Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 29, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 506 3162 3170 Osprey 0 1 1 Bald Eagle 2 40 40 Northern Harrier 0 7 8 Sharp-shinned Hawk 7 45 45 Cooper's Hawk 8 50 50 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 3 343 343 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 12 247 247 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 1 9 9 Merlin 0 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Accipitrine 0 4 4 Unknown Buteo 4 16 16 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 9 9 Total: 543 3944 3953 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Sarah Stover Observers: Catherine Manschot, Gianpiero Tondina Visitors: Thanks to the many visitors that helped with spotting today, especially at times when there were multiple flight paths and the many kettles late in the day: Mike McInnis from Toronto, Gina Turone from St. Catharines, Lisa from Waterloo with her niece Ellen from Guelph, Marcie Jacklin from Fort Erie, Randy McLelland from the Hamilton-Burlington Bird Friendly Group, David and Elaine MacLachlin from Barrie. Hawkwatch volunteers Gianpiero Tondina and Catherine Manschot brought much welcome assistance with spotting during their visits. The park was busy with many groups of hikers and dogwalkers. A few families visited the tower for the view and to hear more about the Hawkwatch. Weather: Cooler temps most the day in range of 3 to 9 degrees Celsius with strong wind gusts up to 40km/hr at times making it feel much cooler. Breaks of sun in the morning and late afternoon but mostly overcast throughout the day. Raptor Observations: A good variety of species today with seven total. Shifting flight paths throughout the day with mid-day flight volume heaviest at ~0.5-1 km past the house; with shift in last few hours of count seeing large volumes of TVs in kettles of 20-40 on the lake side ~1 km out from the Escarpment. Two Bald Eagles spotted today: First a 2nd year spotted at 12:20 p.m.; the second a 1st year spotted close to 4pm - this one joined in a large kettle of TVs a few kms off the escarpment. Non-raptor Observations: Many Robins, Blue Jays and American Crows active throughout the day with a few Juncos also spotted. Canadian Geese, ducks seen flying over at a distance. A Red-bellied Woodpecker was vocal late morning and again in the afternoon. Flyovers included a Common Raven and a Pileated Woodpecker. Predictions: Monday calls for similar SSW winds to today but with warmer temperatures climbing to 14 degrees Celsius by the afternoon - this could make for a similar flight if not better. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Sarah Stover (stoversaraha@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!!!