On Friday, April 18th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal King Eider Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Sora Common Moorhen Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Caspian Tern Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Barn Swallow Brown Creeper Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin
Another positive week here in the HSA with warm temperatures and birds trickling in through the week on southwest winds. Although numbers have been low, we are going for quality not quantity here. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch has been excellent again this week for migrating raptors and other birds. This weeks raptors include the first big push of Broad-winged Hawks along with Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk and two more Golden Eagle. I'm sure today and tomorrow will be excellent here. Among other birds seen here this week Common Loons in numbers, Sandhill Crane, Upland Sandpiper, Bonaparte's Gull, a compliment of 4 species of Swallow, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee and Fox Sparrow. Cruising the roads around the Hawkwatch in the area known as Saltfleet, numerous flooded fields which are now drying up produced ducks such as American Wigeon, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Blue-winged Teal and shorebirds including both species of Yellowlegs and Dunlin. One of the best spot is the flooded areas which can be seen from Ridge Road looking south however a scope is necessary. The Blue-winged Teal were on Powerline Road close to Tapleytown where also a field of gulls produced 15 Bonaparte's'. Sparrows are also turning up in the area with Savannah Sparrow, Vesper Sparrow (seen along the Dofasco Trail west of 10th Road East) and Field Sparrows up singing. On 10th Road East, Upland Sandpipers should be there any day now if not already. Another hotspot this week is Rattray Marsh located at the end of Bexhill Drive in Mississauga. Among migrants there this week, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Common Moorhen, Purple Martin, Yellow-rumped Warbler, an early Black-throated Green Warbler, Fox, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow and Purple Finch on their way back north. Numbers of Yellow-rumped Warblers should show at any time. Down at Fifty Point, things were quiet yesterday with only Ruby-crowned Kinglet and White-throated Sparrow seen. A female King Eider was seen off 50 Point on April 15th. A Snow Bunting was seen last Sunday. At the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons last Friday an early Sora was flushed. Behind VanWagners Ponds last weekend, Tree and Rough-winged Swallow, Hermit Thrush and Chipping Sparrow were seen. The lakeshore properties were quiet this week. Shell Park sightings include a bizarre spectacle of a female Wild Turkey running across the soccer field. Migrants and residents this week included Northern Flicker, Gray Catbird, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Winter and Carolina Wren, Eastern Towhee and Fox Sparrow. In the odds and sods a Louisiana Waterthrush was found last Tuesday on Tuck Creek located between Walkers and Guelph Line. The bird was seen near Lakeshore Road but was a one day wonder. They should be in traditional spots in the HSA now. A Virginia Rail was heard in the Dundas Marsh this morning. From Brantford sightings of Sandhill Crane, a Merlin in a display flight, territorial Pine Warblers, Chipping Sparrow, late Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins. Wild Turkey were seen at Valley Road close to York Road. A late flock of Bohemian Waxwings were seen at 6th Line and Leighland in Oakville last Friday, likely the last of the bunch. This week promises to be a big one so keep me posted of your sightings. 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
