On Friday, February 29th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: SNOW GOOSE COMMON GRACKLE HOARY REDPOLL
Wood Duck Canvasback Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Horned Grebe Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk (western, rufous-morph) Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Horned Lark Brown Creeper Carolina Wren Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Snow Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Common Redpoll Pine Siskin I dare to say that there are subtle signs of spring this week that ends off with another snow blast but there is hope that in the next month things will turn around. A few good birds were dug out of the woodwork this week to add some spice to the Hamilton sightings. A hopeful sign of spring was the appearance of a Common Grackle in the Campbellville Area at Reid Road. There is no specific "place to be" this week but a few birds have cropped up of note. Down at the Valley Inn on the Boardwalk, Golden-crowned and a single Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Carolina and Winter Wren were seen and heard. A mixed flock of Red-winged Blackbirds and Brown-headed Cowbirds were seen here along with White-throated, White-crowned and American Tree Sparrows. At LaSalle Park, Canvasbacks seem to be increasing in number, a male Wood Duck is still being reported and from this vantage point a number of Bald Eagles can be seen on the bay. As many as 9 of various ages are being seen at Carroll's Point, sitting on the ice and cruising over the bay this week. At the southwest corner of Canada Centre for Inland Waters a nice group of 6 Bald Eagles congregated with 2 in the distance. A tour of Flamborough today produced the western, rufous-morph Red-tailed Hawk along the Fourth Concession Road about halfway between Middletown Road and Westover road where it was perched on the south side. A Ruffed Grouse was seen at Hyde Tract on Safari Road just west of Kirkwall. Snow Bunting and Horned Larks were seen sporadically throughout the area. A large flock of about 550 gulls were seen as follows along Hwy 5 just east of Waterdown Garden Supplies: RBGU (100), HEGU (350), Great Black-backed Gull (2), Glaucous Gull (13), Kumlien's Iceland Gull (4) and (1) classic adult Thayer's Gull. This is all private property but many of the gulls may be seen and scoped quite well from the highway. Make sure you pull your car are well off this busy road. Also here, (11) Turkey Vulture, (1) Rough-leg, (1) Merlin, (67) Turkeys (two flocks) on adjacent Woodhill Road to the west. Odds and sods are many this week so here it goes, three Brown Creepers were seen at Paletta Park in Burlington. The Horned Grebe was reported earlier in the week in the Desjardins Canal. Two Turkey Vultures were seen over University Plaza in Dundas. A HOARY REDPOLL was reported from two locations, one at Rock Chapel Road and another still being seen with a flock of Common Redpolls on 10th Road East in Saltfleet just south of Ridge Road. A SNOW GOOSE was reported in this area amongst thousands of Canada Geese. Pine Siskins are still present at a feeder just outside of Brantford. A Merlin has been seen in Central Park in Burlington early in the week. A Chipping Sparrow was a notable find in the small village of Branchton at 37 Hughson. A Northern Goshawk was reported from the tower at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area today. And finally, the Black-crowned Night Heron which was reported earlier in the winter at Bayfront Park in Hamilton appears to have relocated to the Windermere Basin. On a sad note this week the overwintering Red-shouldered Hawk near Campbellville and Twiss Road was found by the side of the road, a victim of a car hit. Sad news for a bird which has spent several winters in this area. That's the news for the week. For the next two weeks we have a guest host taking over (just like Jay Leno). Thanks to Brandon Holden for his coverage for the next couple of weeks. Please report your sightings in the area to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Thanks and have a great week! Good Birding Cheryl Edgecombe 905-381-0329 HNC Hotline _______________________________________________ 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
