Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 01, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 212 212 4507 Osprey 0 0 5 Bald Eagle 1 1 42 Northern Harrier 0 0 9 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 0 100 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 70 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 2 2 349 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 5 5 275 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 4 Golden Eagle 0 0 2 American Kestrel 0 0 9 Merlin 0 0 3 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 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: 220 220 5420 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.75 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Visitors: Larry from Niagara on the Lake helped with the count from mid-morning until noon, Randy from Hamilton stopped by for an hour and a half in the afternoon, and Tim from Bancroft popped in for 15 minutes later in the afternoon. Weather: A chilly day to be up on the tower. Temperatures hovered around +5 Celsius all day with a brisk north to northeast breeze. No precipitation, but solid grey cloud all day prevented the sun from breaking through. Raptor Observations: About half the day's total of Turkey Vulture lifted off from nearby woods in the 30 minutes before the start of the official count, and after that a weak trickle of birds continued throughout the day. An adult Bald Eagle went through at 8:30 AM and, shortly after noon another went by headed west but returned later going east, so was not counted. Very low numbers of Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks and no other migrants. Local raptors included Turkey Vultures flying back and fort all day, and the male Cooper's Hawk made several appearances. Non-raptor Observations: Highlights of the day were 4 Fox Sparrow, 2 Eastern Towhee, and an Eastern Phoebe, all singing at one time or other. Predictions: Cold and wet, so probably a light day. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chris Escott (chris@escott.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!!!