On Friday, December 3rd, 2010, this is the HNC birding report: COMMON TEAL (potential)
Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Ring-necked Duck Greater Scaup King Eider Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Great Blue Heron Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Golden Eagle Sandhill Crane Killdeer Eastern Screech Owl Great Horned Owl Northern Shrike Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Clay-colored Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Red Crossbill Pine Siskin It has been an extremely quiet two weeks in the Hamilton Study Area but since winter listing is upon us, it is good to know where even birds that are considered not so rare at other times of the year may be found in harsher conditions. Unfortunately a few good birds seen before the winter listing period are not around anymore. This includes a very late Clay-colored Sparrow seen at a private residence in Dundas up until about a week before December 1st. Still an excellent late record, this would have made an good addition to many people's winter lists. A Red Crossbill found in Patterson Tract was seen a couple of weeks ago. Up to 5 individuals were seen the day before. This is a huge tract of conifers so should be checked throughout the season as Red Crossbills are wanderers. Down at LaSalle Park last Saturday, Horned and Pied-billed Grebe, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hermit Thrush were seen. Several checks of this area this week have not turned up the winter birds. Two Killdeer were seen at the Red Hill Pond and a Savannah Sparrow was seen up on Smith Road in Saltfleet last Sunday. Fox Sparrows were noted at a couple of locations in Flamborough last week but have disappeared. A female King Eider was seen from Fruitland Road last Monday, likely still around and there will be more. Birders! Don't despair, people out this weekend will be sure to pick up something and changing conditions seem to move birds around so don't assume that there are no good winter birds around. While skulking around for winter birds, a couple of Great Blue Herons, Double-crested Cormorant and Belted Kingfisher were seen Dec 1st at the Valley Inn. The most exiting find however was a photograph of a possible COMMON TEAL in the Hendrie Valley. Details are just emerging on this bird. Photographs were found on the Weather Network site and I am following up and will post if this bird turns up again. Birders looking to check off waterfowl on their list can go to LaSalle Marina where Tundra and Trumpeter Swan, Canvasback, Redhead, Ring-necked Duck, Greater Scaup. Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Hooded and Red-breasted Merganser and Ruddy Duck were seen this week. Today at the Windermere Basin, some winter birds included Green-winged Teal, Red-winged Blackbird and Yellow-rumped Warbler. In the odds and sods, Bald Eagles have been seen again over Hamilton Harbour, numbers will continue to build. Ruffed Grouse and Turkey are lurking at a feeder in the Beverly Swamp around 8th Concession West and Westover Road. A Pied-billed Grebe is back again at the Desjardins Canal. A Northern Harrier was seen down near Hagersville on Wednesday. A Pileated Woodpecker was a good flyover at a feeder set up on Middletown Road just south of 8th Concession West. A Northern Shrike was seen today on Lennon Road just south of Gore Road. Tufted Titmice are being reported from a feeder in Caledonia. Pine Siskins continue to be seen at feeders around the area. A Great Horned Owl was seen in north Shell Park a couple of weeks ago. Lastly, last weekend a large group of Sandhill Cranes were seen migrating in the Puslinch Area, south east of Guelph along Watson Road. The first full weekend of winter birding will turn up something. Please report your sightings. Have a great week! 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/
