Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 04, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 190 1032 5327 Osprey 2 12 17 Bald Eagle 0 3 44 Northern Harrier 0 6 15 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 60 160 Cooper's Hawk 1 4 74 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 2 349 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 28 43 313 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 4 Golden Eagle 1 2 4 American Kestrel 0 4 13 Merlin 0 0 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 1 4 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 6 Unknown Buteo 0 0 21 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 15 Total: 225 1169 6369 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 15:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Philip Waggett Observers: Visitors: Relatively few visitors to the park today. No birders/hawkwatchers showed up on the tower. Weather: Overcast for most of the day, changing to a mix of cloud and sun in the last two hours. Rain for a half-hour beginning at 10 am. Cold, temperature ranged from 3 to 5 degrees, but feeling much colder with a biting north-east wind at 18 km/hr gusting to 38 km/hr. Raptor Observations: Primarily a vulture flight, primarily in the first two hours of the hawkwatch. Local TV's were very active in interacting with the migrants. Most of the flight was relatively low along the escarpment, red-tails with 29 were relatively high with strong tail wind. The bird of the day was a subadult golden eagle at 9:20. Local coops also actively displayed. The flight effectively ended with zero birds after 1:30, Non-raptor Observations: Very little migratory activity with only a single common loon being noteworthy. Also present was the continuing fox sparrow, at least 8 song sparrows and a white-throated sparrow. A common raven flew over the tower. Predictions: Few birds reported from Ripley NY, combined with the dramatic fall-off in today's flight, I suspect the pipeline is relatively empty. After a period of rain overnight, a reprieve is expected tomorrow morning before rain redevelops. I suspect a very light flight. ======================================================================== 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!!!