On Friday, November 13th, 2009, this is the HNC Birding Report: BARN OWL SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER CAVE SWALLOW
Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Barrows x Common Goldeneye Hybrid Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Osprey Sandhill Crane Greater Yellowlegs Dunlin Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Northern Shrike The list is small this week but packed with power! It's been an exciting week province wide for rare birds being found. Today a female BARN OWL had to be picked up by the Owl Foundation from Fifty Point Conservation Area. The owl was actually discovered yesterday (and possibly earlier in the week) in a stand of pines near the marina and flushed. This morning a couple of birders found the bird returned to the same stand of pines but it could not fly. A call was made for pick up of the bird who appears not to be majorly injured and will probably be rereleased. Another major mega-rarity this week unfortunately followed the same path. A SULPHUR-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was a window casualty last Sunday at a home in the Glen Abbey Area of Oakville. The bird was taken to a rehabilitation centre but unfortunately died on Tuesday. With the southwest warm winds bringing in these rarities, a flurry of fourteen CAVE SWALLOWS were seen over Fifty Point Conservation are last Sunday. They were only seen briefly and so far none have turned up anywhere else in the Hamilton Study Area (YET!). These three birds above are an important reminder that anything can turn up anywhere at this time of year. With the Phainopepla in Brampton, Ash-throated Flycatcher at Pelee and the birds above being just a few of the birds seen this week, it should motivate us all to get out to our favourite local spots and see what else has dropped in (then call me!). The remainder of sightings this week are part of the many odds and sods. A Cackling Goose was among a flock of over 200 Geese coming in to roost at a stormwater pond in Waterdown. Our hybrid Barrow's x Common Goldeneye was seen from Green Road and again from Gray's Road this week. Tundra Swans were seen over the Dundas Marsh. A female King Eider, Common and Red-throated Loons and a Pied-billed Grebe were birds seen off Hutches and Lakeland Centre at Van Wagner's Beach during the week. Two Ospreys were seen over the Dundas Marsh this week, getting a little late for these! A flock of 30 Sandhill Cranes passed over Westover Rd., north of 8th Con. Rd. West, in Flamborough on Tuesday. A Snowy Owl was seen and photographed on Britannia Road inbetween 4th and 5th Line in Oakville last Saturday. One Greater Yellowlegs is still present at the Dundas Hydro Ponds. A flock of Dunlin were seen at Princess Point last Sunday. A Northern Shrike was reported on Thursday at the entrance of the Gates of Heaven Cemetery off Old York Road. A great forecast for the weekend should encourage birders to get out and find all these rarities. Good birding! 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
