On Friday, July 6th, 2007 this is the HNC Birding Report: Great Egret Green Heron Osprey Broad-winged Hawk Sora Common Moorhen Lesser Yellowlegs Least Sandpiper Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Eastern Screech Owl Ruby-throated Hummingbird Acadian Flycatcher Red-eyed Vireo Marsh Wren Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird Veery Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Hooded Warbler Canada Warbler Field Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Indigo Bunting Northern Oriole Orchard Oriole
Lots of breeding activity to report this week as young birds are fledging from the nests. This weeks activity covers a number of different locations in the HSA. No rarities about but a few early migrants and lots of variety. Heading up to the LaFarge Trail once again, reports coming in from the trail running south from Concession 10 through the Fletcher Creek Swamp Forest include Winter Wren, Red-eyed Vireo, Veery, Ovenbird, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, several Canada Warblers, Field Sparrow, White-throated Sparrow, Indigo Bunting and Northern Oriole. The best access to this trail is by going west on Hwy 97 from Hwy 6 and turning on Middletown Road. The trail runs north to 10th concession from the end of Middletown Road. Broad-winged Hawks were seen on the LaFarge Trail which is accessed from 8th concession W. On the trails at the RBG this week many young birds were seen including Sora with 4 young, Marsh Wren, a young Black-and-White Warbler and Eastern Bluebird. Juvenile Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warbler were seen on the Pinetum Trail near the large wooden trail sign. In the Dundas Valley along the Headwaters Trail, spishing drew out a few birds including Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Hooded Warbler, American Redstart and Pine Warbler. Shorebirds were seen in the storm ponds on North Service Road just west of Guelph Line including a dozen Lesser Yellowlegs and a Least Sandpiper on Wednesday. Water levels are down in the ponds and there are a few areas of exposed mud, a great place for a vagrant to drop in. Out of the HSA but part of the Hamilton Naturalists Club Sanctuaries, Spooky Hollow this week had a nice mix of Acadian Flycatcher, Black-throated Blue and Green Warbler and Blackburnian Warbler. Spooky Hollow is located near Normandale and Turkey Point in Norfolk County. In the odds and sods this week, both species of Cuckoo and an Eastern Screech Owl were seen at Rock Chapel. Young Eastern Screech Owls were seen in the Walkers Line and New Street area of Burlington. Green Herons were seen at Grimsby Sewage Lagoons and Common Moorhen was heard but not seen. A Great Egret was seen flying over the downtown area of Burlington, and on the Rail Trail from just north of Paris to just south of 403 Tuesday morning Osprey, Broad-winged Hawk and Orchard Oriole were seen. That's the news for this week, please report your sightings to the hotline, they are most appreciated. Good birding! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
