Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (03 Apr 2026) 701 Raptors
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Apr 3, 2026, 8:08:56 PM (2 days ago) Apr 3
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Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
The Good Friday holiday, nice weather, and decent S winds brought many friendly visitors who helped spot and identify birds. This included Larry Blight, Bob Manson, Linda Goodrich, Marcie Jacklin, Jakob Leal, Britany Grimbly, Dave Sked, Diana and Rick Werezek, Cynthia and John McAlister, Jane and Rade Breberina, Ana Bratina and her son Austin,Tom Meersand his daughter Claire, Eric O'Connor, Deena Empanelli, Randy McLelland, and Marvin and Jane Medelko who came from Kingston.
Weather:
It was a beautifully warm day with mainly southerly winds in the morning, shifting to SW towards the afternoon. The counter planned for today couldn't make it so I counted from 8am to noon (standard time) and Phil Wagget stepped in as the official counter from 12-3:30 pm.
Raptor Observations:
Steady mixed flight, mostly over the escarpment in the morning, including Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Osprey, Northern Harriers (3 males, 1 female and 1 juvenile), American Kestrels, Red-tails, and one sub-adult Bald Eagle. We also saw the local Merlin and two local Cooper's Hawks. The afternoon brought more raptors adding a Peregrine Falcon to the list of species.
Non-raptor Observations:
The passerines chorus included a Fox Sparrow, an Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Cardinals, an Eastern Phoebe, American Robins, and others.
Predictions:
The forecast for tomorrow has improved with only some rain expected in the late afternoon. The winds look like they will be coming from the South or Southeast so it could be a good raptor day!
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 03, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 611 | 842 | 5137 |
| Osprey | 9 | 10 | 15 |
| Bald Eagle | 2 | 3 | 44 |
| Northern Harrier | 6 | 6 | 15 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 57 | 57 | 157 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 3 | 3 | 73 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 2 | 349 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 8 | 15 | 285 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| American Kestrel | 4 | 4 | 13 |
| Merlin | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 1 | 1 | 4 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 0 | 0 | 15 |
| Total: | 701 | 944 | 6144 |
| Observation start time: | 08:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 15:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 7 hours |
| Official Counter | Catherine Manschot |
| Observers: | Dave Sked, Larry Bright |
Visitors:
The Good Friday holiday, nice weather, and decent S winds brought many friendly visitors who helped spot and identify birds. This included Larry Blight, Bob Manson, Linda Goodrich, Marcie Jacklin, Jakob Leal, Britany Grimbly, Dave Sked, Diana and Rick Werezek, Cynthia and John McAlister, Jane and Rade Breberina, Ana Bratina and her son Austin,Tom Meersand his daughter Claire, Eric O'Connor, Deena Empanelli, Randy McLelland, and Marvin and Jane Medelko who came from Kingston.
Weather:
It was a beautifully warm day with mainly southerly winds in the morning, shifting to SW towards the afternoon. The counter planned for today couldn't make it so I counted from 8am to noon (standard time) and Phil Wagget stepped in as the official counter from 12-3:30 pm.
Raptor Observations:
Steady mixed flight, mostly over the escarpment in the morning, including Sharp-shinned Hawks, Cooper's Hawks, Osprey, Northern Harriers (3 males, 1 female and 1 juvenile), American Kestrels, Red-tails, and one sub-adult Bald Eagle. We also saw the local Merlin and two local Cooper's Hawks. The afternoon brought more raptors adding a Peregrine Falcon to the list of species.
Non-raptor Observations:
The passerines chorus included a Fox Sparrow, an Eastern Towhee, Song Sparrows, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Cardinals, an Eastern Phoebe, American Robins, and others.
Predictions:
The forecast for tomorrow has improved with only some rain expected in the late afternoon. The winds look like they will be coming from the South or Southeast so it could be a good raptor day!
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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