Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (27 Mar 2026) 373 Raptors
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rep...@hawkcount.org
Mar 27, 2026, 6:58:54 PM (9 days ago) Mar 27
to hamilt...@googlegroups.com
Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
No spotter today, but photographer Tony Dobson kept me company and helped spot. Marcie Jacklin and Lynda Goodridge made a brief appearance. Marco popped in for the last 2 hours. Bei from China visited the tower and had many questions about raptor migration.
Weather:
Too cold for late March. Temperature topped out at -3 with raw north winds starting at 23kph and decreasing to 11kph. A bank of cloud to the south disappeared, leaving a hazy blue sky. So cold that the gate lock froze, and I had to hoof it in. So cold that my lunch , an energy bar, froze.
Raptor Observations:
Turkey Vultures claimed the gold today (no competition, really). Red-tails took the silver, and Red-shouldereds, the bronze. Multiple sightings of 1-2 adult Bald Eagles. At the end of the day, there were as many flights to the west as there were to the east, so I determined that they were local. Wasn't expecting to do Bald Eagle math today. The flight path was overwhelmingly north, over the escarpment, with a few birds passing over the tower later in the day, and almost nothing to the south.
Non-raptor Observations:
No passerine movement.
Predictions:
West winds and cold temps do not bode well for a strong flight.
Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz (Katherine Stoltzstolt...@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: Mar 27, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Turkey Vulture | 346 | 2523 | 2531 |
| Osprey | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 35 | 35 |
| Northern Harrier | 0 | 7 | 8 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 0 | 38 | 38 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 2 | 42 | 42 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 4 | 340 | 340 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 20 | 231 | 231 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| American Kestrel | 0 | 8 | 8 |
| Merlin | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 0 | 4 | 4 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 1 | 9 | 9 |
| Total: | 373 | 3261 | 3270 |
| Observation start time: | 07:30:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:00:00 |
| Total observation time: | 8.5 hours |
| Official Counter | Katherine Stoltz |
| Observers: |
Visitors:
No spotter today, but photographer Tony Dobson kept me company and helped spot. Marcie Jacklin and Lynda Goodridge made a brief appearance. Marco popped in for the last 2 hours. Bei from China visited the tower and had many questions about raptor migration.
Weather:
Too cold for late March. Temperature topped out at -3 with raw north winds starting at 23kph and decreasing to 11kph. A bank of cloud to the south disappeared, leaving a hazy blue sky. So cold that the gate lock froze, and I had to hoof it in. So cold that my lunch , an energy bar, froze.
Raptor Observations:
Turkey Vultures claimed the gold today (no competition, really). Red-tails took the silver, and Red-shouldereds, the bronze. Multiple sightings of 1-2 adult Bald Eagles. At the end of the day, there were as many flights to the west as there were to the east, so I determined that they were local. Wasn't expecting to do Bald Eagle math today. The flight path was overwhelmingly north, over the escarpment, with a few birds passing over the tower later in the day, and almost nothing to the south.
Non-raptor Observations:
No passerine movement.
Predictions:
West winds and cold temps do not bode well for a strong flight.
Report submitted by Katherine Stoltz (Katherine Stoltzstolt...@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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