On Friday, January 29th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report: Barnacle Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Lesser Scaup King Eider Black Scoter Hooded Merganser Ruddy Duck Ruffed Grouse Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Short-eared Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Common Raven Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Pine Siskin
Winter birding has been quiet the past two weeks here in the Hamilton Study Area but there are still birds to be seen if you are able and willing to brave the cold temperatures over the past couple of days. Ducks as usual are a big part of winter birding here. The Barnacle Goose (origin unknown) has been seen down at the mouth of 40 mile Creek in Grimsby in the past two weeks. Along the lakeshore at various access points, King Eiders are still present with one being seen right in the marina at Fifty Point. Black Scoters seem to be very co-operative along this stretch with several stunning males being seen. Down at Windermere Basin, species including Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup and Ruddy Duck were recorded. In the mouth of the Red Hill Creek, four Black-crowned Night Herons and several Hooded Mergansers were seen last weekend. On the Hamilton Harbour, now that the cold has moved in and ice is present, a total of 6 Bald Eagles were seen on the ice this morning. Glaucous, Iceland and Lesser Black-backed Gulls were seen on the ice and in the water over the week. A Nelson's Gull (Herring x Glaucous) was seen on the ice between Leander Boat Club and Bayfront Park a week ago on Wednesday. Now that there is ice in various spots, it's a good time to go out and round up the winter gulls for the year list. Red-necked and Horned Grebes were seen on the bay this week with the Red-necked Grebe being seen near Canada Centre for Inland Waters and the Horned Grebe being seen between Nearre and Farre Island and off Bayshore Park. A Tundra Swan and a male Wood Duck were seen from/at LaSalle Marina. Peregrine Falcons can be seen regularly at the Lift Bridge. The south end of the study area is still productive even though numbers of Horned Larks, American Pipits and Snow Buntings have dropped off. The juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker can still be seen on Irish Line (house 797). Several Eastern Bluebirds were seen in the past week on King George Street off River Road. Northern Harriers and Rough-legged Hawks are notable raptors at various places down in this area. A Merlin is present near Cheapside Road and Concession 10 where the junk yard is. Waiting until dusk at this location will give you an excellent chance at Short-eared Owls. A good winter bird still around is a Ruby-crowned Kinglet at the Oakville Sewage Treatment Plant, accessed at the end of Hixon Road. A Pileated Woodpecker is also present here. In the odds and sods, Pine Siskins and Tufted Titmice are coming into a feeder in South Burlington near Appleby Line and Spruce. Up to 6 Tufted Titmice and a couple of White-crowned Sparrows are coming to a feeder near Caledonia. Ruffed Grouse are still present at dusk and dawn at feeders in Flamborough. A Yellow-bellied Sapsucker is still making a sporadic appearance on Forest Drive in Greensville. Varying numbers of Turkey Vultures have been seen over the past two weeks at what appears to be the roost, on Concession 4 West just west of Woodhill in Flamborough. Common Ravens have been spotted in a couple of locations. Two were seen East of Concession 7 and north of Gore Road near the Fletcher Creek Reserve. Another two (maybe the same) were seen at Campbellville Road and First Line Nassawagawa last weekend. A Belted Kingfisher was seen at the Desjardins Canal. American Wigeon are still present there. Another Merlin has set up territory on Plains Road in Aldershot. A Northern Shrike was seen last weekend on 10th Road East near Green Mountain Road and last but not least a Fox Sparrow was spished up north of the Bronte Creek Provincial Park Campground last Saturday (accessed from Hwy 5). Please keep me advised of your sightings. It may be the heart of winter but you never know what has been hiding and is waiting to be found. 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/
