On Friday, August 15th, 2008, this is the HNC Birding Report: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE
Wild Turkey Great Egret Osprey Bald Eagle Broad-winged Hawk Peregrine Falcon Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Bonaparte's Gull Common Tern Great Horned Owl Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Eastern Wood Pewee Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Bank Swallow Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Gray Gnatcatcher Yellow Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Northern Waterthrush Canada Warbler Rose breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Baltimore Oriole Things are starting to get interesting here in the Hamilton Study area. The mix of migrants is starting to churn and with it, promise of a great fall migration (Hamilton's specialty). The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN has been present all week, sticking close to the north-east shore of the Harbour throughout the week. The bird was seen again today and can often be looked for lurking around the islands located off Eastport Drive. Last weekend a juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was seen and well photographed near the island at Canada Centre for Inland Waters which is an unexpected place for this species. On Monday other birds seen here were Bonaparte's Gull, Common Tern, Osprey and a juvenile Peregrine Falcon. In coming weeks, east winds will start and the Hamilton Hot Spot of VanWagners Beach will be the place to go. The record rainfall in the Hamilton area has brought a diversity in the habitat not expected this time of year in the HSA. A search of fields in the Flamborough area brought Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Spotted, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper to various fields in the Flamborough area. Good spots to check out include 5th Concession West about 500 m east of Westover Rd on the south side of the road, the Flamborough Speedway on 5th Conc. West immediately west of Brock Rd and Brock Rd north of Hwy 5 just north of the big bend in the road on the east side. Any of the flooded fields in these areas are good placed to look since many of the traditional places are too flooded for smaller shorebirds. Another good spot for shorebirds this week were the fields in Saltfleet up on Hamilton mountain, traditionally only good in spring migration. At a field at Powerline Rd between 5th Rd E and 4th Rd East, seventy five Lesser Yellowlegs and six Solitary Sandpipers were seen in this area. More shorebirds including Lesser Yellowlegs and Solitary Sandpiper were found on Green Mountain Rd a bit west of 8th Rd East. All of these fields should be checked for rarities as these seem to be the spots where the birds are congregating. Passerine migration has also begun this week. Last weekend at Woodland Cemetery Osprey, Eastern Wood Pewee, Black-and White Warbler, and Canada Warbler were among migrants seen here. Two hundred and eighty five Bank Swallows were seen during a two and a half hour watch. At Shoreacres/Paletta Park in Burlington, Yellow-bellied and Great Crested Flycatcher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Warbling Vireo and Black-and-White Warbler were birds seen here this week. At Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle, Broad-winged Hawk, Red-bellied Woodpecker (juv.), Warbling Vireo, Yellow Warbler, Bobolink and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were among birds seen in the week. In the odds and sods, two Osprey were seen over Cootes Drive in Dundas. A Great Egret was seen going over Borers Falls flying toward Dundas Marsh and another seen at Centre Road near 5th Concession East. A juvenile Bald Eagle was seen over Westdale Village on Wednesday. Another Broad-winged Hawk was passing through Valley Inn on Wednesday. A few Common Nighthawks have been seen over Flamborough and Dundas and one over Lakeshore and Walkers Line this week. At Sherwood Forest Park, a Least Flycatcher and Northern Waterthrush were seen Sunday. At Bronte Creek Campground, Baltimore Oriole, Gray Catbird in numbers and Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were seen in migration. At Rock Chapel near the escarpment, a Great Horned Owl was seen last Monday. A Wild Turkey was seen at 10th Road East and the Dofasco Trail. That's the news for the week, please keep reporting your sightings. Things will get busy in the next few weeks. 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
