On Friday, May 8th, 2009 this is the HNC Birding Report: RUFF WHITE-EYED VIREO LARK SPARROW PAINTED BUNTING
Great Egret Green Heron Northern Harrier Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Sora Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Whip-poor-will Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Pileated Woodpecker Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Common Raven Bank Swallow Tufted Titmouse Red-breasted Nuthatch House Wren Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Veery Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Prothonotary Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Hooded Warbler Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Pine Siskin Another busy night of typing for the hotline co-coordinator this week. Things were very busy here in the Hamilton Study Area. The rarities just keep popping up, hopefully a trend that will continue throughout May. This week's highlights include a RUFF, a spectacular bird found in a flooded field on 8th Line and Britannia in Oakville, this bird was first discovered last Monday and seen up until yesterday. The bird was in the company of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper. A few smaller peeps were seen today at a great distance in the north field but the Ruff has disappeared. Northern Harrier and Peregrine Falcon made a pass at the field putting the birds up. A Caspian Tern and an Eastern Kingbird were also noted in the field today. Another surprise bird this week was a male PAINTED BUNTING which came into a feeder in Brantford last Friday. Unfortunately, the bird was not seen again after but made a new addition to the Hamilton Checklist. A WHITE-EYED VIREO was found yesterday in a residential area in the vicinity of Centennial and Guelph Line in Burlington but was not relocated today. The LARK SPARROW was last seen Saturday at the intersection of Tyneside and Haldimand Road 66. A great place for birds today was Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington just off Prince William Drive. Today in the woodlot, Green Heron, Least Flycatcher, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Swainson's, Hermit and Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Nashville, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Blackburnian, Palm, Bay-breasted and Black-and-white Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, Eastern Towhee, Chipping, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting and Pine Siskin were found. The lakeshore properties have been productive this week. Starting in the east, two Hooded Warblers and a Prairie Warbler were seen at Rattray Marsh last weekend. At Lakeside Park last Saturday a Whip-poor-will was spotted on a log. At Bronte Bluffs at the end of West River Road in Oakville, a lovely Golden-winged, Nashville, Palm and Yellow-rumped Warblers were noted. At Shell Park this week, Pileated Woodpecker, Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Parula, Black-throated Green, Chestnut-sided, Blackburnian, Black-and-White and Yellow Warbler, Ovenbird and Baltimore Oriole were migrants seen this week. Bank Swallows have returned to Burloak Park at the bottom of Burloak Drive in Burlington. At Paletta/Shoreacres this week, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Golden-winged and Blue-winged Warbler, Northern Parula, American Redstart and Orchard Oriole were among migrants noted. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is winding down. Numbers have been significantly lower for raptors but one keen observer did a big sit last week and recorded 58 species from the tower including Common Raven, Chimney Swift, Tufted Titmouse, Blue-winged and Black-and-White Warbler. Nearby at the fields in Saltfleet, Upland Sandpipers and Bobolink were seen on 10th Road East. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and Least Sandpiper were seen between 8th and 10th Road East from Ridge Road. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin were seen on 8th Road East. On 5th Road East, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary Sandpiper, Sora and Virginia Rail were seen earlier in the week. Out in Flamborough at the Rockton Berry Farm on Highway 8, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary and Spotted Sandpiper were present in the field there. At Oldfield Road and Concession 4, two Great Egrets were present in the flooded area there. On 6th Road East near Westover Road, singing Grasshopper Sparrows have returned to the habitat under the hydro lines. Blue-winged Warbler and American Redstart were also seen here. A Lincoln's Sparrow has been present near 5th Concession West and Middletown Road for the past week. At the Northshore Trails at the Royal Botanical Gardens, migrants reported from here include House Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Blue-winged, Black and White, Pine Warbler and quite a few Chestnut-sided Warblers, American Redstart, Eastern Meadowlark, Rose-breasted Grosbeak and Indigo Bunting. In the odds and sods, Marsh Wrens have returned to Dundas Marsh. Many Blue-winged Warblers were present down at Martins Road on Sunday. Bobolinks have been seen in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Sandhill Cranes appear to be lurking about in the area of Deer Run Court in Brantford. A Great Egret made for a new yard bird there. Orange-crowned Warbler was present at LaSalle Park last Friday. Another Prairie Warbler was photographed at the Rock Garden at the Royal Botanical Gardens on Wednesday. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds are turning up at feeders around the HSA, make sure to keep these stocked, they've come a long way. A Red-headed Woodpecker made an appearance on Sawmill Road in Ancaster. Up along the escarpment in Waterdown a Prothonotary Warbler was seen in a back yard there. This bird would be nice on anyone's yard list! Thanks to all for your sightings! I expect to be busy once again next week. 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
