On Thursday, May 17th, 2007 this is the HNC Birding Report: CATTLE EGRET LAUGHING GULL WILLET PRAIRIE WARBLER WORM-EATING WARBLER KENTUCKY WARBLER
Ring-necked Duck Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Osprey Broad-winged Hawk Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Spotted Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Common Tern Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Wood Pewee Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Common Raven Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Veery Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Cedar Waxwing Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Scarlet Tanager Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Its been a very busy two weeks here in Hamilton. On vacation at Pelee last week, I missed some of the great sightings around here. Sorry for the long report but two weeks during migration makes for a big build up. Some of the rarities in the area over the past two weeks include two sightings of CATTLE EGRET. One on Centre Road north of Waterdown which was only just reported from the beginning of May and another sighting from someone bulldozing property up on Hamilton Mountain last week at the intersection of Paramount and Mud Street. As with typical wandering Cattle Egrets, neither have been reported since and a search this week did not turn anything up. A WILLET was found today at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons. A LAUGHING GULL was reported last week cruising past Bronte Harbour. Unfortunately the bird was a fly-by and subsequent searches on the Harbour and on Hamilton Harbour did not produce any results. At nearby Shell Park a downfall of warblers after a storm, produced a good crop of warblers including two PRAIRIE WARBLERS a bird not often familiar in the Hamilton Study Area. Another result was a WORM-EATING WARBLER at Lakeside Park in Mississauga, a real hotspot this spring with the first Hooded Warbler there in early May. Last but not least a male KENTUCKY WARBLER was found today on the Captain Cootes Trail at the RBG Arboretum and female KENTUCKY WARBLER was reported two days ago from Rattray Marsh. Beginning on the lakeshore, many of the local hotspots mentioned above, did not disappoint this week with many species of warblers and vireos being seen moving through. At Rattray Marsh, located at the end of Bexhill Drive in Mississauga, birds noted this week include, Red-necked Grebe, Common Tern, Spotted Sandpiper, Virginia Rail, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Least Flycatcher, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Pileated Woodpecker, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Veery, Swainson's Thrush, Wood Thrush, Golden-winged, Tennessee, Nashville, Northern Parula, Yellow, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Palm, Bay-breasted , Blackpoll, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Mourning Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's and Canada Warbler. Vireos include Blue-headed, Red-eyed, Philadelphia and Warbling Vireo. Sparrows include Lincoln's, White-crowned and White Throated Sparrow. Many of the same birds have been reported from Shell Park and Shoreacres/Paletta Park this week with a few mingled differences. At Shell Park, a Yellow-throated Vireo was seen yesterday. Migrants at Shoreacres include Black-crowned Night Heron, Eastern Wood Pewee, Cape May Warbler, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, and Scarlet Tanager to add some variety to the mix. At the RBG Arboretum today, in addition to the Kentucky Warbler, many species of warblers were present with an abundance of Yellow-rumped Warblers being notable. Wood and Swainson's Thrush, Indigo Bunting, Scarlet Tanager, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Yellow-throated Vireo were other notables. Earlier in the week, a Red-headed Woodpecker made an appearance at Bull's Point. Out at the Dundas Marsh, water levels remain high particularly after the rain. Green Heron, Cedar Waxwings and pair of Yellow-billed Cuckoos were seen as possible nesters along the Willows trail. At Martin's Lane in Ancaster two Hooded Warblers were on usual hillside territory, Black-billed Cuckoos (pair), and very active Blue-winged Warbler were great finds along with a pair of Scarlet Tanagers. A Broad-winged Hawk was flying overhead and calling. Fifty Point Conservation Area was also good last week and again this week for migrating warblers. Among the many species found today was an Orange-crowned Warbler along Kelson Ave. This is also a good place for Orchard Oriole a bird not too common in the HSA. Out on the lake many Red-breasted Mergansers remain and off of Shoreacres we witnessed two Common Loons doing a display, an awesome treat. This is a good time to keep scanning the lake for any vagrants as well! Good news for our Peregrines, Madame X has successfully hatched 4 chicks on the nest at the Sheraton Hotel. In the odds and sods department this week, Black-billed Cuckoos and Marsh Wrens are back at the Millgrove Loam Pits in Flamborough. A number of Least Sandpipers were seen at the intersection of Oldfield Road and Concession 4. A Common Raven was seen flying over the 403 about half way up the mountain. Blue-winged and Brewster's Warblers are notable at Rock Chapel and the Dundas Valley and at our Cartwright Sanctuary. An Osprey is on nest at the back of Binbrook Conservation Area. At Borers Falls C.A., a Red-headed Woodpecker was present for a couple days earlier in the week. Green Heron was reported from the Desjardins Canal and last night, our first reported Common Nighthawk was flying over the parking lot at the Dundas Trail Centre off of Governors Road. That's the news of the week. Long weekend, great weather, lots of birds, please send in your reports! Ben and I will be doing our OFO Celebrity Birdathon tomorrow. If you see anything great in the Hamilton Area, call and leave a message on the hotline! Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
