Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
Black Vulture 0 0 1
Turkey Vulture 3 229 6885
Osprey 1 5 34
Bald Eagle 0 12 93
Northern Harrier 0 5 38
Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 72 856
Cooper's Hawk 0 19 126
American Goshawk 0 1 2
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 232
Broad-winged Hawk 0 19 1986
Red-tailed Hawk 0 32 745
Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 9
Golden Eagle 0 0 4
American Kestrel 0 3 26
Merlin 0 0 9
Peregrine Falcon 0 0 5
Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 13
Unknown Buteo 0 0 21
Unknown Falcon 0 0 0
Unknown Eagle 0 0 2
Unknown Raptor 0 1 6
Swainson's Hawk 0 1 1
Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 11:00:00
Total observation time: 4 hours
Official Counter: John Blanchard, Katherine Stoltz
Observers: Katherine Stoltz
Visitors:
Several hikers in the park but no visitors to the tower.
Weather:
Full cloud cover at start of count, very light winds.
Raptor Observations:
A few birds in the air today, the local turkey vultures and coopers hawks
were seen regularly. One osprey was seen flying directly east along the
escarpment and was included in the count.
Non-raptor Observations:
The male indigo bunting continued in the flowering trees by the bench, and
several great blue herons passed overhead.
Predictions:
This was the last day of the count for 2025.
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Report submitted by John Blanchard (John.Blanchard@treehousefoods.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. ©2020 Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch.