Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (21 Apr 2026) 697 Raptors
38 views
Skip to first unread message
rep...@hawkcount.org
Apr 21, 2026, 9:25:16 PMApr 21
to hamilt...@googlegroups.com
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
I had plenty of help today with spotters Carol Teed and John Blanchard for the entire count. Julia Zarankin, Gianpiero Tondina, Jon Clayton, Susan Fraser, Carmen and Kurt Miller, Shannon Hingson, Tim Foran and Martin Sheath were also very helpful, covering large portions of the day. It was definitely a group effort to catch everything coming from all over, including over the farmhouse to the south, along the quarry side to the north, and overhead. We had a lot of fun! Many thanks to everyone!
Weather:
A strange weather day with COLD winds coming from the south and temperatures below average for this time of year. Only the last two hours of the day did the winds slow down and that's when the Broad-winged Hawks came in high numbers.
Raptor Observations:
From 8 to 2 hawk time, the flight was steady with about six species represented each hour. Hourly sightings included Sharp-shinned hawks in the double digits, a handful of Broad-winged Hawks, and the day brought three Bald Eagles, three Northern Harriers, some Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, one Osprey and a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks. One Red-shouldered came in to rest on a tree on the farmhouse property and then carried on. We got some good looks of it through the scope. From 2 to 4 pm the flight changed with hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks in kettles to the north, only seen with the aid of binoculars. Constant scanning was needed to make sure we could find them all for the count. With 100 percent cloud cover, their circling would cause them to fade in and out of our view. All bins were up to corroborate the numbers.
Non-raptor Observations:
The usual songbirds were out and about under the feeder, and around the tangles and grass strips near the tower. Of note was a flyover of several Sandhill Cranes.
Predictions:
The winds look like they are shifting and will be coming from the West which may mean the raptors may not turn the corner and come up between the lakes, alternatively hugging the south shore along Lake Ontario.
Report submitted by Catherine Manschot (hitthetrai...@gmail.com )
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: Apr 21, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 12 | 2191 | 6486 |
| Osprey | 1 | 25 | 30 |
| Bald Eagle | 3 | 30 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 3 | 27 | 36 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 93 | 651 | 751 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 4 | 38 | 108 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 2 | 10 | 357 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 561 | 1274 | 1274 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 13 | 192 | 462 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 23 | 32 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Unknown Buteo | 2 | 4 | 25 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 2 | 14 | 29 |
| Total: | 697 | 4495 | 9695 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8 hours |
| Official Counter | Catherine Manschot |
| Observers: | Carol Teed, John Blanchard, Julia Zarankin |
Visitors:
I had plenty of help today with spotters Carol Teed and John Blanchard for the entire count. Julia Zarankin, Gianpiero Tondina, Jon Clayton, Susan Fraser, Carmen and Kurt Miller, Shannon Hingson, Tim Foran and Martin Sheath were also very helpful, covering large portions of the day. It was definitely a group effort to catch everything coming from all over, including over the farmhouse to the south, along the quarry side to the north, and overhead. We had a lot of fun! Many thanks to everyone!
Weather:
A strange weather day with COLD winds coming from the south and temperatures below average for this time of year. Only the last two hours of the day did the winds slow down and that's when the Broad-winged Hawks came in high numbers.
Raptor Observations:
From 8 to 2 hawk time, the flight was steady with about six species represented each hour. Hourly sightings included Sharp-shinned hawks in the double digits, a handful of Broad-winged Hawks, and the day brought three Bald Eagles, three Northern Harriers, some Red-tailed Hawks, Turkey Vultures, one Osprey and a couple of Red-shouldered Hawks. One Red-shouldered came in to rest on a tree on the farmhouse property and then carried on. We got some good looks of it through the scope. From 2 to 4 pm the flight changed with hundreds of Broad-winged Hawks in kettles to the north, only seen with the aid of binoculars. Constant scanning was needed to make sure we could find them all for the count. With 100 percent cloud cover, their circling would cause them to fade in and out of our view. All bins were up to corroborate the numbers.
Non-raptor Observations:
The usual songbirds were out and about under the feeder, and around the tangles and grass strips near the tower. Of note was a flyover of several Sandhill Cranes.
Predictions:
The winds look like they are shifting and will be coming from the West which may mean the raptors may not turn the corner and come up between the lakes, alternatively hugging the south shore along Lake Ontario.
Report submitted by Catherine Manschot (hitthetrai...@gmail.com )
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!!!
Reply all
Reply to author
Forward
0 new messages