On Friday, September 2, 2011, this is the HNC Birding Report: PARASITIC JAEGER LONG-TAILED JAEGER
Blue-winged Teal Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter Long-tailed Duck Red-breasted Merganser Common Loon Great Blue Heron Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Osprey Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper American Woodcock Red-necked Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Black Tern Common Tern Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Olive-sided Flycatcher Red-eyed Vireo Eastern Bluebird Swainson's Thrush Blue-winged Warbler Lawrences Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Rose-breasted Grosbeak Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch This week brings the start of beach season here in the Hamilton Study Area and the birds did not disappoint. Throughout the week starting with last Sunday, both LONG-TAILED AND PARASITIC JAEGERS have been seen with the bulk of the birds being seen last Sunday. East winds Wednesday and yesterday were still bringing birds. Along with these specialty birds patient observers also saw Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Surf Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Great Blue Heron, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling (57 last Sunday), Semipalmated Sandpiper, Red-necked Phalarope in good numbers, Bonaparte's Gull, Black and Common Tern. Shorebirds are still around with the peak of this week being last weekend at Windermere Basin. Species recorded here included Semipalmated Plover, Killdeer, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Red Knot, Sanderling, Semipalmated, Least, Baird's, Pectoral, Stilt and Buff-breasted Sandpiper (up to 4 seen last Sunday). There are also at least two Peregrine Falcons and a Prairie Falcon (with jesses) hunting the territory. This area has become a sore spot though as there are many dying shorebirds on the mud flats likely due to a botchulism outbreak. Nearby at the Red Hill E Expressway stormwater pond, Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper, Stilt Sandpiper (up to 9) and Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs were reported. Out on the sod farms in Mount Hope up to eight American Golden-Plover were seen behind the school on Unity Road and an Upland Sandpiper was seen on the sod farm on Mines Road. Passerine migration is also taking place but its hard to be everywhere at once. Any reports of passerine migration would be greatly appreciated! This week a few spots have been reported from. At Woodland Cemetery, Red-eyed Vireo, Ovenbird and American Redstart were seen. At Carols Point a Bald Eagle was a highlight. An Osprey flew over LaSalle Marina on Wednesday. Up in Waterdown at the North Wetland Trails, Blue-winged Warbler, Black and White Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler, American Redstart and Ovenbird were seen earlier in the week. Continuing in this area a Lawrences Warbler and Common Yellowthroat were seen at the Halton Conservation Authority property on Rockcliffe Road in Waterdown. Out in Cootes Paradise, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron, Black-crowned Night Heron, Greater Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper, American Woodcock and a few Yellow-rumped Warblers were noted. In the odds and sods, a first year Black Tern was seen at Rattray Marsh last Sunday. Eastern Bluebirds are still feeding young in Bronte Campground east. A Northern Waterthrush made an excellent yard bird for a home in South Burlington (not mine). Also down by the lake in Burlington near Guelph Line, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen quietly sitting in a tree for half an hour last weekend. Rose-breasted Grosbeak and a female Purple Finch were at a feeder in Dundas. Out at Ruthven, an Olive-sided Flycatcher and Common Nighthawk were seen today. Common Nighthawks were also reported from the Bronte area this week. Swainsons Thrush could be heard in the early morning hours over Dundas. Thats the news for this week, it will be a busy weekend with another front moving through. Please send your sightings along. Good Birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC _______________________________________________ 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/
