Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 23, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 43 2290 6585 Osprey 1 29 34 Bald Eagle 0 30 71 Northern Harrier 4 32 41 Sharp-shinned Hawk 12 718 818 Cooper's Hawk 5 47 117 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 10 357 Broad-winged Hawk 278 2205 2205 Red-tailed Hawk 11 214 484 Rough-legged Hawk 0 3 7 Golden Eagle 0 5 7 American Kestrel 1 30 39 Merlin 0 2 5 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 5 Unknown Accipitrine 0 4 10 Unknown Buteo 0 4 25 Unknown Falcon 0 1 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 2 18 33 Total: 357 5645 10845 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 8 hours Official Counter: Sandy Darling Observers: Chris Street, Dave Sked, David Thomas, George Uimenon, Gianpiero Tondina Visitors: About ten, most of whom are recorded as observers. Weather: pleasant temperatures with biting wind from NNE. Raptor Observations: 278 Broad-wings recorded, but reports on Discord indicated that there were "thousands" of broad-wings south of us. Over 300 migrants came in two periods: 8:00 - 9:00, and 11:00 - 1:05 EST. An adult and 2nd year Bald Eagle came together from the east and returned, and so were not counted. Many birds were distant so spotters, and observers did a great job in finding and counting them. Non-raptor Observations: We were greeted by 20 White-throated Sparrows when we arrived. Most birds have been seen before, but 3 Great Blue Herons, Purple Martins and a Belted Kingfisher were notable. Predictions: Weather should be good, but low counts at sites south of us and the fall-off in migrants at Beamer in the afternoon suggest that numbers may be small, but many of my predictions have been wrong! ======================================================================== Report submitted by Sandy Darling (darlinga@cogeco.ca) 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!!!