On Friday, April 16th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report: BLACK VULTURE
Blue Winged Teal King Eider Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Golden Eagle Sora Common Moorhen Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Glaucous Gull Caspian Tern Common Tern Forster's Tern Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Common Raven Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Barn Swallow Red-breasted Nuthatch Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Cedar Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Pine Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Fox Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Lapland Longspur Purple Finch Nice weather all week has encouraged migrants to trickle through the area. Mostly typical migrants for this time of year were reported although some of the early dates for some species have been shattered with this unusual spring. A BLACK VULTURE was once again reported near Dundas at the top end of Cameron Ave last Sunday. It is possible that this is the same vulture from the end of March which is coming into roost occasionally with the Turkey Vultures or perhaps it's another flyby but just to put the heads up that this bird may still be about. The Dundas Marsh has been productive this week with Great Egret, Sora, Common Moorhen, Caspian, Common and Forster's Tern being reported this week. There is a sizable mudflat out in the marsh which may be viewed from various access points. Out in Flamborough this week a walk along Middletown Road between 4th and 5th Concession produced Wilson's Snipe, Brown Thrasher, Eastern Phoebe, Tree and Barn Swallow, Eastern Bluebird, Eastern Towhee, Chipping and Field Sparrow all back on territory here. A flooded field on Westover Road north of Safari was productive for Greater Yellowlegs and looks promising as spring progresses as the water was quite deep. At the Safari Road Wetland just west of Kirkwall Road two early Sora's were heard and seen last Monday. The lakeshore properties have been good for migrants this week. Places such as Shell Park in Oakville and Shoreacres in Burlington have reported typical migrants for this date including Black-crowned Night Heron, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Tree, Northern Rough-winged, a very early Bank Swallow (Shoreacres), Barn Swallow, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Yellow-rumped and Pine Warblers, Chipping, Field, Fox, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow. At Burloak Woods located on Great Lakes Drive in Oakville, a very early Black-throated Green Warbler was photographed last Saturday. In the stormwater ponds at this location a Pied-billed Grebe was seen Sunday and Monday. The low water levels at Bronte Marsh shows promise for shorebirds. A male Blue-winged Teal was seen there last Monday. Savannah Sparrows were seen at the ponds at the corner of Great Lakes and Rebecca. Up at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, record early Broad-winged Hawks tied the early date for this location and this species. Other birds seen here this week include Turkey Vulture, Osprey, Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, many Sharp-shinned Hawks, Common Loon, Purple Martin, Tree and Barn Swallows, Brown Thrasher, Field, Chipping and White-throated Sparrows and Purple Finch. Nearby at Saltfleet, flooded fields are drying up a bit but on 10th Road East viewed from the Dofasco trail just east of 10th, Blue-winged Teal, Greater Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpiper were present. On 5th Road east, many Wilson's Snipe were reported earlier in the week but only one seen yesterday. In the odds and sods, a Spotted Sandpiper was seen today at the pond at Confederation Pond at the mouth of Stoney Creek where water levels are very low. A Field Sparrow and Purple Finch were seen in the park in the week. Down at the lake, King Eiders are still being seen from Fifty Road. Red-necked and Horned Grebes are also being reported along access points of the lake still in good numbers. Bonaparte's and a Glaucous Gull were seen off Joshua Creek on Tuesday. Wild Turkey reports have been rapidly increasing in urban areas with several being reported on the mountain in Hamilton, in Waterdown and Burlington. Purple Finches were reported at several feeders in the area. The Ospreys are back on nest at Badenoch. Common Ravens are being reported in increasing numbers up in and around the village of Moffat where they are suspected nesting in the area for those who need this species on their Hamilton Lists. Yesterday a large group of Cedar Waxwings was seen at the Hopkins Tract at the Royal Botanical Gardens off York Road. On Monday a flock of 30 Lapland Longspurs were seen near Addington. A sharp cold front this weekend doesn't mean stay in. Get out and see what the conditions have dropped. Email me your sightings! Thanks to those who have this 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/
