On Friday, November 7th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: MANX SHEARWATER SNOWY OWL NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL
Brant Ruffed Grouse Red-throated Loon Common Loon Osprey Golden Eagle Black-bellied Plover Greater Yellowlegs Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Purple Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Red Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Tree Swallow Tufted Titmouse Orange-crowned Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Field Sparrow Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin It was an exciting week here in the Hamilton Study area with highlights including one mega rarity, some excellent birds being found before, during and after the Fall Bird Count and a good number of winter finches being seen this week. Last Saturday, a MANX SHEARWATER was viewed from just outside of Hutches Restaurant at a fairly close proximity. The bird was followed from the wave tower to just near Fifty Point. Unfortunately, this was the only flyby of the bird much to the disappointment of birders who spent the day looking for it. Red-throated and Common Loon, Black-bellied Plover, Purple Sandpiper, Red Phalarope and Bonaparte's Gull were among species viewed during the watch at the lake last Saturday. Our annual Fall Bird Count occurred last Sunday. Preliminary results revealed the following highlights. A SNOWY OWL was seen at the end of McNeilley Rd. This owl was probably the same one refound today on a light standard near Fruitland Road. The bird was perched here in the fog, visible from the North Service Road just west of the Fruitland Road exit. Other highlights include NELSON'S SHARP-TAILED SPARROW, Brant, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper, Wilson's Snipe and Golden Eagle at the Dundas Marsh, Ruffed Grouse in Flamborough, Greater Yellowlegs and a late Osprey at the Hydro Ponds in Dundas, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker on the South Shore Trail of the RBG below McMaster University in Hamilton, Tufted Titmice along the Grand River between Caledonia and York, American Woodcock in the Ancaster area, Tree Swallows near the Grand River in the south end of the Hamilton Study Area, Orange-crowned Warbler in the Bronte area, and Field Sparrow in Waterdown. Winter finches are in the news here. Last weekend over the Clarkson Go Station a group of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were heard calling along with Pine Siskins. A large group of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS were observed yesterday at Parking Lot A at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Pine Siskins could also been seen here feeding in the tremendous cone crop present here. On the Fall Bird Count a number of areas reported Common Redpolls and Purple Finch have been reported from feeders throughout the HSA this week. Southwest winds this week showed promise of a Cave Swallow invasion. There was an interesting sighting of two swallows flying from the Dundas Marsh to the Hydro Ponds this week. One interesting highlight was a late Blackpoll Warbler seen crawling amongst the rocks at the tip of Fifty Point during a scout for the swallows. That's the news for this week. A change in weather may bring a change in the birding landscape. Keep reporting your sightings! 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
