On Friday, May 11th, 2012 this is the HNC Birding Report: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN FISH CROW KIRTLAND'S WARBLER CERULEAN WARBLER
King Eider Common Loon American Bittern Least Bittern Great Egret Green Heron Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Sora Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dowitcher sp. Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Forsters Tern Ruby-throated Hummingbird Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood-Pewee Least Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Horned Lark Sedge Wren Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Veery Swainson's Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird 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 Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Scarlet Tanager Clay-colored Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lapland Longspur Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole Pine Siskin It's been another great week of birding here in Hamilton. If you compare from last week's report, many more migrants have arrived although not in great numbers. Our star of the week was without question the KIRTLAND'S WARBLER seen last Saturday at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek and was fairly co-operative for both birders and photographers. Unfortunately it was a one day wonder. Another great warbler a CERULEAN WARBLER was found on the same day at Crooks Hollow near the Christie Dam in Flamborough. Just this morning an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flew over Woodland Cemetery and Valley Inn. Unfortunately the bird flew out of sight but a check of the traditional areas for these birds on migration like the islands off Eastport, west Hamilton Harbour and Cootes Paradise might turn up the bird. Finally the FISH CROWS have been seen at Bronte again with a pair being seen on a birdathon last evening and another one reported at the Guelph Arboretum on Wednesday. The lakeshore properties are heating up again this week multiple reports of many species of warblers. These areas include Rattray Marsh in Mississauga, Lakeside Park in east Oakville, Shell Park in Oakville, Sherwood Forest and Shoreacres/Paletta in Burlington, Woodland Cemetery in Hamilton and Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek. Common to these parks have been Great-crested and Least Flycatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Swainson's and Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Orange-crowned, Nashville, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped (still in good numbers), Black-throated Green, Blackburnian, Pine, Palm and Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler, Scarlet Tanager, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Some of the highlights from each park include, Sedge Wren and Orchard Oriole at Rattray Marsh, Olive-sided Flycatcher and Clay-colored Sparrow at Lakeside Park in east Oakville, Eastern Wood Pewee at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington and Blue-headed and Philadelphia Vireo and Bay-breasted Warbler this morning at Woodland Cemetery. On the same day as the Cerulean in the same location of Crooks Hollow many of the above warblers were seen including a Tennessee Warbler. At the banding station in Ruthven a lovely Cape May warbler was seen. Shorebirds are coming into the news this week although we have little habitat in this area to host such birds. At the Red Hill Stormwater pond yesterday, Spotted, Solitary and Least Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were viewed. Two Dowitcher sp (likely Short-billed) were seen at Tollgate Ponds yesterday but not located today. Up on 5th Road East the wet field between Green Mountain and Powerline Road was host to Semipalmated Plover, Solitary and Least Sandpiper. Three Upland Sandpipers were seen on 10th Road East near the tracks. Grass Lake near Glen Morris is a wonderful wetland to visit. This year the Sandhill Cranes have one chick and also seen in this location are American Bittern, Common Gallinule, Bobolink and Grasshopper Sparrow. Another wetland to visit is the Safari Road Wetland located on Safari Road west of Kirkwall where American and Least Bittern, Sora and Virginia Rail were reported. Least Bittern was seen this morning. There are lots of odds and sods this week so read carefully! The King Eider was last seen last weekend but not seen today at LaSalle Marina. Common Loons are migrating through to the northern lakes with several flyovers this week. Great Egrets were seen today at Valley Inn and two at the Red Hill Stormwater Ponds. Green Heron and Marsh Wrens are back on territory in the Dundas Marsh. A Least Bittern was heard here as well. Sandhill Cranes seem to be on the move with four being seen over Greensville yesterday and two more over the tower at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby. Iceland, Glaucous, Lesser Black-backed and Great Black-backed Gull are stragglers seen at the Suncor Pier near Bronte earlier in the week. A Forster's Tern was also a highlight here. Ruby-throated Hummingbird was seen at a feeder in Ancaster and in the Appleby Creek Valley, more to come for sure! Yellow-throated Vireo was back on territory at the Currie Tract up in North Halton. At a field east of Great Lakes Drive and north of Rebecca in Oakville, a flock of 22 Lapland Longspurs were seen earlier in the week. Attempts to relocate fell short but dug up a Bobolink. Horned Larks and Savannah Sparrows seem to have a hold on this territory. The Dundas Valley is always a good host to breeders such as Red-eyed Vireo, Black-throated Green Warbler, Scarlet Tanager and Indigo Bunting. All of these birds seem to be on territory here. A Clay-colored Sparrow was located at Bayfront Park this morning and another one was seen earlier in the week at 5th Concession West and Middletown Road. Orchard Orioles made their comeback with two at a feeder in Hidden Valley and one being seen on 10th Road East yesterday. Pine Siskins are surely nesting in the Dundas Valley but have been reported elsewhere for those who are looking for their birdathons. Finally in baby news, the Peregrine Falcons at the Sheraton Hotel are parents once again to three chicks. A fourth egg did not hatch. These birds can be viewed at http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/ A Western Tanager almost made it to the Hamilton Study Area! There are some great birds about and I suspect this week will be the peak. Please report your sightings! 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/
