Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 07, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 0 Turkey Vulture 4 19 27 Osprey 0 0 0 Bald Eagle 1 4 4 Northern Harrier 3 3 4 Sharp-shinned Hawk 0 1 1 Cooper's Hawk 0 4 4 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 0 Broad-winged Hawk 0 0 0 Red-tailed Hawk 0 10 10 Rough-legged Hawk 1 1 1 Golden Eagle 0 0 0 American Kestrel 1 1 1 Merlin 0 1 1 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 0 Unknown Buteo 0 0 0 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 0 0 Total: 10 44 53 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 12:30:00 Total observation time: 4.5 hours Official Counter: Phil Waggett Observers: Gianpiero Tondina, Joedy Groulx Visitors: Gianpiero Todina and Joedy Groulx helped with the spotting today. Also visiting was Eric O'Connor from Vineland and Marco. Weather: A warm blustery day. Temperature rising to 12 degrees C with strong southwest winds gusting to 50 km/hr. A mix of sun and cloud in the morning, becoming overcast after 11 am with rain beginning near 12:30. Raptor Observations: Only a few migrants today but good variety for early March. Three northern harriers, two of which were "gray ghosts". A really nice light form rough-legged hawk was the other highlight. Four migrating turkey vultures were also noted. Local raptor activity included a fly-by from the local merlin, displaying coops were very active, and four red-tails were active around the park today. Non-raptor Observations: Very active with many robins, grackles, and red-winged blackbirds. Several groups of canada geese flew by. Highlights included a killdeer, two male eastern bluebirds, and a common raven. A pair of wood ducks flew around the park on several occasions. Predictions: The winds from the south west will remain strong--never a good development for a hawk flight at Beamer. On a positive note, Presqu'ile on the south east shore of Lake Erie had a strong flight of turkey vultures and the counts from Braddocks and Derby Hill indicate that birds are "in the pipeline". ======================================================================== 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!!!