On Thursday, September 14th, 2006, this is the HNC Birding Report:
EARED GREBE LONG-TAILED JAEGER LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL SABINE'S GULL BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE GRAY FLYCATCHER (possible see below) YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER Common Merganser Horned Grebe Bald Eagle American Coot American Golden-Plover Sanderling Stilt Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Caspian Tern Great Horned Owl Common Nighthawk Olive-sided Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Brown Creeper Sedge Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Brown Thrasher Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler White-crowned Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Lots of exciting birds again this week in Hamilton. Two of the top birds seen this week were located less than a kilometer from each other. On Saturday, an EARED GREBE was spotted off of Burloak Park which is located on Lakeshore just west of Burloak across from the Lakeside Plaza. The bird was seen again on Sunday but has not been reported since. On Saturday, it was in the company of two Horned Grebes and on Sunday we had excellent views of a second/third year Bald Eagle soaring over the Lakeshore. Nearby at Shell Park, a YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was seen along the pipeline, quite a surprise for a fall sighting. The bird was seen skulking around the top of the vines and then disappeared as a couple of accipiters dashed through the woodlot. It was relocated about an hour and a half later. Leaf cover made it difficult to see. The bird has not been seen since Monday morning. Along with this bird, a number of migrants were lurking about such as Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Least Flycatcher, Warbling Vireo, Philadelphia Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo, Brown Creeper, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Nashville Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Magnolia Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler, Blackburnian Warbler, Blackpoll Warbler, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart and Wilson's Warbler. Down the Lakeshore at Paletta/Shoreacres a second hand report today came in of a GRAY FLYCATCHER seen yesterday. I have no specific details on the sighting as the observer is now out of the country but a search today by several parties did not turn up anything. I will post if there are more details or the bird shows up in the next few days. Least and Traills Flycatchers were present along with a late Canada Warbler, American Redstart, Magnolia Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a White-throated Sparrow. LaSalle Park was also good for migrating warblers this week with Common Merganser, American Coot, Philadelphia and Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Northern Parula, Nashville , Chestnut-sided , Black & White , Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, Magnolia, Wilson's Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. East winds early in the week made the beach a great place to go again. LONG-TAILED JAEGERS and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL were seen on Sunday and on Monday decent views of SABINE'S GULLS and BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were worth going for. Sanderlings continue to scurry along the beach. Caspian Terns are slowly moving out of the area. Closeby at the Red Hill Creek Outlet off of Eastport Drive a single Red-necked Phalarope was seen along with two American Golden Plovers. The only other report of shorebirds were Stilt Sandpipers which could be seen at the back of Mountsberg Conservation Area. In the odds and sods this week a Great Horned Owl was seen at Woodland Cemetery. At the Rail trail behind VanWagners Ponds, Palm Warblers and a Brown Thrasher were signs of a change in migration. Common Nighthawks can still be seen migrating over Hamilton. An Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Sedge Wren made an appearance near Slote Road on the Rail Trail. A Northern Goshawk was seen consuming a pigeon near Victoria Park and up in North Halton a Hooded Warbler was an unexpected addition to a yard list. That's the news for the week. Stay tuned for more great birding in the Hamilton Study Area. Have a great week! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
