At 3:30pm, Tuesday, July 22nd, 2003, this is an update to the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline.
The update concerns an AMERICAN AVOCET seen at Tollgate Ponds on Hamilton Harbour. The bird was sitting on the shoreline on the west side of the smaller of the two ponds, opposite Eastport Drive. It was about mid-way along the shoreline on a small spit with several roosting CASPIAN TERNS. It is easily viewed from the shoulder of Eastport Drive. Please do not venture into the areas beyond the roadway access at Piers 26-27 at Eastport, as there is active filling work underway. The area is posted no-trespassing, and birders have recently been escorted out by security staff. To preserve our good relationships with the Hamilton Port Authority, who have been generally tolerant of birders over the years, please respect this while the work is going on. Directions: From the QEW highway take the Eastport Drive exit (from either eastbound or westbound). The Tollgate Ponds are the large cells adjacent to Eastport Drive about 1 km south of the Burlington Channel Lift Bridge on the Hamilton side of the canal. Now for the rest of this week's report... The hotspot this past week was the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons. Seen at this location were COMMON TERN, CASPIAN TERN, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, four SORA RAILS, plus gathering flocks of TREE SWALLOWS, BARN SWALLOWS, BANK SWALLOWS, and NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS. A special note about the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons - please do not park at the east side of the ponds. Park on the west side of the ponds near the storage building. Talks are currently ongoing between the Government and the Conservation Authority to have these lands transferred from the DND to the Conservation Authority. Any issues around accessability or disturbances to the local residents may derail these discussions. Other local reports include SORA RAIL and VIRGINIA RAIL in the Hendrie Valley, ORCHARD ORIOLE and EASTERN BLUEBIRD on the North Shore Trails, PILEATED WOODPECKER over Centre Road and the 7th Concession, plus BONAPARTE'S GULL and CANVASBACK at the Burlington Lift Bridge, and HOODED MERGANSER at LaSalle Marina. To end this week's report, I'd like to spotlight a natural area which is not well known but provides excellent birding opportunities. Courtcliff Park is located on the north side of Carlisle Road between Highway 6 and Centre Road. There are lots of trees of different variety but no deep woods where birds can hide. This makes for excellent viewing of migrants. There are tall grass meadows with mown pathways, giving great close up views of SAVANNAH SPARROW, VESPER SPARROW, and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. Various ponds and swampy areas will yield SPOTTED and SOLITARY SANDPIPER, GREAT BLUE HERON and ducks. Tree-lined creeks produce BELTED KINGFISHER and EASTERN KINGBIRD, as well as EASTERN PHOEBE and other flycathcers. Stands of willow, maple, pine, and hemlock give up WARBLING VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, EASTERN WOOD PEWEE, and CEDAR WAXWING. Hedged fields are good for YELLOW-BILLED and BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, INDIGO BUNTING, MOURNING WARBLER, HOUSE WREN, FIELD SPARROW, and NORTHERN FLICKER. Special thanks to Tom Thomas for providing inspiration for this expose. 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]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
