On Friday, September 17th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report: SABINE'S GULL (Hamilton record) PARASITIC JAEGER LONG-TAILED JAEGER
White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Great Egret Green Heron Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk American Kestrel Sora Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Willet Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Bonaparte's Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Black Tern Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Northern Flicker Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Brown Creeper House Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush Orange-crowned Warbler Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Cape-May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Rose-breasted Grosbeak It has been a spectacular week here in Hamilton. East winds have been scarce overall this fall but last Saturday, yesterday and today, birds moved through and impressive looks of LONG-TAILED AND PARASITIC JAEGERS of all ages were enjoyed by many birders. Many novice and seasoned birders were able to put Long-tailed Jaeger on their life or Ontario List. Photographers had a festival with jaegers that came in close to shore and even sat in the water just offshore. Today at least two different LONG-TAILED AND PARASITIC JAEGERS were the highlight. Also late this afternoon, a total of 33 SABINE'S GULLS were seen well offshore but migrating in groups from west to east across the lake (a one day Hamilton and possibly Ontario record). Earlier this morning another Sabine's gull was seen from Grays Road. Last Saturday, LONG-TAILED and PARASITIC JAEGERS, SABINE'S GULL, Black Tern, Bonaparte's Gull, an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black-bellied Plover, Ruddy Turnstone and Sanderling were seen. Other waterfowl include Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Duck and Red-necked Grebe. Shorebirds are still in the news with several locations reporting this week. At the Red Hill Stormwater Pond earlier in the week, Semipalmated Plover Baird's, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen Monday. At the Windermere Basin, Semipalmated and American Golden Plover, Spotted, Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral and Baird's Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin. A scope is necessary for viewing. The water levels in the Dundas Marsh are also down and today a Willet, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen. There is also a significant mud flat at the Valley Inn. Solitary, Stilt, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper were seen last Sunday. There was a significant hawk migration along the lakeshore this week. In South Burlington, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, Red-tailed, Broad-winged and many Sharp-shinned Hawks and American Kestrels were seen on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Common Nighthawks were seen migrating through the day and into the evenings earlier in the week along this route. A similar mix was seen over Woodland Cemetery on Wednesday. Passerines are not to be forgotten. A number of places in Waterdown, Burlington and Hamilton have reported a large variety of migrants through the week. At Shoreacres in Burlington, Chimney Swift, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Brown Creeper, House Wren, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Lincoln's and White-throated Sparrow were seen last weekend. Last Sunday at LaSalle Park in Burlington, Orange-crowned Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart and Wilson's Warbler were seen. Behind VanWagner's Ponds last Saturday before the beach show, Great Egret, Green Heron, Merlin, Least Flycatcher (unfortunately dead on the burdock), Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Blackpoll Warbler, American Redstart, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's Warbler, Lincoln's and White-throated Sparrow and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were recorded. In the odds and sods, Palm Warblers are making their appearance with birds being seen at Valley Inn and Windermere Basin. Dark-eyed Juncos were seen at Windermere Basin and at Joe Sam's Park in Waterdown. Bald Eagles of various ages are being spotted around Valley Inn and Cootes Paradise. Common Nighthawks (13) were seen over Carolina Park in Brantford. Also of note was an Upland Sandpiper calling on migration over Brantford in the wee hours of the morning last Tuesday. At Confederation Park in Hamilton, Eastern Phoebe, Northern Flicker and Lincoln's Sparrows were different migrants here. Cape May Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were new yard birds for me in South Burlington! It's a busy time of year with anything showing up anywhere. Please report your sightings! 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/
