At 9:30 p.m. on Thursday July 22nd, 2004, this is the HNC Birding Report: PARASITIC JAEGER WHIMBREL
Black-crowned Night Heron Short-billed Dowitcher Least Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Caspian Tern Common Nighthawk Blue-gray Gnatcather The most exciting report this week was the presence of an adult Parasitic Jaeger seen this week at Van Wagners beach. As per the account of the observer "On July 19th at 4:00 pm, while sitting on a bench at Van Wagner's beach and looking out over the lake, I spotted what I believed was the unmistakable sight of a parasitic Jaeger powering up as it picked out a gull to go after just west of Hutches Restaurant. It quickly over took the gull and proceeded to harass it for about 30 seconds before breaking off the attack and setting it's sights on another gull directly in front of me. After giving this gull the same treatment as the first it broke off the attack and circled back towards me after yet another Gull. This time it passed about 30 feet directly over head and this Gull seemed to head for the safety of a group of Gulls around Hutches. The Gulls in the group, mainly first year Ring-billed Gulls, did not scatter en mass as usually happens later in the season. After attacking this 3rd gull the Jaeger flew east down the beach and out of sight." This is somewhat early for jaeger sightings but it will not be long before those east winds start bringing in more of these impressive species the most notable early species being the Long-tailed Jaegers usually seen in August. Shorebirds seem to be accumulating in various spots around Hamilton and elsewhere. Traditional spots such as Townsend Sewage Lagoons, Rock Point Provincial Park and further afield Presquile seem to be reporting more frequent sightings of returning birds. Around our area, On Sun. July 18, while doing some atlassing near Peters Corners, a Whimbrel was flushed from a farm field SW of the intersection of Hwy 5 and Woodhill Rd. The bird flew off to the west out of sight. Tollgate Ponds on Eastport Drive seem to be maintaining birds which have been there for the past two weeks with reports of Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs being seen this week. On a Wednesday evening walk near Canada Centre for Inland Waters, baby Caspian Terns can be seen in various stages from egg to almost full grown, an interesting walk for some diversity. Good numbers of Black-crowned Night Herons seem to be thriving here as well. The best place to view these is from the end of the trail which leads north along the water at CCIW. A yard report of Common Nighthawk in Hamilton and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers (8) being seen at Dundas Marsh were the only other noteworthy species reported this week. Until next week, good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe 905-381-0329
