Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: May 04, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 22 77 6733 Osprey 0 1 30 Bald Eagle 0 1 82 Northern Harrier 2 4 37 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 36 820 Cooper's Hawk 1 8 115 American Goshawk 0 1 2 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 232 Broad-winged Hawk 1 5 1972 Red-tailed Hawk 2 6 719 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 9 Golden Eagle 0 0 4 American Kestrel 1 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 0 5 Total: 33 142 10837 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 08:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 6 hours Official Counter: Deena Errampalli Observers: Visitors: There were a few visitors to the tower. Mostly, families with children wanted a birds-eye view from the top of the tower. Weather: A cloudy, cold, April-like day. The cloud cover was 100%. The temperature ranged from 7°C to - 8°C and with 30 km/hr northeast (NE) wind, it felt like 3°C. The visibility was 14 km. I decided to stop the count at 2 pm when it rained. Raptor Observations: Overall, a low count of raptors. Most of the birds were flying low, and the flight path was to the north over the Escarpment. The majority were Turkey Vultures. Hawk species include Sharp-shinned Hawks, Broad-winged Hawk, Cooper’s Hawks, American Kestrel, a juvenile Red-tailed Hawk, and a Northern Harrier. Non-raptor Observations: Local Turkey Vultures were active a few times. Surprised to see that Dark-eyed Juncos are still around. Four species of woodpeckers were calling. The White-throated Sparrows were singing. Eight Eastern Bluebirds flew in, perched on a tree southwest of the watch tower. Predictions: Migration may be like today, as the northeast wind at 30 km/h is predicted for Monday. Also, very few raptors in the pipeline. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Deena Errampalli (deenaerrampalli@bell.net) 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!!!