Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada 50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024 Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 26, 2024 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 9 2258 2268 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 0 51 51 Northern Harrier 0 20 21 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 16 17 Cooper's Hawk 1 52 52 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 1 165 165 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 414 425 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 2 Golden Eagle 0 8 8 American Kestrel 0 6 6 Merlin 0 5 5 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Accipiter 0 1 1 Unknown Buteo 0 7 7 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 4 4 Unknown Raptor 0 11 11 Total: 11 3022 3045 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 09:45:00 Total observation time: 2.58 hours Official Counter: Lyn Hanna-Folkes Observers: Gianpiero Tondina Visitors: A few walkers on the trails. Very young Ashston, sister Isla and their mother are local residents who visited the tower and asked many questions. Ashton saw a dozen Turkey Vultures in a tree at their home yesterday -- future Hawk Watchers?! Weather: A gray cold windy rainy day, not conducive to migration. Rain began at 9:50 which was steady and heavy enough to end the count. Continuing showers and increasing gusts were predicted for the remainder of the day. Temperatures sounded nice (4C-9C) but consistent gusty wind kept it feeling colder. Cloud cover remained complete with a steady decline in brightness and height to reduce visibility throughout the count. Rain clouds and dark skies could be seen to the south and west all morning. Raptor Observations: Count began at 7:15 in anticipation of the thousands of raptors that crossed the border yesterday, but migration remained sparse with a total of 11 raptors: 9 Turkey Vultures, 1 Cooper's Hawk and 1 Red-shouldered Hawk. No birds reported in the early hour. The flight petered out in the last hour with increasingly poor weather. A steady rain arrived at 9:50 and with the same showers predicted all afternoon (80% POP), so the count was ended. The flight path was highly variable while flight height remained just over the trees. All raptors struggled in the gusty wind. A local Cooper's Hawk escorted another west -- that was our first migrator at 8:18. Our only buteo today, a Red-shouldered Hawk, was the only bird to gain height as it passed the tower at 9:30, reaching a level of 2-3. This hawk was also tossed about as it struggled to maintain a westward course. Two local Turkey Vultures flew very low around the park. During the count time, Alicia Dobson texted to report a kettle of 30-40 Turkey Vultures at the lakeshore in Grimsby that we could not see (calmer below the escarpment maybe). Around 9:00, an unusually loud group of crows and jays seemed to be harassing something in the evergreens in the SE corner for over 10 minutes - perhaps an owl or hawk? Non-raptor Observations: The usual passerines were around but in lower numbers. Notables: American Woodcock peenting over the field; Common Raven croaked twice; Pileated Woodpecker vocal early on; Pine Siskin and a few Golden-crowned Kinglets flew by the tower. Predictions: Tomorrow is predicted to start with more showers but then it is supposed to dry up and the sun should even show up. So, without today's gusts, and with birds backed up due to the rain, it could be a very good flight. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Lyn Hanna-Folkes (lhfolkes8112@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!!!