At 4:00pm, Thursday, April 17th, 2003, this is the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report. The Hotline is normally revised on Thursday nights, unless an unusual bird turns up in the Hamilton area.
A couple of announcements... The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch will hold it's annual Open House tomorrow, April 18th (Good Friday), from 10am - 3pm at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby. The open house will feature the traditional attractions, as well as the unveiling of the new Information Signs at 11am, and live bird demonstrations throughout the day. Directions are as follows: from west or east of Grimsby take the QEW to the Casablanca Blvd exit and travel south to the escarpment. Make a left on Main Street West and then a quick right on Woolverton Road which takes you up the escarpment. At the top, turn left on Ridge Road and continue 1.6km to Quarry Road. Turn left on Quarry Road and the entrance to Beamer is on your right. Hope to see you there! The final Bird Study Group of the season will take place next Monday, April 21st at Shaklee Canada Inc., 952 Century Drive, Burlington. Rick Snider will talk about Acadian Flycatchers and Hooded Warblers, and Stuart Mackenzie will give an ID session about difficult flycatchers. Things get underway at 7:30pm. Now on to the birds... It was a good week for the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch. 3,000 migrating hawks during the past week brings the season total to almost 8,000. Highlights were a KRIDER'S HAWK on Sunday, lots of OSPREYS, plus 90 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and three MERLINS on Tuesday. Birds seen in and around the Royal Botanical Gardens include HERMIT THRUSH near the Nature Centre, plus WILD TURKEY, RUSTY BLACKBIRD, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, WOOD DUCK, RING-NECKED DUCK, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, CASPIAN TERN, and COMMON MERGANSER in the marsh. The Bronte area was productive with PALM WARBLER, BROWN THRASHER, and TREE SWALLOW at the Campground, a GREAT EGRET near the 407, and five pairs of RED-NECKED GREBES, three HORNED GREBES, AMERICAN COOTS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, and SNOW GEESE in the harbour. Other local reports include OSPREY, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, PIED-BILLED GREBE, RING-NECKED DUCK, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, COMMON GOLDENEYE, and DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT on the Grand River just above the dam at Caledonia, an adult BALD EAGLE on Ridge Road in Stoney Creek, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER at the foot of the Jolley Cut, a GREAT HORNED OWL nest on the Stoney Creek mountain, FORSTER'S TERN, CASPIAN TERN, TRUMPETER SWAN, and DUNLIN at the ponds formerly known as the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons, HORNED GREBE, PIED-BILLED GREBE, HOODED MERGANSER, RING-NECKED DUCK, COMMON SNIPE, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK at Vinemount Quarry, HORNED GREBE, COMMON MERGANSER, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, HERMIT THRUSH, COMMON LOON, LONG-TAILED DUCK, and NORTHERN SHOVELLER at LaSalle Marina. Out of town, a EURASION WIGEON turned up again this year at Lee Brown Pond near Long Point. Other birds seen in the Long Point area were LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN, SANDHILL CRANE, and BALD EAGLE. 12 species of ducks, both blue and white phase SNOW GEESE, and five ROSS'S GEESE were seen at the Townsend Sewage Lagoons. Last but not least, a yard in Caledonia was busy this week with WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD, HAIRY WOODPECKER, DOWNY WOODPECKER, BELTED KINGFISHER, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, and HOODED MERGANSER all making appearances. Be sure to let us know about your sightings this week. Leave your name, telephone number, as well as the time and date of your call. Sightings can also be reported by e-mail. GOOD BIRDING! Keith Dieroff C/O Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report Hamilton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hamilton Naturalists' Club Tel: (905) 381-0329 ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca Keith Dieroff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
