Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (28 Mar 2026) 140 Raptors
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Mar 29, 2026, 8:42:50 AM (7 days ago) Mar 29
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Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
Mike Stel and his children--Yelena, Russell, and Geneva visited the tower; Yelena, in Grade 3, insisted on acting as my secretary for an hour!!!!! Marco and Chris (from Hamilton) also helped for a couple of hours spotting birds.
Weather:
Cold northwest wind at 17 km/hr with cloudy conditions and occasional sun. Temperature hovered near 0 celsius, reaching a high of 2. Occasional light flurries, particularly to the north of the hawkwatch.
Raptor Observations:
Totally dominated by the vulture flight. Four bald eagles noted, with one eastbound early in the morning; one (yr 2), one (year 4) and an adult were observed flying west. No accipiters and only 4 redtails were observed migrating. Local activity was restricted to the turkey vultures only.
Non-raptor Observations:
I started the day with 3 pine siskins near the sign bord. Also noted was a robin showing large areas of leucism. Many song sparrows in the park. Other interesting birds included a GC Kinglet, eastern phoebe (late day appearance) and a solitary great blue heron. A single raven was also noted over the escarpment.
Predictions:
Strong south west winds will bring warmer temperatures but the direction is not favourable for this hawkwatch. I think there are still birds in the pipeline so we should get a moderate count for the next two days before rain moves in mid-week.
Report submitted by Phillip Waggett (philip waggett )
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://nphawkwatch.ca/
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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!!!
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
| Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 28, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 133 | 2656 | 2664 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 38 | 38 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 38 | 38 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 42 | 42 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 340 | 340 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 4 | 235 | 235 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 9 | 9 |
| Total: | 140 | 3401 | 3410 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Philip Waggett |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
Mike Stel and his children--Yelena, Russell, and Geneva visited the tower; Yelena, in Grade 3, insisted on acting as my secretary for an hour!!!!! Marco and Chris (from Hamilton) also helped for a couple of hours spotting birds.
Weather:
Cold northwest wind at 17 km/hr with cloudy conditions and occasional sun. Temperature hovered near 0 celsius, reaching a high of 2. Occasional light flurries, particularly to the north of the hawkwatch.
Raptor Observations:
Totally dominated by the vulture flight. Four bald eagles noted, with one eastbound early in the morning; one (yr 2), one (year 4) and an adult were observed flying west. No accipiters and only 4 redtails were observed migrating. Local activity was restricted to the turkey vultures only.
Non-raptor Observations:
I started the day with 3 pine siskins near the sign bord. Also noted was a robin showing large areas of leucism. Many song sparrows in the park. Other interesting birds included a GC Kinglet, eastern phoebe (late day appearance) and a solitary great blue heron. A single raven was also noted over the escarpment.
Predictions:
Strong south west winds will bring warmer temperatures but the direction is not favourable for this hawkwatch. I think there are still birds in the pipeline so we should get a moderate count for the next two days before rain moves in mid-week.
Report submitted by Phillip Waggett (philip waggett )
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at: http://nphawkwatch.ca/
More information at hawkcount.org: [Site Profile] [Day Summary] [Month Summary]
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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