On Thursday, October 20th, 2005 this is the HNC Birding Report: WILLET BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO WOOD THRUSH
Red-throated Loon Common Loon Great Blue Heron Great Egret Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Osprey Northern Goshawk Red-shouldered Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle American Coot Greater Yellowlegs Long-billed Dowitcher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Tree Swallow Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Gray Catbird Cedar Waxwing Red-eyed Vireo Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Purple Finch Pine Siskin A quiet week for rarities this week with the only birds in capitals, late dates for these specific birds. Nonetheless, migration marches on with large numbers of birds moving through after the week of rain we had previously. Woodland Cemetery was busy this weekend with hundreds if not thousands of migrants pouring out. Among some of the birds seen were Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Osprey, Red-shouldered Hawk, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Golden crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Eastern Bluebird, Cedar Waxwing, Nashville Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Wilson's Warbler, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco, Eastern Meadowlark, Rusty Blackbird, Purple Finch and Pine Siskin. Blackbirds and Robins were in great numbers going over. Today a Northern Goshawk was seen passing through. Van Wagner's Beach was quiet this week with mainly west winds blowing. However, the number of waterfowl out on the lake has increased significantly. This includes White-winged Scoter, Greater and Lesser Scaup, and Common Goldeneye. The BUFF BREASTED SANDPIPER was last seen on Saturday behind the go cart tract. An increase in the number of ducks at LaSalle marina was also noticed this week with sightings including Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck and both species of Scaup. At LaSalle last Friday, a WILLET was seen on the rock islands. Out in the Dundas Marsh this week, a Long-billed Dowitcher along with Greater Yellowlegs were still present as of Saturday. The Godwits and the two specialty gulls, Little and Franklins, have disappeared. Along the edge of the marsh a group of American Coots were present and out in the marsh many Great Blue Herons and Great Egrets were seen. On the muddy banks, two peregrines sat and sized up dinner last Saturday. Also present at the marsh in significant numbers were Nelson's Sharp-tailed Sparrows. Several of them were feeding on the vermin feeding on the dead carp in the first pond you encounter heading out the willows trail. Sparrows were again abundant this week with two spots of note. Behind the Dundas Arena, Fox, Field, Lincoln's, Swamp, Song, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows were seen along with a Common Yellowthroat. The same mix was present in the orchard off of Cumberland and Harvester Road in Burlington in addition to a Nashville Warbler. In the Hendrie Valley, a late BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, many Hermit Thrush, Red-eyed Vireo, Orange-crowned Warbler and a mix of sparrows were reported from the weekend. In the odds & sods category, a Golden Eagle was seen in a kettle of Turkey Vultures over Victoria Park today, Wild Turkey were seen in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, last Friday, a Dark-phased Rough-legged Hawk flew over Campbellville, Tuesday, a Black-throated Blue Warbler was seen in Sherwood Forest Park and this evening I had a late WOOD THRUSH in the yard here in Burlington. That's the news of the week. Until next time.....good birding. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
