Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (09 Mar 2026) 290 Raptors

[rep...@hawkcount.org]

Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada

OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 09, 2026
Species	Day's Count	Month Total	Season Total
Black Vulture	0	0	0
Turkey Vulture	249	320	328
Osprey	0	0	0
Bald Eagle	4	12	12
Northern Harrier	0	4	5
Sharp-shinned Hawk	4	6	6
Cooper's Hawk	9	14	14
American Goshawk	0	0	0
Red-shouldered Hawk	2	2	2
Broad-winged Hawk	0	0	0
Red-tailed Hawk	16	32	32
Rough-legged Hawk	1	2	2
Golden Eagle	0	0	0
American Kestrel	1	2	2
Merlin	0	2	2
Peregrine Falcon	2	2	2
Unknown Accipitrine	1	1	1
Unknown Buteo	0	0	0
Unknown Falcon	0	0	0
Unknown Eagle	0	0	0
Unknown Raptor	1	1	1
Total:	290	400	409

Observation start time:	08:15:00
Observation end time:	16:00:00
Total observation time:	7.75 hours
Official Counter	John Stevens
Observers:	Bouwe Bergsma, Debbie Garde, John Blanchard, Tim Foran

Visitors:
Numerous visitors throughout the day, mostly bearing long-lensed cameras.

Weather:
Very sunny, very, very warm, very, very, very windy!

Raptor Observations:
An amazing flight for the date with the strong winds ensuring that all the birds were low. Aside from a couple of TVs that careened east on occasion, there was no obvious activity by any of the resident birds.

Non-raptor Observations:
Several flocks of blackbirds, geese and crows, Two loons were seen flying south and a single Great Blue Heron went west. Killdeer were heard above the howl of the wind.

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Report submitted by John Stevens (jrst...@cogeco.ca)
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]

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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!!!