At 9:00 p.m. on Thursday July 8th, 2004, this is the HNC Birding Report: Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Broad-winged Hawk Peregrine Falcon Common Moorhen Lesser Yellowlegs Short-billed Dowitcher Ruby-throated Hummingbird Hairy Woodpecker Red-bellied Woodpecker Eastern Wood-Pewee Red-breasted Nuthatch Veery Wood Thrush Nashville Warbler Black& White Warbler Rufous-sided Towhee Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Purple Finch
A few more reports this week from various places in the Hamilton area. Some of the more common birds here are mentioned because they have been reported with young this week which is always nice to see. Some new birds (birds not reported in a while) include Common Loon past CCIW, Great Egret reported from the Dundas Hydro Ponds and 6th concession and Middletown Road. Up in this latter area, the most interesting place this week continues to be the Beverly Swamp area. Birds reported from a resident of the area include both Hairy and Red-bellied Woodpecker coming into feeders to feed young. Rose-breasted Grosbeaks and Red-breasted Nuthatch appear at the feeder intermittently. Rufous-sided Towhee, Wood Thrush and Veery are regular sounds from the woodlot. Nashville and Black and White Warbler can also be heard up here in an area on Concession 8 just west of Westover Road in Flamborough. On Saturday, a Broad-winged Hawk travelled through the area as well. >From Hopkins Tract, a Rose-breasted Grosbeak was reported feeding young. Other birds in this tract include Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Another significant sighting this week was the appearance of Lesser Yellowlegs and 3 Short-billed Dowitchers (seen today) at Tollgate Ponds, just the start of returning shorebirds and a place which should be closely watched. Other babies reported this week include Red-necked Grebes at Bronte Harbour and a report of our peregrines showing up on someone's balcony in Hamilton providing excellent photo ops and another actually caught at a music shop in downtown Hamilton but let go immediately and flew off. Common Moorhen were reported with 9 young the size of tennis balls from the Glen Morris Road north of St. George last weekend. Another interesting bird reported this week was the presence of a Purple Finch along with Bobolink, Eastern Wood Pewee and Rose-breasted Grosbeak at Courtcliff Park in Carlisle. That's all for this week, a little more spice to the week and good reports of breeding activity. Until next week, good birding Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
