Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
50TH SPRING MIGRATION COUNT IN 2024
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 16, 2024
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Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 0 1
Turkey Vulture 80 4296 7799
Osprey 1 14 14
Bald Eagle 3 35 98
Northern Harrier 2 23 48
Sharp-shinned Hawk 19 386 448
Cooper's Hawk 19 88 154
American Goshawk 0 0 1
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 22 241
Broad-winged Hawk 277 393 393
Red-tailed Hawk 19 209 789
Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 4
Golden Eagle 0 1 10
American Kestrel 1 23 30
Merlin 0 3 10
Peregrine Falcon 0 3 4
Unknown Accipiter 0 2 6
Unknown Buteo 2 12 24
Unknown Falcon 0 0 1
Unknown Eagle 0 1 9
Unknown Raptor 6 23 46
Total: 429 5536 10130
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Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 16:00:00
Total observation time: 8 hours
Official Counter: Catherine Manschot
Observers: Bill Garbe, Carol Teed, Debbie Garbe, Deena Errampalli,
Gianpiero Tondina, Larry Bright, Phil Vriend, Tim Foran
Visitors:
Visitors on the tower today were all excellent spotters with raptor id
skills. A bonus for me! Thanks very much for your help Gianpeiro Tondina
(official spotter), Larry Bright, Debbie and Bill Garbe, Carol Teed, Phil
Vriend, Tim Foran, and Deena Errampelli. A great team over the course of
the day!
Weather:
A beautiful day to be on the tower but not the greatest weather conditions
for a raptor flight. Winds, albeit light, were coming mainly from the NE.
We did have some cloud cover as the day wore on which made identification
less dazzling.
Raptor Observations:
We had some kettling Broad-winged Hawks which was fun. The peak occured
from 12 to 1 pm (172 over the hour). We had a bit of diversity as well with
1 American Kestrel, 1 Osprey, 3 Bald Eagles, 2 Northern Harriers, and a
decent number of Red-tailed Hawks, Sharp-shinned Hawks and Cooper's Hawks.
The flight was challenging as it occurred in three distinctly different
spots. Some were very far off to the south over the farmhouse where a scope
was needed, with the lion's share seen with the unaided eye to the north or
approaching directly from the East.
Non-raptor Observations:
We had lots of passerine species including Slate-coloured Junco, Eastern
Pheobe, Tree Swallows, both Kinglet species, Song and Field Sparrows, many
Northern Flickers, as well as other more common species. The prize winner
was a Pileated Woodpecker that flew right beside the tower at eye level!
Predictions:
Tomorrow's forecast calling for good winds coming fron the SE with light
rain throughout the day. It could be a decent day even with the light rain
on account of the winds.
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Report submitted by Catherine Manschot ([email protected] )
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!!!
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