Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (02 May 2026) 15 Raptors
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rep...@hawkcount.org
May 2, 2026, 7:32:40 PM (11 days ago) May 2
to hamilt...@googlegroups.com
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
We had a wonderful group of children that visited in the morning to learn about raptors. This included Naomi, Henry and his sister Penelope, Evan and his brother Noah, and Jacob. They were very inquisitive and enjoyed seeing the Turkey Vultures and a local Cooper's Hawk fly close by while we went on a hike in the area. Many thanks to John Blanchard for covering me as counter at short notice for the first two hours, so I could run a program for the kids. He also stayed for the rest of the count day to help me with spotting and identifying raptors. Thanks John!
Weather:
Sun was shining for most of the morning however, the cloud cover suddenly moved to 95% by noon and stayed that way for the afternoon. We also had intermittent rain from a system coming through over the afternoon. There was a light wind coming from the north.
Raptor Observations:
There were not many migrating raptors, with a total of 15 individuals representing 7 species.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerines sightings included plenty of White-throated Sparrows, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one lingering Slate-coloured Junco, one Western Palm Warbler and a few Myrtle Warblers, Northern Cardinals, corvids and icterids. Notable was a Brown Thrasher that sang many times over the course of the day.
Predictions:
The winds are coming from the west tomorrow with warmer temperatures in the afternoon, so there might be a better flight.
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: May 02, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Turkey Vulture | 2 | 22 | 6671 |
| Osprey | 1 | 1 | 41 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 1 | 79 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 2 | 47 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 3 | 7 | 918 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 0 | 1 | 127 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 0 | 357 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 6 | 11 | 2462 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 1 | 5 | 507 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| American Kestrel | 1 | 1 | 42 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 12 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 1 | 28 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 34 |
| Total: | 15 | 52 | 11353 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Catherine Manschot, John Blanchard |
| Observers: | John Blanchard |
Visitors:
We had a wonderful group of children that visited in the morning to learn about raptors. This included Naomi, Henry and his sister Penelope, Evan and his brother Noah, and Jacob. They were very inquisitive and enjoyed seeing the Turkey Vultures and a local Cooper's Hawk fly close by while we went on a hike in the area. Many thanks to John Blanchard for covering me as counter at short notice for the first two hours, so I could run a program for the kids. He also stayed for the rest of the count day to help me with spotting and identifying raptors. Thanks John!
Weather:
Sun was shining for most of the morning however, the cloud cover suddenly moved to 95% by noon and stayed that way for the afternoon. We also had intermittent rain from a system coming through over the afternoon. There was a light wind coming from the north.
Raptor Observations:
There were not many migrating raptors, with a total of 15 individuals representing 7 species.
Non-raptor Observations:
Passerines sightings included plenty of White-throated Sparrows, a Ruby-crowned Kinglet, one lingering Slate-coloured Junco, one Western Palm Warbler and a few Myrtle Warblers, Northern Cardinals, corvids and icterids. Notable was a Brown Thrasher that sang many times over the course of the day.
Predictions:
The winds are coming from the west tomorrow with warmer temperatures in the afternoon, so there might be a better flight.
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!!!
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