On Friday, June 6th 2008, this is the HNC Birding Report:
Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Ruffed Grouse Red-throated Loon Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Least Bittern Great Egret Bald Eagle Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Greater Yellowlegs Spotted Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Dunlin Little Gull Bonaparte's Gull Black Tern Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Whip-poor-will Willow Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Tufted Titmouse Veery Brown Thrasher Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Brewster's Warbler Nashville Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler BLackpoll Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Canada Warbler Scarlet Tanager Clay-colored Sparrow Field Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Bobolink Orchard Oriole Purple Finch Migration is settling down rapidly here in the HSA but breeding birds are interesting too and we have many in the area to keep us busy. Some lingering migrants were still to be found this week in various hotspots around Hamilton. We have little shorebird habitat here in Hamilton. A few of the storm water ponds and puddles have been productive though in turning up some lingering migrating shorebirds. At the Windermere Basin, a small flooded area in the middle of the new park had Dunlin, Semipalmated, Least and White-rumped Sandpiper this week. It is rapidly drying up so this habitat won't be around for long. A good find here also this week was a Black Tern yesterday. The storm water pond located just at the corner of Rebecca and Great Lakes Blvd across the street and east of the Shell Station on the north side, was productive for turning up a stunning Black-bellied Plover last seen Wednesday, a late Greater Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Sandpipers and Dunlin in the week. Another good spot although rapidly drying up was a storm water pond located on Upper Middle Road just west of Burloak. Semipalmated Plover, Spotted, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper were found here in fluctuating numbers this week. Many of the Hamilton birders get their fill of ducks in the winter months. I for one, don't tend to look at the lake at this time of the year but many of our Hamilton rarities have turned up here in late spring. Yesterday a scan of the lake from one of our dedicated lake watchers produced a 1st Alt. Little Gull with about 12 Bonaparte's Gulls off Lewis Rd., a 1st Alt. Red-throated Loon off of Green Rd, Common Loons at various stops, Surf Scoter at Fifty Point and Gray's Rd,White-winged Scoter, Red-breasted Mergansers and distant Horned Grebes at Fifty Point. Many of these birds were missed on our big day! Keeping with the waterfowl theme, down at Bronte Harbour three nests of Red-necked Grebes can be found. A unique spot for breeding birds in the Hamilton Study Area which highlights more northern species is the LaFarge Trail located up in Flamborough. On the Lafarge Trail on the 10th Concession north of Freelton there were Veery, Northern Waterthrush, Canada Warbler, Nashville Warbler, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Ovenbird, and Ruffed Grouse. Alder Flycatcher were calling from the 10th concession there. Along the 6th Concession just east of Kirkwall Road, nesting Grasshopper Sparrows can be seen and heard. Further along 6th concession W at Kirkwall Road, Whip-poor-will can be heard calling in the late evening and early morning if you are lucky. Also in Flamborough the Millgrove Loam Pits located on 5th Concession West of Moffat Road are a great place to view or hear Great Egret, Least Bittern, Pied-billed Grebe, Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Willow Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo all which breed here. Another nice spot to visit this time of year is the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. There are several locations which are good this time of year, best to get a map from the trail centre located on Governors Road just outside of Dundas. At the Headwaters Trail off of Powerline Road, Clay-colored Sparrow, Mourning Warbler, Chestnut-sided Warbler, Black-billed Cuckoo, Brown Thrasher and Field Sparrow are among the species which nest here. Golden-winged Warbler, Brewster's Warbler, Blue-winged, Chestnut-sided Warbler, American Redstart and Common Yellowthroat were seen behind Griffin House Wednesday and Thursday. Griffin House is on the north side Mineral Springs Rd in Ancaster just west of Sulphur Springs Rd. Parking is available at the gatehouse just east of the Sulphur Springs and Mineral Springs intersection or further west on Mineral Springs Rd at the C.A. maintenance yards. The McCormack Trail located on Governor's Road just west of Dundas near the DVCA Trail Centre is a good place to find nesting Yellow-billed Cuckoo, Chestnut-sided and Blue-winged Warblers, Scarlet Tanager, Orchard Oriole and Bobolink. Exiting news from the Peregrine Falcon nests at both the Hamilton locations. The Sheraton chicks have been banded, named appropriately after very dear members of the Hamilton Naturalists Club who have passed away recently, a fitting tribute in my opinion. The chicks, Miles, Blashill, Duncan and Elstone are all doing well and volunteers will be needed to help these chicks in the coming weeks as they prepare to get their wings. A camera located at the Sheraton is good entertainment! http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/ The other nest at the lift bridge appears to have been successful for the first time since the nesting platform was set up. Four chicks are also present here. There is no formal peregrine watch here but an eye must be kept out as these birds also have their hazards ahead of them. Another great nesting story is the Bald Eagles nest located at the end of McClung Road in Caledonia. Various reports of 1 to 2 chicks which are visible in the nest is great news for Hamilton's first nesting record for this species in a very long time. In the odds and sods, late Blackpoll warblers were seen at Bronte Bluffs Park and Bronte Provincial Park, Common Nighthawks were reported over Dundas and at Peter's Corners, a Tufted Titmouse was heard calling in the Hendrie Valley and a very late Purple Finch visited a feeder in Binbrook. That's the news for the week. Enjoy the summer weather and keep me posted on your sightings. Thanks to Brandon for covering me last week! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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