On Friday, June 10th, 2011, this is the HNC Birding Report.
Red-breasted Merganser Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Green Heron Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Semipalmated Sandpiper Dunlin Golden-winged Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Hooded Warbler Vesper Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow A very quiet week here in Hamilton with the start of nesting season upon us. Many of the birds have gone silent, migrants are through and the vegetation due to the immense amount of rain is daunting to look for birds. This week's report contains no rarities, just late migrants and some interesting prospects for nesting. Out on the lake at Shoreacres a group of five Red-breasted Mergansers were seen wheeling around. Red-necked Grebes were seen off shore, likely in both cases non breeders or failed breeders. A Common Loon was seen flying past Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Late migrants this week include several species of shorebirds seen at a field south of Superior Court east of Burloak Drive. Here this week were Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Dunlin. In a couple of weeks it will be time to see returning shorebirds! Interesting breeding potential this week comes from areas in North Halton and Puslinch. These include Blue-headed Vireo (three separate singing) and Black-throated Green Warbler in Bond Tract near Puslinch. Near 15th sideroad and 5th Line Nassagaweya two Black-throated Green Warblers could be heard. An interesting song was heard from No 10 sideroad near 4th Line Nassagaweya which sounded like a Golden-winged Warbler song with an extra note. Perhaps a possible hybrid but should be checked again for a pure one. A Hooded Warbler was heard earlier in the week on 10th Side Road near 4th Line Nassagaweya. At the beginning of the month a Blackburnian Warbler was heard on 4th Line Nassagaweya. Grasshopper Sparrows were singing along Arkell Road and along the Puslinch Nassagaweya Town Line. A Vesper Sparrow was heard last weekend along number 10 Sideroad. The Red-necked Grebes appear to have suffered a setback in Bronte with one fresh egg being seen last Sunday. Previously there were three eggs. The three Peregrine Falcons at the Sheraton Hotel downtown Hamilton were banded this past week. Pigott, Tomson and Gore are the names. An interesting account of how these names were derived is found on the website at http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/ The chicks look like they are ready to give the Falconwatch volunteers a run soon! In the odds and sods a Green Heron flew over York Road in Dundas this morning. A Virginia Rail was photographed nicely at Grass Lake in the week. That's the short of it this week. Please report your sightings, birding is a 365 day event! Cheers, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
