Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 659 659 4125 Osprey 1 1 6 Bald Eagle 3 3 49 Northern Harrier 0 0 11 Sharp-shinned Hawk 2 2 122 Cooper's Hawk 4 4 55 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 215 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 35 35 440 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 7 Golden Eagle 0 0 3 American Kestrel 0 0 3 Merlin 1 1 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 2 Unknown Buteo 0 0 12 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 2 Total: 705 705 5058 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Clive Hodder Observers: Dave Sked, Gianpiero Tondina, John Niewiadomski, Susan Fraser, Tim King Visitors: Shannon Hingston (Beamsville), Glenys from Toronto and Barry from near Nanaimo BC, George Uimonen (Cayuga), Tom and Pat Barnes (St Catharines), Peggy Arden and Kurt Hanneman (Toronto), John Niewiadomski (Hamilton) and Pete Koudys (Grimsby). Weather: A cool, sunny day with light northerly winds. Temperatures started at 0C and reached a high of 4C in the afternoon. There was some cloud cover at the start of the count but this quickly dispersed, leaving mostly blue skies for the duration of the count. Raptor Observations: Turkey Vultures dominated the count but Red-tailed Hawks put in a nice showing. A Merlin shot through in Hour 3 and an Osprey flew by in Hour 4. Cooper's Hawks outnumbered Sharp-shinned Hawks again. Bald Eagles - 2 adult and 1 fourth year bird - put in an appearance. The local Cooper's Hawk continued to entertain observers as it displayed around the observation tower. Non-raptor Observations: Very few migrants today but a Northern Flicker, a Red-bellied Woodpecker, a Great Blue Heron and a Common Raven passed by. Predictions: There may be some movement in the morning but if the rain forecast for the afternoon moves in any flight will be curtailed. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Clive Hodder (clive.hodder@sympatico.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!!!