On Satruday, January 16th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report:
YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER Northern Pintail Greater Scaup King Eider Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Barrow's Goldeneye Barrow's x Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Turkey Vulture Red-throated Loon Sandhill Crane Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Belted Kingfisher Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Horned Lark Gray Catbird Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird It's been a relatively quiet week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Temperatures are starting to warm up and perhaps birds will move around a bit. The annual Lake Ontario Winter Waterfowl Count was held last Sunday. It traditionally seems now like it's held on the coldest day of the year. In a swath from the lift bridge to Fifty Point a moderate diversity of ducks were noted. Northern Pintail (at Fifty Point Marina), Greater Scaup, King Eider (8 between Fruitland and Glover Road), all three Scoters, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye and Common Mergansers were the majority of species seen. The King Eiders (first year males and females) have been seen through the week mostly off Fruitland Road and some fairly close to shore. Well worth a trip down there if you don't have King Eider on the list. On Monday a Barrow's Goldeneye was seen here at Fruitland and on Tuesday the hybrid CommonxBarrow's Goldeneye was seen from Grays Road. Our star of the winter the YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER was last seen Monday down on the rocks of the pier at Bronte Harbour looking very cold. Any further reports of this bird would be appreciated. Common Mergansers and an Iceland Gull were also present here this week. Down to the south a trip into Haldimand last Saturday yielded a large flock of Horned Larks, Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs located on Walpole Concession 10 just west of Cheapside at house #1312. Also seen here was a small group of Brown-headed Cowbirds. A scope was helpful to view this flock. At house #1220 four American Pipits were seen at the roadside. Rough-legged Hawks have a strong hold here in the south. In the odds and sods this week a small roost of Turkey Vultures were seen at 1948 4th Concession West in Flamborough yesterday. These birds have been reported sporadically over Waterdown Garden Supply, Lynden and the Brantford Dump. At the Brantford Dump a number of gulls were present including Lesser Black-backed Gull. Bald Eagles are present at various spots along the Grand and were sitting on the ice at LaSalle Marina when ice was present. Also at LaSalle a Pileated Woodpecker seems to be floating around. The Gray Catbird found New Years Day is still present down at Valley Inn on the hillside of the now closed Valley Inn Road. Belted Kingfisher was reported at the Red Hill Outlet and on the rail trail on the Grand River between Glen Morris south and Scenic Drive. A Sandhill Crane was seen over the quarry on 10th Road East in Saltfleet last Sunday. Northern Goshawk has been reported from behind the Olympic Arena in Dundas and from the Brantford Area. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is still making an unscheduled appearance at a feeder in Greensville. For those getting out on this warmer weekend, please report your sightings! 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/
