On Friday, February 19th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report: Wood Duck King Eider Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Ring-necked Pheasant Wild Turkey Loon sp. Great Blue Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Lesser Black-backed Gull Short-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Eastern Bluebird Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird White-winged Crossbill
My apologies for this once every two week report but unless people are hiding their sightings it has been exceptionally slow this winter. Things are starting to turn around as reports of migrants from the deep south are coming in so it won't be long and I'll be complaining that there are too many! There have been no exceptional rarities over the past two weeks however some nice winter birds are being reported. As per usual the waterfowl sightings are always the highlight here in the winter. The Harlequin Ducks seem to have reappeared at Port Credit. One male and two females were seen at the harbour at the base of Hurontario Street this past week. Another winter bonus is the six Yellow-rumped Warblers which favour this area near the gazebo. Along the Stoney Creek shoreline the female and 1st year male King Eiders continue to be reported. Any access points along this area are favourable to look, they seem to move around a bit. Last report was a female bird on the rocks at Fifty Point C.A. All three scoter species were also reported. An unidentified Loon was seen along the Hamilton Beachstrip earlier in the week. The bay has opened up significantly but there is still some ice about. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull sat on the ice near Middle and North Islands off Eastport Drive on Wednesday. The Peregrine Falcons are still at the lift bridge with one of them cruising over Stoney Creek. A Merlin was seen at Lake and Queenston a week ago on Tuesday. A field trip down to the Haldimand area in the south portion of the Hamilton Study Area was fruitful for raptors and owls. Several Rough-legged Hawks were seen near Hagersville. Flocks of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks and a few Lapland Longspurs are still hanging around. Longspurs were reported from the Cayuga Speedway. The immature Red-headed Woodpecker is still showing itself on Irish Line just west of River Road. It seems to be hanging out with the Red-bellied Woodpeckers. A Red-shouldered Hawk also flew over this area a week ago. Bald Eagles are also in this area and can be seen along the Grand River. At Ruthven Park, Eastern Bluebirds were present. At a feeder in Caledonia white-crowned Sparrows and up to 4 Tufted Titmice were seen two weeks ago. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was seen and respected by the HNC field trip participants at Taquanyah Conservation area. There was also a Great Blue Heron seen here, a nice winter list bird. Short-eared Owls can be seen near the junkyard near Hagersville but there are also numerous ones in Fisherville at the traditional site (out of the HSA). In the odds and sods this week the White-winged Crossbill on Linwood Drive in Burlington was last seen two weeks ago. It is probably still about. Look for the House Finches. Belted Kingfishers were reported from the Desjardins Canal, 14 mile Creek and the Red Hill Valley outlet. Also at the Red Hill Creek Outlet were a male Wood Duck and an immature Black-crowned Night Heron. A Northern Shrike was seen on 1st Road West near Green Mountain and another has been seen for a couple of weeks around 8th Concession West and Middletown Road in Flamborough. A good sighting of a rare Ring-necked Pheasant came from Nebo Road across from the cement company south of Hwy 53 last Monday. Turkey reports seem to be picking up with sightings at Dartnall Road, at the 403 and Old Guelph Road and at the 403 and Waterdown Road. A probable Pine Warbler was seen at a feeder in south Paris by the Rail Trail. Cowbird sightings are also coming in with a small flock in Greensville and another sighting at a house near Brantford. A large flock of Snow Buntings were seen near Fallsview Road near Dundas .Common Ravens were seen in the north part of the Hamilton Study area at 15h Sideroad/Wellington 36 and Puslinch Conc 11. A Fox Sparrow was a house guest at a feeder in Grimsby. Finally the Turkey Vulture roost on 4th Concession West west of Woodhill Road has grown to 15 birds. One of those birds was seen at just east of Garden Ave at the 403 on Tuesday. That's the news this week. Get out there, things are changing up already! 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/
