Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (02 Mar 2026) 9 Raptors

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Mar 2, 2026, 4:14:21 PM (11 days ago) Mar 2
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Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada

OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS

Daily Raptor Counts: Mar 02, 2026
SpeciesDay's CountMonth TotalSeason Total
Black Vulture000
Turkey Vulture3917
Osprey000
Bald Eagle111
Northern Harrier001
Sharp-shinned Hawk000
Cooper's Hawk222
American Goshawk000
Red-shouldered Hawk000
Broad-winged Hawk000
Red-tailed Hawk355
Rough-legged Hawk000
Golden Eagle000
American Kestrel000
Merlin000
Peregrine Falcon000
Unknown Accipitrine000
Unknown Buteo000
Unknown Falcon000
Unknown Eagle000
Unknown Raptor000
Total:91726


Observation start time: 08:00:00
Observation end time: 15:00:00
Total observation time: 7 hours
Official CounterMichael Macleod
Observers:



Visitors:
One visitor for the day.

Weather:
A cold start at -11C, warming progressively to -4C. Minimal cloud cover, ranging from 3% to 0% with light 5-10km/h winds, predominantly from the northeast with occasional gusts of 15km/h. No precepitation.

Raptor Observations:
A light flight overall. A trio of presumably resident bald eagles was observed rising to the east, but they appeared to go to ground after reaching a good height. A single resident Cooper's hawk was also observed in the vicinity of the tower.

Non-raptor Observations:
A very slow day for other bird movement as well. Only a single common grackle, three gulls, two small groups of robins, and handful of geese were seen for moving birds. The resident red-bellied woodpeckers and northern cardinals were well-aware of the coming spring with much drumming and singing to show for it. Ebird checklist: https://ebird.org/checklist/S305412126

Predictions:
Conditions might be okay for a morning flight tomorrow, but the forecast looks poor for the afternoon.


Report submitted by Michael Macleod (Michael Macmikem...@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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