On March 27th, 2009, this is the HNC Birding Report
ROSS'S GOOSE BRANT BLACK VULTURE POMARINE JAEGER Cackling Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck Harlequin Duck Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Wild Turkey Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tiled Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle American Kestrel Peregrine Falcon American Coot Killdeer Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Short-eared Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Tree Swallow Barn Swallow Eastern Bluebird Eastern Meadowlark Purple Finch Migration has started in earnest this week as early spring migrants arrive in the Hamilton Study Area. This week has been productive at a number of spots through the area. There has been a significant movement of raptors this week. The highlight was last Saturday when a BLACK VULTURE was seen on Scenic Drive near the Grand River in Brantford, a one day wonder and big miss on my Ontario list!!! The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area was busy today with numbers of Turkey Vultures, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks moving through. Other species counted today include Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Coopers and Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel and Peregrine Falcon. Golden Eagles were seen earlier in the week. Non-raptor migrants this week include Great Blue Heron, Killdeer, Common Raven, Tree Swallows. an early Barn Swallow and Eastern Bluebird. Also in Saltfleet today flooded fields were quiet save one field on 8th Road East which held Mallards and Green-winged Teal and at the same location 3 Wilson's Snipe were heard winnowing. Eastern Meadowlarks can be heard and seen in various spots but are reliably located on 10th Road East. Also seen here on 10th in the week were displaying Short-eared Owls. At the quarry pond on Green Mountain Road between 10th and 11th Concession West Ring-necked Ducks, American Wigeon and Gadwall were seen. Horned Larks are still moving through with decreasing numbers being seen along the sides of the road. On 1st Road West in Hamilton a large number of Wild Turkey were seen north of Green Mountain Road last weekend. Flamborough continues to be a very productive area in the HSA. Today over 200 Tundra Swans were see in a field on Sheffield Road south of Concession 5 West. A great number of Canada geese continue to be seen on Concession 5 West east of Settlers along with Cackling Geese and a week ago Thursday a ROSS'S goose. American Wigeon, Wood Duck and Northern Pintail are also found here. Flying over a field on Lynden Road north of Concession 4 was a flock of 35 Lapland Longspurs. Last weekend a BRANT was seen in a field on Woodhill Road south of Hwy 5 with a flock of Canada Geese. Later in the day, this BRANT made a flyover to be added to a yard list on Concession 5 W, an excellent addition. On Monday a Common Raven was seen at the intersection of Woodhill and Governors Road. The water is open at Valens Conservation Area. Today Common and Hooded Mergansers, Ring-necked Ducks, Redhead, American Wigeon, Pied-billed Grebe, a noisy Belted Kingfisher and a Purple Finch were birds noted. The lake is emptying out of the wintering ducks. A surprise visit by the overwintering POMARINE JAEGER occurred yesterday with a flyby past Confederation Park. A Common Loon was also seen on the lake. In the odds and sods this week, our first Ospreys made their appearance this week with one being seen on March 19th (early date!!!) over the high level bridge in Hamilton and another one being spotted at the Dundas Hydro Ponds last weekend. Three Harlequin Ducks were seen at Saddington Park in Mississauga last Saturday. Eastern Bluebirds, Eastern Meadowlark and a Northern Shrike were seen at Bronte Creek Provincial Park this week. Another Northern Shrike was seen near Dyments Farm on Fallsview Road. Warm temperatures and approaching rain should bring more migrants into the area. Please report your sightings! Thanks and have a great week. 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/
