Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada 50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024 Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 16, 2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 80 4296 7799 Osprey 1 14 14 Bald Eagle 3 35 98 Northern Harrier 2 23 48 Sharp-shinned Hawk 19 386 448 Cooper's Hawk 19 88 154 American Goshawk 0 0 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 22 241 Broad-winged Hawk 277 393 393 Red-tailed Hawk 19 209 789 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 4 Golden Eagle 0 1 10 American Kestrel 1 23 30 Merlin 0 3 10 Peregrine Falcon 0 3 4 Unknown Accipiter 0 2 6 Unknown Buteo 2 12 24 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 1 9 Unknown Raptor 6 23 46 Total: 429 5536 10130 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Catherine Manschot Observers: Bill Garbe, Carol Teed, Debbie Garbe, Deena Errampalli, Gianpiero Tondina, Larry Bright, Phil Vriend, Tim Foran Visitors: Visitors on the tower today were all excellent spotters with raptor id skills. A bonus for me! Thanks very much for your help Gianpeiro Tondina (official spotter), Larry Bright, Debbie and Bill Garbe, Carol Teed, Phil Vriend, Tim Foran, and Deena Errampelli. A great team over the course of the day! Weather: A beautiful day to be on the tower but not the greatest weather conditions for a raptor flight. Winds, albeit light, were coming mainly from the NE. We did have some cloud cover as the day wore on which made identification less dazzling. Raptor Observations: We had some kettling Broad-winged Hawks which was fun. The peak occured from 12 to 1 pm (172 over the hour). We had a bit of diversity as well with 1 American Kestrel, 1 Osprey, 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, and a decent number of Red-tailed Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks. The flight was challenging as it occurred in three distinctly different spots. Some were very far off to the south over the farmhouse where a scope was needed, with the lion's share seen with the unaided eye to the north or approaching directly from the East. Non-raptor Observations: We had lots of passerine species including Slate-coloured Junco, Eastern Pheobe, Tree Swallows, both Kinglet species, Song and Field Sparrows, many Northern Flickers, as well as other more common species. The prize winner was a Pileated Woodpecker that flew right beside the tower at eye level! Predictions: Tomorrow's forecast calling for good winds coming fron the SE with light rain throughout the day. It could be a decent day even with the light rain on account of the winds. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Catherine Manschot (hitthetrail.manschot@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!!!