Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 22, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 40 2840 6306 Osprey 0 22 27 Bald Eagle 1 25 71 Northern Harrier 1 17 28 Sharp-shinned Hawk 41 442 562 Cooper's Hawk 6 39 90 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 15 230 Broad-winged Hawk 86 1171 1171 Red-tailed Hawk 10 277 682 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 9 Golden Eagle 0 0 3 American Kestrel 1 17 20 Merlin 1 6 8 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Accipitrine 2 9 11 Unknown Buteo 1 7 19 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 2 2 Unknown Raptor 0 2 4 Total: 192 4895 9248 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Catherine Manschot Observers: Carol Teed, Dave Sked, Owen Griffiths, Rick Naves Visitors: There weren't many visitors in the park but we did have some dedicated hawkwatchers on the tower, so that was great! A big thank you to Carol Teed, Rick Naves, Dave Sked and Owen Griffiths for helping with spotting birds. Weather: It was a beautiful day to be on the tower with some cloud cover over the course of warm and sunny day.The winds were not the greatest, coming mostly from the west. However, the hourly numbers and the diversity (10 species) were enough to keep us captivated. Raptor Observations: We had 192 individuals with 86 Broad-winged Hawks crossing at various places including over the escarpment and to the south over the farm and beyond. A scope was handy for some that could only be detected by scanning with binoculars.We did witness a Sharp-shinned Hawk nab some prey in flight just north of the tower. It was clearly on migration but suddenly diverted its to fuel up. The local pairs of Cooper's Hawks and Red-tailed Hawks were also seen with the Red-tails hovering and kiting to find a meal in different places near the farm for several hours in the afternoon. Non-raptor Observations: There was not a ton of songbird diversity to report but there was an abundance of White-throated Sparrows in the tangles along the woods and a couple of Ruby-crowned Kinglets made a furtive appearance. There was also a total of five Sandhill Cranes in flight, always lovely to hear and see. Predictions: The forecast is for light winds coming from the NW so not the best for migration but I can imagine the flight will be similar tomorrow nonetheless. ======================================================================== 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!!!