Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS Daily Raptor Counts: May 11, 2026 ------------------------------------------------------------------- Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total ------------------ ----------- -------------- -------------- Black Vulture 0 0 2 Turkey Vulture 29 166 6815 Osprey 0 5 45 Bald Eagle 2 17 95 Northern Harrier 0 7 52 Sharp-shinned Hawk 1 112 1023 Cooper's Hawk 1 9 135 American Goshawk 0 0 0 Red-shouldered Hawk 0 0 357 Broad-winged Hawk 2 100 2551 Red-tailed Hawk 0 25 527 Rough-legged Hawk 0 0 7 Golden Eagle 1 1 8 American Kestrel 0 1 42 Merlin 0 0 6 Peregrine Falcon 0 2 7 Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 12 Unknown Buteo 0 1 28 Unknown Falcon 0 0 1 Unknown Eagle 0 0 0 Unknown Raptor 0 1 35 Total: 36 447 11748 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Observation start time: 07:30:00 Observation end time: 16:00:00 Total observation time: 8.33 hours Official Counter: John Stevens Observers: Bouwe Bergsma, Marco D Visitors: A few of the walkers came up for a visit but only one family had any interest in the watch. Weather: Partly to mostly sunny and cool, light winds that were somewhat variable but generally from the north. Clouds were cumulus, often moving in opposing directions at different heights. Raptor Observations: Almost no hawks! Very high Bald Eagles. If sharpies were that high, we missed them. Non-raptor Observations: Fair number of swallows consisting of Purple Martin, Barn Swallow, Tree Swallow and Rough-winged Swallow. My first hummingbird of the year. Towhee still around. Wood Thrush sang from the woods behind the sign all morning. Pair of Sandhill Cranes. Predictions: You won't need more than one pencil. ======================================================================== Report submitted by John Stevens ([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]. If you have any questions or concerns, contact the Birdnews Moderators by email at [email protected]. Please review posting rules and guidelines at http://ofo.ca/site/content/listserv-guidelines To find out more about OFO, please visit our website at ofo.ca or Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists.
