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 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
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
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.
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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.