On Friday, December 18th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: GRAY CATBIRD ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER BLACK THROATED BLUE WARBLER BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
American Wigeon Harlequin Duck Great Blue Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Peregrine Falcon Glaucous Gull Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl Long-eared Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Shrike Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Tree Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Snow Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Looking at the list this week one would think we are heading for spring migration. This week we have had an unprecedented four species of Warbler on our winter list. Christmas Bird Counts and people skulking around the area turn up the greatest things at this time of year. Last Sunday was the South Peel Christmas Bird Count. Highlights include ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER found in Bronte Creek Provincial Park Campground, GRAY CATBIRD found in Joshua Creek at Winston Churchill and Deer Run, Yellow-rumped Warbler at Hurontario and Lakeshore (close enough to the HSA) and Harlequin Duck, 2 females found off Ben Machree Park in Mississauga. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was a one day wonder. Subsequent attempts to relocate this bird came up short. A very birdy area, the east side of Bronte Creek Provincial Park produced Long-eared Owl, Red-bellied Woodpecker, Northern Shrike, Eastern Bluebirds (up to 9 seen), American Tree and Song Sparrow and numerous Dark-eyed Juncos. On the west side a flock of White-winged Crossbills (30) and more Long-eared Owls turned up near Parking Lot A. Another unexpected surprise this week was a BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER found at Globe Park in East Hamilton. This park located at the end of Brampton Street off Woodward, is a neat place to find a variety of species. Subsequent attempts to locate this awesome winter bird fell short but during the process of looking, Great Blue and Black-crowned Night Heron, Northern Harrier, a very active Great Horned Owl, American Tree, Song, Swamp, and White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and a flyover flock of Snow Buntings were noted. Our other warbler a female BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER has not been reported since last weekend. Anyone seeing this bird or any of the above warblers is asked to report it to me for our Christmas Count week! Down at the Hendrie Valley last weekend numerous Winter Wrens were skulking about. A couple of Red-winged Blackbirds and Red-bellied Woodpeckers were good to add to the winter list. At a feeder in South Burlington this week, a good variety of birds were seen at a feeder including White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Brown-headed Cowbird and Purple Finch. Most of our birds this week fall into the odds and sods. Another winter jewel a ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK has been coming into a feeder in Cambridge. An adult Peregrine Falcon was seen at the lift bridge on Thursday. At the same location on Wednesday, a Bald Eagle was seen flying over the Skyway Bridge. Eagles seem to be increasing in numbers around the bay, typical for this time of year. Glaucous Gulls and Snowy Owl were also seen on the breakwall at CCIW this week. An American Wigeon was present at Burloak Park last Saturday. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker was seen last weekend in the Patterson Tract on 4th Concession just east of Woodhill. More reports of roving White-winged Crossbills have come in from a variety of areas this week. A Hermit Thrush was a good backyard visitor last weekend at a home in South Burlington. That's the news for this week. We are heading into count week as the Hamilton Christmas Bird Count is on December 26th. Please report your sightings through the week! All the best this holiday season and in 2009! 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
