Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: May 01, 2025 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 1 Turkey Vulture 46 46 6702 Osprey 1 1 30 Bald Eagle 0 0 81 Northern Harrier 0 0 33 Sharp-shinned Hawk 4 4 788 Cooper's Hawk 0 0 107 American Goshawk 0 0 1 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 232 Broad-winged Hawk 2 2 1969 Red-tailed Hawk 4 4 717 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 9 Golden Eagle 0 0 4 American Kestrel 0 0 23 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: 57 57 10752 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:00:00 Observation end time: 14:00:00 Total observation time: 7 hours Official Counter: Katherine Stoltz Observers: David Thomas, Gianpiero Tondina Visitors: Literally nobody. Weather: The 1st day of May felt more like the 1st day of April. 80-100% cloud cover, with a thunderstorm watch in place for much of the day. A raw northeast wind made it feel colder than the actual high of 7 degrees. A rain delay from 11:30 to 12:45 EST. With radar all around showing extensive rain, I terminated the count at 2 pm. Rain began in earnest at 2:30 EST. Raptor Observations: An upflight of 30 Turkey Vultures and 2 Broad-wings. A few Sharpies, Red-tails and 1 Osprey rounded out our meager count. Local RT and CH seen. The local Turkey Vultures went back and forth over the escarpment so many times that I stopped counting them as migrants by 11:00 EST. Almost all migration occurred low at or below the treetops to the north. Non-raptor Observations: A smattering of White-throated Sparrows and a lonely single Sandhill Crane. Predictions: The wind direction looks more promising and less likelihood of rain, but there may be little in the pipeline. ======================================================================== Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz (Katherine [email protected]) 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!!! -- Ontbirds and Birdnews are moderated email Listservs provided by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) as a service to all birders in Ontario. Birdnews is reserved for announcements, location summaries, first of year reports, etc. To post a message on Birdnews, send an email to: [email protected]. 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