At 9:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 7th, 2005, this is the HNC Birding report: Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Wood Duck American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck King Eider Surf Scoter Black Scoter Osprey Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk American Coot Sandhill Crane Lesser Yellowlegs Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Bonaparte's Gull Glaucous Gull Caspian Tern Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Common Raven Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Eastern Towhee Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Swamp Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Common Redpoll
Migration has taken a turn for the better after that wonderful weather that kept us trapped inside last weekend. This week Beamer has been a busy place for hawks and other birds passing through the area. Last Friday I was awestruck as I looked out off the point at Beamer and viewed hundreds of vultures soaring in from the southeast. They were everywhere, a count of over 1400 for the day. Also in this week were more Red-shouldered Hawks, numerous Red-tailed Hawks, Northern Harriers, many Sharp-shinned Hawks and three Ospreys. Other birds noted at the hawk watch this week were Sandhill Crane, Tree Swallow, Barn Swallow, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, and Fox Sparrow. Continuing to cover this area, flooded fields gave us Wilson's Snipe and Lesser Yellowlegs. Vesper Sparrows were seen on Ridge Road at 10th concession, 11th concession and Green Mountain Road just west of 8th Road East. Also in this same location on Green Mountain, five Eastern Meadowlarks were seen in a snow covered field Monday. Up on 10th Road East a Northern Shrike is still hunting the fields hopefully on its way north. On my way up to Beamer last Friday I stopped at Winona Sewage Lagoons where a variety of ducks were seen, among them, Blue-winged Teal, Green-winged Teal, Wood Duck, American Wigeon, Ring-necked Duck and American Coot. West of here at L.P. Sayers Park the King Eiders continue their presence in smaller numbers than before. Also seen here Monday was a Black Scoter. At nearby Confederation Park, American Woodcock were up calling and Rusty Blackbirds were reported as well. Continuing with ducks etc. the lake and bay area continues to be a worthy source of waterfowl. Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Surf Scoter, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Ring-necked Duck and Bonaparte's Gulls all reported from both areas this week. Keep on the lookout for the Eared Grebe! The Caspian Terns are back as well with the first being seen last Friday and sixteen being seen last night. There were also two Black-crowned Night Herons on the rock islands off of Eastport where the terns were. A 1st yr Glaucous Gull was seen at Canada Centre for Inland Waters today. Banding has started in Ruthven. This is a great place to visit and volunteer with many of the new migrants showing up here first this week. Reported this week were Lesser Yellowlegs, Osprey, Barn Swallows and Swamp Sparrow. The Valley Inn has been a good spot this week with new birds including Black-crowned Night Heron, Osprey, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Belted Kingfisher, Fox Sparrow and Rusty Blackbird. On a walk in the Shoreacres/Paletta Park area this week, Osprey, Northern Shrike, Golden-crowned Kinglet, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, many Winter Wrens, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker and Fox Sparrow are all recent arrivals. On the eastern edge of the Hamilton area at Rattray Marsh in Mississauga over 400 Red-necked Grebes were counted. In the marsh Hermit Thrush and Fox Sparrows were also reported singing. In the odds and sods department this week, a Tufted Titmouse reported from a feeder at Rock Chapel, Eastern Towhee at a feeder in Carlisle, Common Redpolls still holding out at Spencer Creek, Savannah Sparrow from Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle, Common Raven over the Waterdown and the first Great Egret of the year reported today from the Grand River in Brantford. That's the news of the week. Thanks for all your reports. If I've missed anything, I apologize. All my records are forwarded to our bird records database so keep them coming, its important! Until next time..... Cheryl Edgecombe 905-381-0329 HNC Hotline
