On Friday, January 02, 2009 this is the HNC Birding Report: BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER RED CROSSBILL
Cackling Goose American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Harlequin Duck Ring-necked Pheasant Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Red-throated Loon Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl Long-eared Owl Short-eared Owl Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird Gray Catbird American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler White-crowned Sparrow Snow Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin Its hard to draw the line here when posting rarities in the HSA. Many of the birds listed above are great winter birds that have been found this week during the Hamilton Christmas Bird Count and the first of the year birding frenzy. These birds include, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, RED CROSSBILL, American Wigeon, Harlequin Duck, Turkey Vulture, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray Catbird, American Pipit, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Eastern Meadowlark, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. For those winter listing, I will review the location of the above species. The BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER was relocated yesterday at LaSalle Park in the company of a Golden-crowned Kinglet just east of the end of the boardwalk. Unfortunately this bird took a hiatus during the count period! A single RED CROSSBILL was found in the Hopkins Tract located off York Road in the pines/spruce in the Swallow field under the hydro lines. This very vocal juvenile bird was seen for a few minutes and then flew off in a westerly direction. A search of the area in the following days did not turn the bird up however in the area were Long-eared Owl, a Common Grackle (found on the count at the feeders behind the houses), and many White-winged Crossbills. Cackling Geese were found at Pier 8 along the harbour, tough to pinpoint a location now since there is abundance of geese on the harbour now moving around daily. An American Pipit was flushed from the shore near Willow Point. American Wigeon were found in a flock of ducks on 8th Road East in Saltfleet. There was a stunning number of ducks that likely flew north during the warm days we had here. This included many Mallards but also Green-winged Teal, Shoveler and Black Ducks. A female Harlequin Duck was seen behind the Travelodge in downtown Burlington on the Christmas Bird Count. Turkey Vultures are present at the Waterdown Garden Supply just west of Peter's Corners on Highway 5. Up to six individuals were seen yesterday. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker has been coming into a feeder near Dundurn and the escarpment. A Gray Catbird was found in the count period north of Issac Brock Road and Mud Street seen on December 30th. Yellow-rumped Warblers were present on the willows trail in the Dundas Marsh by the bridge which has been taken out (up to 3 individuals) and another one behind the Olympic Arena. Two Eastern Meadowlarks were seen yesterday on 10th Road east on the Dofasco Trail going west. Red-winged Blackbirds (up to 10) are present at the Valley Inn/Hendrie Valley on the boardwalk. The Salfleet Area up on the mountain was very productive this week with highlights including large flocks of Wild Turkey on First Road West north of Mud Street and 8th Road East at Green Mountain Road to name a couple, Snowy Owl on 8th Line East and Mud Street yesterday probably the same individual seen at 10th Road East and Mud Street on the 30th, Rough-legged Hawks at the same location, Northern Harrier on 10th Road East, Short-eared Owls also seen here. Snow Buntings and Horned Larks were seen on Highland Road. A single White-crowned Sparrow was found on South Townline Rd. east of 8th Rd. E. and at a feeder on 10th Road East. At the Waterdown Garden Supply on Highway 5 west of Peter's Corners, gulls seen in the field there included Great Black-backed, Glaucous, Iceland and several interesting hybrids in addition to the Turkey Vultures which have found a wintering spot there. Various places around the bay have been good for racking up year birds. Bald Eagles continue to grow in numbers on the bay with a total of 8 being seen in one area on the count. A wintering Merlin, Ring-necked Ducks, Horned and Red-necked Grebes were seen this week from LaSalle Marina. A Belted Kingfisher rattled by the marina two days ago. A Red-throated Loon was seen near Canada Centre for Inland Waters yesterday, possibly the same one seen near the Burlington Ship Canal earlier in the week. There was a flyover the bay of a Common Loon on the Christmas Bird Count. Gulls seen on the bay during the count and this week included Thayer's, Glaucous, Iceland, Greater and Lesser Black Backed Gulls. Several Redheads, Horned and Pied-billed Grebe were seen at Pier 4 Park in Hamilton. White-winged crossbills have turned up everywhere. This report would be several pages long with locations of where these birds have been located this week, basically anywhere there are spruce trees. A flock of at least 1500 birds was observed just west of 4th Concession and Brock at the entrance to Flamborough Downs. Please forward your sightings of crossbills though privately to me as I will collect them for our noteworthy bird records. In the odds and sods, feeder birds in Flamborough this week include Ruffed Grouse, Brown-headed Cowbird, Pine Siskin, Common Redpolls and Purple Finch. Flocks of Common Redpolls were seen over Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville and over Mill Street in Dundas. The Peregrine Falcons have been seen at the lift bridge during the week. Another Thayer's Gull was observed at the beach canal on the bay side yesterday. Tufted Titmouse was heard on the count at Princess Point and seen briefly near the Brantford Airport yesterday. Eastern Bluebirds were seen in the Hendrie Valley and in the Dundas Valley during the week. Ring-necked Pheasants and a Great Horned Owl were found near Felker's Falls in Stoney Creek. A Pileated Woodpecker was heard near the maintenance yard in the Dundas Valley and another seen at the Patterson Tract on Concession 4 West in Flamborough. THANKS to all those who sent in sightings last week. It looks like the count will be high for the Hamilton Area this year! Every sighting counts so if you have any stored up, please forward to me. Happy New Year to all and good birding in 2009. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Birding 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
