At 7:00 p.m. on Thursday May 27th, 2004 this is the Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report:
BLACK-NECKED STILT * WILLET SUMMER TANAGER CONNECTICUT WARBLER Peregrine Falcon Least Bittern Ruddy Turnstone Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Phalarope Black-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Willow Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Olive-sided Flycatcher Red-eyed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Warbling Vireo Mourning Warbler Wilsons Warbler Canada Warbler Hooded Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Magnolia Warbler American Redstart * denotes birds out of the HSA Migration comes to a dwindle this week but goes out with a bang as some good birds in good numbers are reported from the weekend. The BLACK-NECKED STILTS were last reported on the weekend. The pair were exhibiting nesting behaviour and were found in the southern most cell along side the road. Please check the cells from the roadside on the road side of the fence so as not to disturb. Needless to say this would be an excellent breeding record. The birds have also been seen in the cells which are located on the road leading left as you enter the lagoons but most often in the south cell. The weekend brought a mini fallout of warblers, vireos and flycatchers to locations such as Shell Park, Paletta Park and Rattray Marsh. At Rattray Marsh a male SUMMER TANAGER in moult was reported last Saturday. Also there were Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blue-winged, Golden-winged,Wilson's Warbler and American Redstart. A Least Bittern was heard from the Boardwalk area. At Paletta while on a "big day" a group of birders had a similar fallout with the same combination of warblers and vireos being seen in addition to a female CONNECTICUT warbler. On Tuesday while searching for this elusive Connecticut that had likely moved on I had several Wilson's Warblers and five Mourning Warblers on the property. In addition there were Black-billed Cuckoo, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Blackpoll, Canada Warbler, American Redstart, Philadelphia Vireo and a number of Traill's Flycatchers. In this area I had Yellow-bellied Flycatcher along Appleby Creek. Shell Park was also productive with Saturday being a day for huge numbers. One observer stated numerous Red-eyed Vireos (over 100) in addition to a nice Hooded Warbler seen at eye level. Other reports from Shell park include Black-billed Cuckoo, Alder Flycatcher, Magnolia Warbler, Bay-breasted, Warbler, American Redstart, Black and White Warbler, Philadelphia Vireo and Warbling Vireo. Centennial Park also had a similar mix with Blackburnian, Yellow-rumped and Chestnut-sided Warblers being tossed in the mix. Golden-winged Warblers, Hooded Warbler and Mourning Warbler were seen in the Martin's Lane area in Ancaster. Our Wilson's Plover seems to have departed however on a "big day" by celebrity birder Mark Cranford, a WILLET was seen in the same area as the Wilson's Plover on Saturday evening. Other birds there this week include Ruddy Turnston, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin and Black-bellied Plover. Wilson's Phalaropes were reported again from the Smithville Sewage Lagoons. A Common Nighthawk was reported over the City Kidz theatre at Sherman and Barton last night. On a sadder note, I have received a couple of emails saying that the second Peregrine nest on the lift bridge has failed. Hopefully this pair will try again maybe in a less intrusive environment. Similarly the Red-necked Grebes in Bronte also seem to have lost their nest with the tire tipping over this week with 5 eggs lost. Nesting season is upon us, all the more reason to report sightings to add to the atlassing. Keep them coming and have a great week. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe Hamilton Naturalists Club Hotline 905-381-0329
