Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 133 2656 2664 Osprey 0 1 1 Bald Eagle 3 38 38 Northern Harrier 0 7 8 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 38 38 Cooper's Hawk 0 42 42 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 340 340 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 4 235 235 Rough-legged Hawk 0 4 4 Golden Eagle 0 2 2 American Kestrel 0 8 8 Merlin 0 3 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 2 Unknown Accipitrine 0 4 4 Unknown Buteo 0 12 12 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 9 9 Total: 140 3401 3410 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Philip Waggett Observers: Visitors: Mike Stel and his children--Yelena, Russell, and Geneva visited the tower; Yelena, in Grade 3, insisted on acting as my secretary for an hour!!!!! Marco and Chris (from Hamilton) also helped for a couple of hours spotting birds. Weather: Cold northwest wind at 17 km/hr with cloudy conditions and occasional sun. Temperature hovered near 0 celsius, reaching a high of 2. Occasional light flurries, particularly to the north of the hawkwatch. Raptor Observations: Totally dominated by the vulture flight. Four bald eagles noted, with one eastbound early in the morning; one (yr 2), one (year 4) and an adult were observed flying west. No accipiters and only 4 redtails were observed migrating. Local activity was restricted to the turkey vultures only. Non-raptor Observations: I started the day with 3 pine siskins near the sign bord. Also noted was a robin showing large areas of leucism. Many song sparrows in the park. Other interesting birds included a GC Kinglet, eastern phoebe (late day appearance) and a solitary great blue heron. A single raven was also noted over the escarpment. Predictions: Strong south west winds will bring warmer temperatures but the direction is not favourable for this hawkwatch. I think there are still birds in the pipeline so we should get a moderate count for the next two days before rain moves in mid-week. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Phillip Waggett (philip waggett <philipwaggett@hotmail.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. &copy;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!!!