On September 30th, 2011 this is the HNC Birding Report: SABINE'S GULL POMARINE JAEGER PARASITIC JAEGER LARK SPARROW
Northern Pintail Green-Winged Teal Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Great Egret Black-bellied Plover American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Ruddy Turnstone Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Long-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Snipe Lesser Black-backed Gull Black Tern Eastern Screech Owl Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Tree Swallow Brown Creeper House Wren Winter Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush American Pipit Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Palm Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Mourning Warbler Wilson's Warbler Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak It's been another great week of birding here in the Hamilton Study area. Despite this looming low pressure system, birds have continued to move through the area taking opportunities to move between bouts of rain. One of the most notable thrush migrations occurred this week with Veery, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrushes being heard in amazing numbers (i.e. Over 43 Gray-cheeked and 250 Swainson's) over Burlington and Brantford. This is a treat for those who stay up that late. We will start as we do so often in the fall with Van Wagner's Beach. Loyal watchers stood ground last Sunday on northeast to east winds and were not disappointed. Two juvenile POMARINE JAEGERS made an appearance at the gull frenzy around our ever helpful zodiac. These two birds were seen numerous times flying about, chasing gulls, sitting on the water, a nice treat. Two PARASITIC JAEGERS also gave a show, one early in the day and one stunning adult flying over the Lakeland Centre late in the day. Also present at the frenzy were two juvenile SABINE'S GULL. These birds were seen throughout the day giving birders good looks as one was relatively close to shore and actually sitting on the water for a good deal of time. Other birds seen here that day included Northern Pintail, Green-Winged Teal, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Surf, White-winged and Black Scoter, Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loon, Lesser Black-backed Gull, Black Tern and a flyover American Pipit. Our other star of the week a LARK SPARROW unfortunately only stayed but one day found late in the afternoon on Monday but not seen subsequently. This time of year is always good for sparrow migration so another one may turn up. Other sparrows seen here in the search included Savannah, Song, Lincoln's, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow. Shorebirds are still moving in and out of the area. This week at the Windermere Basin, American Golden-Plover, Black-bellied Plover and Long-billed Dowitchers were seen on Wednesday. Semipalmated Plover, Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper were seen at the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Along the rocks at Near Island seen from Eastport Drive a couple of Ruddy Turnstones kept themselves busy. The Long-billed Dowitcher reported from last week was still present on the mud at the Valley Inn last weekend along with a few Spotted Sandpiper and a fly-in Solitary. The back of Mountsberg Conservation Area seen from Leslie Street is chock full of mud with American Golden Plover, Semipalmated Plover, Pectoral, Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper and a good number of Lesser Yellowlegs. Another promising spot is Rattray Marsh where this week Black-bellied Plover, Solitary, Pectoral, Baird's and Semipalmated Sandpiper and four Wilson's Snipe were all seen last weekend. Off shore there were 240 Red-necked Grebes. The only visible shorebird in Cootes Paradise was a Greater Yellowlegs. The woodlots and backyards along the edge of the lake have been good for migrant flycatchers, vireos and warblers. This week a few spots along the Oakville/Burlington lakeshore have been birded including Shoreacres/Paletta and Bronte Marsh. Among birds seen were Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Red-eyed Vireo, House and Winter Wren, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrush, Tennessee, Nashville, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Palm, Blackpoll, Black-and-White and Wilson's Warbler, Song, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were all recorded. Many Ruby-crowned Kinglets are also moving through the area. Around the lake at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek a Red-headed Woodpecker and Eastern Towhee were birds of note earlier in the week. At Sherwood Forest Park located off Prince William Drive in Burlington, Eastern Wood Pewee, Golden and Ruby Crowned Kinglet, Brown Creeper, Nashville, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped and Black-throated Green Warbler, American Redstart and Scarlet Tanager were birds of note today. Up at Rockliffe Conservation Area in Waterdown, Philadelphia and Blue-headed Vireo, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Black-throated Blue and Chestnut-sided were among a small group of birds seen here. In the odds and sods, a number of Great Egrets have been spotted in the area in places such as Cootes Paradise, Mountsberg Conservation Area and Valley Inn this week. If you see a tagged bird, please try to get the numbers on the tag and forward to [email protected]. Of interest was a green tagged individual at the Valley Inn that he needs the tag number for. If you see this individual and are able to get the number/letters, please email him! An Eastern Screech Owl was seen in the Brant Street and Upper Middle Road area. Common Nighthawks continued to be seen over Burlington and Dundas in the week. Two Tree Swallows were seen over Rattray Marsh. In southeast Oakville, a local birder had a number of neat birds on his yard list including Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Ruby and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Winter Wren, Swainson's Thrush, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Yellow-rumped and Magnolia Warbler. It's good to check the yard at this time of year for migrants lurking about. At Lakeside Park this week a Mourning Warbler was an added bonus. Many White-throated and some White-crowned Sparrows are showing up at feeders. Now is a good time to stock up the feeders. Please send in your sightings! It will be another busy week with the dramatic change in weather. Good Birding, Cheryl Edgecombe _______________________________________________ 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/
