On Friday, June 29th, 2007, this is the HNC Birding Report: Red-necked Grebe Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Northern Goshawk Peregrine Falcon American Coot Lesser Yellowlegs Common Tern Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Screech-Owl Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Winter Wren Sedge Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Veery Cedar Waxwing Blue-winged Warbler Brewster's Warbler Lawrence's Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-and-White Warbler Northern Waterthrush Mourning Warbler American Redstart Common Yellowthroat Scarlet Tanager Clay-colored Sparrow Vesper Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Orchard Oriole
Another quiet week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Many birds are remaining hidden with young in the nest. Regardless, we do have reports from around the area including our first southbound fall migrants! This week at Millgrove Loam Pits, located on 5th Concession West in Flamborough west of Moffat Road, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Eastern Kingbird, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, and American Redstart are all in nesting mode here. At our northern habitat on the LaFarge Trail in Flamborough heading south from Concession 10W, Yellow-throated Vireo, Veery, Winter Wren, Black and White Warbler, Mourning Warbler, (three adults and one immature), Common Yellowthroat, and White-throated Sparrows were seen last weekend. On the same trail just north of 8th concession W, Least Flycatcher, Northern Waterthrush, Vesper Sparrow and Scarlet Tanager were reported making this trail a very unique place to visit here in the HSA. Off of Paddy Green Road, the Sedge Wren is still present in the same field in the west end of the Dundas Valley. Other birds here include both species of cuckoos, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Mourning Warbler and Common Yellowthroat . At the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons this week, the Common Terns appear to have another chick in the fold looking slightly younger than the one which has been seen in past. American Coots with young, Green Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron are all present here as well. Water levels are dropping so this might be conducive to migrating shorebirds in the coming weeks. On this note, two Lesser Yellowlegs were present in the storm ponds at Guelph Line and North Service Road this week. The water levels are lower here and its a great place to keep looking for shorebirds which will drop in on their way south in the next few weeks. On the Peregrine Watch at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton, Blue-foot the second chick which was taken from the nest to be treated at Guelph University for an infection, has returned and is doing extremely well along with its sibling Jump Up. Both appear to be healthy and ready to give the falcon watchers a good time in the next few weeks as they exercise their right to fly! Although not visible on the camera any more, our coordinator Kelly Pike has been posting daily updates on the chicks at http://www.hamiltonnature.org/hamfalcam.html Many odds and ends to report this week. The Northern Goshawk continues to be present and very alert in the Killbride area defending its territory with great effort, harassing another victim this week! An Eastern Screech Owl was seen and heard in the Rock Chapel area. Clay-colored Sparrow was reported from the Guelph Arboretum. Orchard Oriole and Blue-winged Warbler were seen in the Hopkins Tract off of York Road. The Dundas Valley, always a great place for the study of the Blue-winged/Golden-winged complex reported Brewster's Warbler on Ski Loop Trail A and Lawrence's Warbler present in the Merrick Orchard Area. At Bronte Harbour the Red-necked Grebes are on nest, any reports of hatched young would be appreciated. Thanks for all the reports! Have a great week. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
