On Friday, January 16th, 2009 this is the HNC Birding Report:
American Wigeon Ring-necked Pheasant Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Horned Lark Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Meadowlark Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin Its been a fairly quiet winter week this week in the Hamilton Study Area. There have been a few good birds around but this time of the year and especially these frigid temperatures put a damper on birds and especially birders. Two American Pipits have been present down at Spencer Smith Park this week. They seem to be feeding on the algae on the west side of the park even in the cold ice spray. Also seen here last Sunday was a female American Wigeon. The White-winged Crossbill invasion continues here as in most areas of Southern Ontario. Significant flocks have been seen in Bronte Creek Provincial Park, South Burlington, Flamborough, Ancaster and Brantford this week. It will be interesting in the next few weeks to see if any of these will begin setting up breeding territories. Other winter birds including Common Redpoll and Pine Siskins have been seen in numbers at feeders throughout the Hamilton Study Area over the past week. A tour of Flamborough this week produced an adult Northern Goshawk on Valens Road between 6th and 7th concession. A Savannah Sparrow was reported at a feeder on 5th Concession West. Ruffed Grouse, Purple Finch, Common Redpoll, Pine Siskin have been seen coming into a feeder near 8th Road West and Westover Road. Today at the Westfield Heritage Centre, a Ruffed Grouse was flushed and a Brown Creeper was present. Wild Turkey were seen today on Campbellville Road east of Centre and west of Millborough Line. There is lots to report in the odds and sods this week. Yellow-rumped Warblers were reported in Port Credit. A single Turkey Vulture was seen near the 403 and Lynden Road today. Another Turkey Vulture was seen near Smithville earlier in the week. Today on Fallsview Road which is just off Sydenham Road above Dundas a flock of 200 + Snow Buntings and 30 + Horned Larks were seen. A Hermit Thrush seems to be wintering near an apartment complex at Bronte Harbour. A Snowy Owl was seen on the boat docks down at Bronte Harbour last Sunday. Eastern Bluebirds were seen on the rail trail near Paris. A Merlin has been wintering at Central Park in Burlington, last seen Sunday. A Brown Creeper made an appearance in downtown Burlington. Ring-necked Pheasant continue to be elusive but present near Felker's Falls Conservation Area on the Hamilton mountain. A dark-phase Rough-legged Hawk was present at King Road and North Service Road in Burlington today. A total of six Bald Eagles (2 adults, 4 immatures) were present on the ice on the Harbour this week. Up in Saltfleet an Eastern Meadowlark was perched on a hay bale at Highland and 8th along with a flock of about 100 Snow Buntings. A Short-eared Owl was present at 8th Road east north of Green Mountain Road and a Snowy Owl was seen on 6th Road east between Green Mountain and Mud Street on Sunday. If you do brave the cold temperatures, let me know what you see! Happy Winter Listing 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
