On Friday April 11th, 2008, this is the HNC Birding report: Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Northern Goshawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Sandhill Crane Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Caspian Tern Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Eastern Phoebe Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Tufted Titmouse Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Bohemian Waxwing Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Towhee Vesper Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird
Its been a busy week here in the HSA despite the diverse weather conditions this week. A number of migrants have filtered into the area bringing us hope of more to come. Let's start with the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch which has been in a changeover this week from early migrants to later raptors yet to appear such as Broad-winged Hawk . This week many Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks, a few Rough-legged Hawks , Northern Goshawk and a Golden Eagle continue to filter through but also seen an increase in the number of Osprey, and Northern Harriers returning. Other birds reported from here include Common Loon, Sandhill Crane, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Purple Martin, an increase in Tree Swallows and Fox Sparrows as regulars at the feeders . Up in the surrounding area known as Saltfleet, a sweep of the flooded fields of the area yielded Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Wilson's Snipe, Northern Rough-winged Swallow, Tree Swallow, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Vesper Sparrow, Savannah Sparrow, Eastern Meadowlark and Rusty Blackbird. Another hotspot in the HSA is Rattray Marsh at the end of Bexhill Drive in Mississauga where a number of similar migrants plus a few extras add spice to what have been seen in the week. During the course of the week, Wood Duck, Blue-winged Teal, Red-throated Loon, Common Loon, Pied-billed Grebe, Red-necked Grebe, Great Egret, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Pileated Woodpecker, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow, Winter Wren, and Pine Warbler have all been reported from this tiny jewel in the midst of an urban jungle. On the Hamilton Harbour this week, Common Loons, Black-crowned night Herons and an increasing number of Caspian Terns have returned. Today, three species of swallows were seen from Canada Centre for Inland Waters including Tree, Barn and Rough-winged Swallows. At Shoreacres/Paletta Park in Burlington this week, Tufted Titmouse continues to be seen on a regular basis. Other migrants include Bonaparte's Gull, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Fox Sparrow. Out on the lake yesterday, a total of 130 Red-necked Grebes and 8 Horned Grebes were seen offshore. Our winter guests seem to have disappeared. There were a few sightings of Bohemian Waxwings this week. A massive flock of Bohemians were viewed on 6th line in Milton last Saturday. A Bohemian Waxwing was seen just upriver of Wilkes Dam on the Grand River on Sunday. Two Bohemians were seen at the Dundas Marsh in the week. A Bohemian Waxwing was seen in Ancaster on Monday and a small flock were seen at Sixth Line & Leighland in Oakville today which is approaching a late date for this species. Any further sightings of this species is well worth noting and reporting! In the odds and sods this week a Pine Warbler was seen and heard at LaSalle Park on Tuesday. Out at the Brantford Airport, a Lapland Longspur, several Eastern Meadowlarks and a singing Vesper Sparrow were highlights. A Sandhill Crane was seen at Hwy 97 and Kirkwall Rd. A Great Egret was seen at Bronte Marsh last Friday and at Fifty Point Conservation Area on Saturday. A Pileated Woodpecker, Golden-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-rumped Warblers and an Eastern Towhee were viewed from the Northshore Trails at the Royal Botanical Gardens. A Wilson's Snipe was seen at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. An Eastern Towhee was photographed in a yard in Grimsby and a Brown Thrasher and Hermit Thrush were new migrants at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington on Wednesday. That's the news this week. Thanks for your sightings! This weeks warm temperatures will bring more goodies into the area, please keep me advised. 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
