At 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, September 30th, 2004 this is the HNC Birding Report:
FERRUGINOUS HAWK POMARINE JAEGER PARASITIC JAEGER SABINE'S GULL BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE NELSON'S SHARP TAILED SPARROW Common Loon Red-throated Loon Great Egret American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Greater Scaup Long-tailed Duck Red-breasted Merganser Northern Harrier American Golden Plover Black-bellied Plover Least Sandpiper Dunlin Eastern Screech Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Golden=crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Orange-crowned Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Hooded Warbler Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanager White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Rusty Blackbird Purple Finch Last Sunday, a juvenile FERRUGINOUS HAWK was reported from the Burloak/QEW area. The bird was observed for about 20 minutes and then it disappeared to the north. Attempts to relocate the bird were unsuccessful. Another report from Michigan turned up around the same time, not the same bird but just a note that all migrating hawks should be looked at!!! Another great week at Van Wagner's beach and for once I hit it at the right time! On Tuesday we observed a POMARINE JAEGER flying next to a PARASITIC JAEGER. Surprisingly the birds came from behind us and not on the lake. What a great way to compare size and structure of these birds side by side. Also that day a distant SABINE'S GULL could be seen on the horizon but a closer one was spotted on Monday. BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was also seen on Tuesday morning. Hopefully the lake will produce something for the upcoming OFO weekend. Ducks and Loons were abundant out on the lake on these winds with Common Loons, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Greater Scaup, Redhead, Green-winged Teal, Long-tailed Ducks and Red-breasted Mergansers. At nearby Tollgate Ponds, an American Golden Plover was present in the week along with a Black-bellied Plover and three Dunlin were seen here on Tuesday. Grimsby Sewage Lagoons were a little short on shorebirds however American Golden Plover (flyover), Least Sandpiper and Dunlin were seen along with a late Barn Swallow and Rough-winged Swallow. Passerine migration has been slow this week perhaps due to the winds, perhaps due to the clear skies which encourages them to keep moving. Among the birds reported from Shell Park were Northern Harrier, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flickers, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Hermit Thrush, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Blue-headed Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Ovenbird and some White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows mixed in. Last Sunday there was a sizable movement of Blackpoll Warblers with 30 plus being reported from just around the garden allotments. Sadly, no sign of our friend "the dove" this week. Paletta/Shoreacres was also fairly quiet however the same mix of thrushes, kinglets were about along with similar warblers to Shell Park in addition to Brown Creeper, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Philadelphia Vireo,Blackburnian Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Scarlet Tanager and Lincoln's Sparrow. Woodland Cemetery reports this week include Red-throated Loon on the bay, Cape May Warbler and Purple Finch along with above mentioned warbler mixes. Dundas Marsh is still turning up NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW. This week up to three have been seen. A reminder that walking conditions in the area are hazardous. Also seen at the marsh this week were Great Egrets and Rusty Blackbirds overhead. The Northshore of Cootes Paradise had a late Hooded Warbler, likely a late leaving nester near Bull's Point and a singing Tufted Titmouse. Orange crowned Warbler was seen here last Friday. Yard reports this week include Dark-eyed Juncos and I had a Screech Owl calling outside the house on Monday, always a treat. That's the scoop for the week. Hopefully with all these birders in for the OFO convention this weekend we can dig up something really tasty. Good birding Cheryl Edgecombe 905-381-0329
