Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 18, 2026
-------------------------------------------------------------------
Species Day's Count Month Total Season Total
------------------ ----------- -------------- --------------
Black Vulture 0 1 1
Turkey Vulture 43 2121 6416
Osprey 1 22 27
Bald Eagle 3 21 62
Northern Harrier 3 23 32
Sharp-shinned Hawk 216 540 640
Cooper's Hawk 1 28 98
American Goshawk 0 0 0
Red-shouldered Hawk 0 8 355
Broad-winged Hawk 137 650 650
Red-tailed Hawk 9 162 432
Rough-legged Hawk 0 2 6
Golden Eagle 0 5 7
American Kestrel 7 22 31
Merlin 0 2 5
Peregrine Falcon 1 2 5
Unknown Accipitrine 0 0 6
Unknown Buteo 0 1 22
Unknown Falcon 0 1 1
Unknown Eagle 0 0 0
Unknown Raptor 0 9 24
Total: 421 3620 8820
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Observation start time: 07:00:00
Observation end time: 13:30:00
Total observation time: 6.5 hours
Official Counter: Phil Waggett
Observers: Dave Don, David Jacobs, Gianpiero Tondina, Joedy Groulx,
Sarah Stover, Susan Fraser
Visitors:
I was pleasantly surprised by the number of birders and hawkwatchers who
showed up today and helped spotting the birds. Joedy, Andre, Susan Fraser,
Gianpiero, Dave Don, Kayo Roy, David Jacobs, Sarah Stover, Shannon, and
Gina Turone all made their way to the tower. We also had Mike and his
family--Yelena, Russell, Geneva visit from Smithville; once again, Yelena
did a great job of recording data on the count sheet for me. Also
visiting Beamer was the South Peel Naturalists, led by Jim Watt.
Weather:
A very warm spring day with south winds frequently gusting to 50+km/hr.
Mostly overcast with rain starting at 12 noon, followed by a brief lull and
then showers began again just after 1 pm leading to the cancellation of the
hawkwatch for the day.
Raptor Observations:
The flight was dominated by sharp-shins and broad wings which came in at
tree top height in steady but relatively small numbers. Three bald eagles
were observed--2 adults and a 4th year bird. The best bird was a peregrine
falcon that flew directly over the tower just after 8 am. Local TV's and
the male coop were very active today.
Non-raptor Observations:
The park was relatively quiet--a single white-throated sparrow and an
eastern towhee were noted. Six great blue herons migrated across the
hawkwatch, 4 of them together. A number of skeins of cormorants also
migrated across the hawkwatch.
Predictions:
A chance of scattered showers with westerly winds which aren't too
favourable for this location. However, based on the counts at Ripley and
Presqu'ile, there are still significant numbers of birds in the pipeline.
========================================================================
Report submitted by Phillip Waggett (philip waggett <[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.
