On Friday August 1st, 2008, this is the HNC Birding Report: LITTLE STINT * RED CROSSBILL
Green-winged Teal Lesser Scaup Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Least Bittern Osprey Sora American Coot Sandhill Crane Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Upland Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper American Woodcock Wilson's Phalarope Red-necked Phalarope * Great Horned Owl Red-breasted Nuthatch Blue-winged Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting *indicates outside of the Hamilton Study Area Another week of shorebirds on the move here in Hamilton. With excess rain in the area many of our fields down to the south and up in Saltfleet are flooded which is unusual for this time of year. Still borrowing sightings from an area just outside the Hamilton Study Area boundaries, Townsend Sewage lagoons has proved again productive this week. Last Sunday, an apparent LITTLE STINT was found in the evening. The bird was seen by three observers several times skirting the vegetation of the southeast cell. Unfortunately the bird was not refound the next day after a full day search. Other birds found here this week though were Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary, Spotted, Semipalmated, Least and Stilt Sandpiper, Wilson's and Red-necked Phalarope (seen yesterday) Water remains high in the cells and many of the shorebirds are scurrying through the vegetation so patience is necessary but persistence pays off. Returning to the Hamilton Area, other spots for shorebirds this week include wet fields SE of Hagersville, on King St. E (or Indiana rd. E, just outside of town on the N side of the road) Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers were present in the mowed wet hayfield. On RR 9 another field of Lesser Yellowlegs and an Upland Sandpiper standing on the hydro wires was a neat surprise here. Another Upland Sandpiper was heard going over a Dundas residence on migration Monday night. Waterdown Garden Supplies on Hwy 5 just west of Peters Corners. Here Lesser Yellowlegs, Semi-palmated, Least, Pectoral and Solitary Sandpipers were seen earlier in the week. This morning at Burloak Storm water Ponds on Upper Middle Road, Solitary Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen. At the Windermere Basin sightings Monday included Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Hooded Merganser, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs, and Semipalmated Sandpiper. Passerine migrants have been few this week but last Sunday morning a RED CROSSBILL was heard calling over the Pleasant Valley area in Dundas. The eruption of both species of Crossbills continue throughout the province and more birds could be found in coming weeks moving through the area. In the Hyde Tract located on Safari Road just east of Kirkwall Road, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Blue-winged, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warbler, Ovenbird, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting were seen in the week. In the odds and sods this week an American Woodcock was spotted flying over Conc 5 W of Brock Rd. Another American Woodcock and American Redstart were seen in the Waterdown Wetlands. It appears that Least Bitterns have stayed in the Bronte Marsh with an individual being seen last weekend. Pine Warblers have also bred in the Bronte Woods. Sandhill Cranes continue to be present near Deer Run Court just north of Brantford. A Great Horned Owl was also heard calling here in the week. An Osprey was seen last Sunday on the rail trail near Glen Morris. That's the news for this week. Have a great long weekend! 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
