Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area (22 Apr 2026) 793 Raptors
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Apr 22, 2026, 9:43:58 PMApr 22
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Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
OVER 50 YEARS Of ANNUAL SPRING COUNTS
Visitors:
Sophie and her dad Gilbert, who was visiting from France, spent most of the morning on the tower learning about the Hawkwatch and taking photos. Keith Parks, his daughter Kim and grandchildren Hunter and River spent a few hours on the tower, contributed to the spotting, and Hunter asked lots of great questions. Brad from Niagara and Dean from Ancaster both helped with spotting. Peter Langballe, Yuki from Hamilton, Anthony and his daughter from Welland visited in the afternoon.
Weather:
Clear skies and mild to warm temperatures made for a very pleasant day. Winds were very light in the morning, increasing to light NNE/N in the middle of the day. A few clouds developed to the south, which helped somewhat in counting Broad-winged Hawks during the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Yesterday's Broad-winged Hawk flight picked up again early in the morning until early afternoon, then picked up again late afternoon to peak in the last hour. Today's total was similar to yesterday's. There were good numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks, three Ospreys, and six American Kestrels, eight species in total. Flight lines were quite variable, with Broad-winged Hawks North, South and over the tower during much of the day, but late afternoon the flight moved well to the south, and we were counting with a scope for the last hour. A stop was made at Ridge Road on the way out to get a closer look at the last of the day's Broad-winged Hawks. John Hannah, John Blanchard, Matt Mills and Susan Fraser were spotting for most of the day - great job folks!
Non-raptor Observations:
A spring day of birdsong; Eastern Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows were all very vocal. Lots of Double-crested Cormorants on the move. No new migrant species noted.
Predictions:
Another clear day is forecast, so could be as good or better than today, and perhaps with another surge of Broad-winged Hawks towards the end of the day.
Report submitted by Simon Carter ()
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 22, 2026 | |||
| Species | Day's Count | Month Total | Season Total |
| Black Vulture | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Turkey Vulture | 56 | 2247 | 6542 |
| Osprey | 3 | 28 | 33 |
| Bald Eagle | 0 | 30 | 71 |
| Northern Harrier | 1 | 28 | 37 |
| Sharp-shinned Hawk | 55 | 706 | 806 |
| Cooper's Hawk | 4 | 42 | 112 |
| American Goshawk | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Red-shouldered Hawk | 0 | 10 | 357 |
| Broad-winged Hawk | 653 | 1927 | 1927 |
| Red-tailed Hawk | 11 | 203 | 473 |
| Rough-legged Hawk | 0 | 3 | 7 |
| Golden Eagle | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| American Kestrel | 6 | 29 | 38 |
| Merlin | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Peregrine Falcon | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Unknown Accipitrine | 2 | 4 | 10 |
| Unknown Buteo | 0 | 4 | 25 |
| Unknown Falcon | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Unknown Eagle | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unknown Raptor | 2 | 16 | 31 |
| Total: | 793 | 5288 | 10488 |
| Observation start time: | 07:00:00 |
| Observation end time: | 16:30:00 |
| Total observation time: | 9.25 hours |
| Official Counter | John Hannah, Simon Carter |
| Observers: | John Blanchard, John Hannah, Matt Mills, Simon Carter, Susan Fraser |
Visitors:
Sophie and her dad Gilbert, who was visiting from France, spent most of the morning on the tower learning about the Hawkwatch and taking photos. Keith Parks, his daughter Kim and grandchildren Hunter and River spent a few hours on the tower, contributed to the spotting, and Hunter asked lots of great questions. Brad from Niagara and Dean from Ancaster both helped with spotting. Peter Langballe, Yuki from Hamilton, Anthony and his daughter from Welland visited in the afternoon.
Weather:
Clear skies and mild to warm temperatures made for a very pleasant day. Winds were very light in the morning, increasing to light NNE/N in the middle of the day. A few clouds developed to the south, which helped somewhat in counting Broad-winged Hawks during the afternoon.
Raptor Observations:
Yesterday's Broad-winged Hawk flight picked up again early in the morning until early afternoon, then picked up again late afternoon to peak in the last hour. Today's total was similar to yesterday's. There were good numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks, three Ospreys, and six American Kestrels, eight species in total. Flight lines were quite variable, with Broad-winged Hawks North, South and over the tower during much of the day, but late afternoon the flight moved well to the south, and we were counting with a scope for the last hour. A stop was made at Ridge Road on the way out to get a closer look at the last of the day's Broad-winged Hawks. John Hannah, John Blanchard, Matt Mills and Susan Fraser were spotting for most of the day - great job folks!
Non-raptor Observations:
A spring day of birdsong; Eastern Towhee, Ruby-crowned Kinglets and White-throated Sparrows were all very vocal. Lots of Double-crested Cormorants on the move. No new migrant species noted.
Predictions:
Another clear day is forecast, so could be as good or better than today, and perhaps with another surge of Broad-winged Hawks towards the end of the day.
Report submitted by Simon Carter ()
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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