Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 17, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 1 1 Turkey Vulture 131 2648 6114 Osprey 2 19 24 Bald Eagle 0 17 63 Northern Harrier 1 13 24 Sharp-shinned Hawk 31 286 406 Cooper's Hawk 3 27 78 American Goshawk 0 1 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 3 11 226 Broad-winged Hawk 103 105 105 Red-tailed Hawk 19 240 645 Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 9 Golden Eagle 0 0 3 American Kestrel 0 11 14 Merlin 1 3 5 Peregrine Falcon 0 0 3 Unknown Accipitrine 0 7 9 Unknown Buteo 2 5 17 Unknown Falcon 0 0 0 Unknown Eagle 0 1 1 Unknown Raptor 1 2 4 Total: 297 3399 7752 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:15:00 Observation end time: 16:15:00 Total observation time: 9 hours Official Counter: Katherine Stoltz Observers: Kevin Empey Visitors: Many people joined us, including first-timers Mark and Nancy from Pt Colborne and Chris from Burlington, Marcie Jacklin, Shannon Hingston, Stephen from Burlington, Carol Teed who spent several hours and another cameo appearance by Keith Dieroff. Weather: A sunny, comfortable day on the tower with temps ranging from -1 to 10 degrees Celsius. Winds shifted from NE to SW by the end of the day with gusts that pushed the birds far to the north. 0-20% cloud, with a high haze into which the birds disappeared. Raptor Observations: A tepid start but a superb end to the day with our first kettles of Broadwings. The flight path was predominantly north in the early morning and again in the late afternoon, but many birds flew directly over the tower, and others took the far south route. Binoculars were a necessity for the much of the day. 9 species tallied. Local TV, RT and CH seen. Non-raptor Observations: A group of 17 Common Ravens, who flew by several times, a male Purple Finch, Fox Sparrow, and 6 Sandhill Cranes made a high flyby Predictions: Winds from the south, which sounds promising, but a 40-60 % chance of showers. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz (Katherine [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!!! -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. 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