Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 2
Turkey Vulture 4 215 8358
Osprey 0 0 23
Bald Eagle 0 8 124
Northern Harrier 0 1 58
Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 119 798
Cooper's Hawk 0 12 190
American Goshawk 0 0 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 1 242
Broad-winged Hawk 1 28 1190
Red-tailed Hawk 2 24 866
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 4
Golden Eagle 0 0 10
American Kestrel 0 2 38
Merlin 0 1 13
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 4
Unknown Accipiter 0 0 9
Unknown Buteo 0 1 32
Unknown Falcon 0 0 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 9
Unknown Raptor 0 4 60
Observation start time: 07:45:00
Observation end time: 11:45:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: Sandy Darling
Observers:
Visitors:
None.
Weather:
Temperature at start in single digits, wind from NE, hazy cloud that soon
burned off. Just before count closed cloud increased to 80% & temperature
in mid-teens.
Raptor Observations:
You know that it's May when the number of warbler species exceeds the
number of raptors migrating. Local TVs were active. Both RT migrants were
young birds.
Non-raptor Observations:
Warblers: Black-throated Blue, Magnolia, Chestnut-sided, Palm, Pine,
Black-throated Green, Tennessee, Yellow-rumped (many), Mourning, Parula,
Redstart, Ovenbird (singing in woods). Hirundae: Barn, Cliff, Tree,
Northern Roughwing Swallows, Purple Martin. Rose-breasted Grosbeak (f.o.y.
for counter and possibly Beamer).
Predictions:
Quiet - it's May and even with a NE wind there are few birds.
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Report submitted by Sandy Darling (darlinga@cogeco.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.