Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 30, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 39 3190 6656 Osprey 1 24 29 Bald Eagle 4 35 81 Northern Harrier 0 22 33 Sharp-shinned Hawk 3 664 784 Cooper's Hawk 1 56 107 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 17 232 Broad-winged Hawk 5 1967 1967 Red-tailed Hawk 6 308 713 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 9 Golden Eagle 0 1 4 American Kestrel 0 20 23 Merlin 0 7 9 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 5 Unknown Accipitrine 0 11 13 Unknown Buteo 0 9 21 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 2 2 Unknown Raptor 0 3 5 Total: 59 6342 10695 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 16:30:00 Total observation time: 9.5 hours Official Counter: Chris Escott Observers: Gianpiero Tondina Visitors: Spotter for the day was Gianpiero and his assistance was invaluable, not to mention the good company. Debbie from Dundas visited the tower for an hour in the early afternoon, as did Mike from London for a brief visit. There were no other visitors to the tower and relatively few dog walkers and hikers in the park. Weather: The day began very cold, barely above freezing, with overcast skies and a light north breeze. By midday, the skies were mostly blue with scattered cumulus cloud, and later on higher cirrus cloud, with the breeze shifting to easterly. Temperatures warmed to about 10° C, but the pleasant afternoon weather did not produce a flight. Raptor Observations: Given the very pleasant conditions all afternoon, the day’s count was very disappointing. Numbers were very low albeit variety was fairly good. All the regular local birds were seen, and turkey vouchers were coming and going all day long making a count of that species rather challenging. A single Osprey and four Bald Eagles were a treat, and the Broadwing flight was limited to five separate individuals shooting through above the trees. Non-raptor Observations: A fairly good variety of non-rappers was seen throughout the day. White-throated sparrows were everywhere. Other species seen included Brown Thrasher, Chipping Sparrow, Purple Martin, Pileated Woodpecker, and a singing Nashville Warbler. Predictions: The weather forecast for tomorrow looks promising with decent northeast winds and cloudy skies. Rain may move in later in the afternoon. However, the day’s counts in upstate New York were rather low, suggesting there may not be a lot of birds showing up at Beamer tomorrow. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Chris Escott (chris@escott.ca) Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/ 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!!!