On Friday, September 21st, 2007, this is the HNC Birding Report: EARED GREBE PARASITIC JAEGER SABINE'S GULL BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Ring-necked Duck White-winged Scoter Ruddy Duck Pied-billed Grebe Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Common Moorhen Sandhill Crane Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Lesser Yellowlegs Sanderling Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Red-necked Phalarope Caspian Tern Black Tern Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Wood-Pewee Great Crested Flycatcher Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Brown Creeper Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Field Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak A little slower this week with a pause in the migration as the weather remains warm with only weak cold fronts coming through. Yesterday however, an EARED GREBE was the find of the week at the Windermere Basin accessed now from a parking lot off of Eastport Drive where the City of Hamilton has made a park with trails just south of Pier 25/26. Other birds in the basin included American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Pied-billed Grebe and Lesser Yellowlegs. Nearby at VanWagners beach on Monday and Tuesday, east/northeast winds did not disappoint and on Monday a lucky observer had a Sabine's Gull which settled in on the beach. Out on the lake the same day a total of 7 Sabine's Gulls in the company of a Kittiwake were seen. A number of Parasitic Jaegers and a Red-necked Phalarope were also seen on Monday. On Tuesday, an adult and a juvenile Parasitic Jaeger were seen together and one of them broke off to chase a Sabine's Gull. A few more Parasitic Jaegers were also moving through. Other birds noted this week were a few remaining Caspian Terns, Sanderling and White-winged Scoter. In the shorebird department, the Valley Inn seems to have taken over as the local hotspot. This week a Red-necked Phalarope was present on Tuesday and Wednesday. Other shorebirds seen this week include Lesser Yellowlegs, Least, Pectoral and Stilt Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Wilson's Snipe. Out at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons, things are quiet but a Common Moorhen was seen last Sunday. Please note that the Department of National Defense is working in the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons to clear sediments out of the north pond. There is heavy equipment and dangerous conditions here at present. Access should be limited to weekends and birders should heed the No Trespassing signs posted there. Passerine migration seems to be at a lull this week with fewer numbers of warblers being seen. At Shoreacres/Paletta Park Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Warbling Vireo, Brown Creeper, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Swainson's Thrush, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were all reported this week, in fact most of these seen Thursday. At a little known hotspot Sherwood Forest Park located at the end of Fairview St. in Burlington, a few other migrants such as Eastern Wood Pewee, Great Crested Flycatcher, Field and White-throated Sparrow added some variety to other migrants seen above. Reports of migrating hawks this week were slower however out near the Brantford/Paris area 691 Broad–winged Hawks, 4 Osprey, a Northern Harrier, 7 migrating Sharp-shinned Hawks and a Sandhill Crane flew were seen on migration over a residence last Sunday morning and a smaller migration of Broad-wings on Monday. In the odds and sods the first of fall Blue-headed Vireo made an appearance at Warren Park in Dundas. Fall arrives this weekend but temperatures remain warm. The next cold front should bring in a fresh batch of migrants. Please report your sightings to the hotline, anything can show up at anytime. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdshow.htm ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm
