escarpment Biosphere Network: Charlene Winger Jones from Chippewas of Nawash, Victoria Serda from Wiarton, Hasmita Patel and Kerry Kennedy. Fantastic connections and stories were shared among all the amazing observers and visitors today. It was a privilege to meet you all. Weather: Heavy fog until noon, then partly cloudy with temperatures in the upper single digits. There was a light breeze all day from NE, shifting to SE and then E for the last hour. Raptor Observations: An adult male Northern Harrier was the first bird to emerge from the fog. A good flight of Broad-Winged Hawks followed, but did not last. The last two hours of the day were dominated by a few swallow kettles (mostly Tree Swallows) that attracted our attention as potential BW kettles. Non-raptor Observations: One Common Loon flew south of the tower heading west. The Brown Thrasher made its debut, and an Eastern Bluebird was showing off its brilliant plumage to the delight of many photographers. Predictions: I expect a day similar to today, with the potential for more birds given the southerly winds in the forecast. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John hannah (hannahjohn23@gmail.com ) Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://nphawkwatch.ca/ 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!!!