On Friday, May 18, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: MISSISSIPPI KITE FISH CROW CERULEAN WARBLER
White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Ring-necked Pheasant Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Broad-winged Hawk Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Whimbrel Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin American Woodcock Philadelphia Vireo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Marsh Wren Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Tennessee Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Prairie Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-white Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Mourning Warbler Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Clay-colored Sparrow Lapland Longspur Orchard Oriole White-winged Crossbill Pine Siskin It's been another busy week here in Hamilton with fewer numbers of warblers, more birds on the breeding grounds and some rarities mixed in to spice it up. Last Saturday, on strong south winds a MISSISSIPPI KITE was seen over 40 mile Creek in Grimsby. Lightning struck twice as on May 15th, the closing day of the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch another MISSISSIPPI KITE breezed through over the tower, again on strong south winds. FISH CROWS are still in the news this week with birds being seen regularly down at Bronte Harbour. Late afternoon or evening is best for viewing these species. On Tuesday a CERULEAN WARBLER was seen at Fifty Point Conservation Area but not refound that afternoon. Another one was heard last weekend from West Street in Bronte. The Lakeshore properties have been less busy this week with many reporting the later warblers such as Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Canada and Mourning Warblers. However a good variety of warblers with many females arriving were reported including Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, still some Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Black-and-white Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird and Wilson's Warbler. Highlights include a female Prairie Warbler and Black-billed Cuckoo at Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington. This is also an excellent park for Thrushes with Veery, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrush reported from here this week. A late Blue-headed Vireo was seen at Shoreacres in Burlington. Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and Philadelphia Vireos seem to be arriving in numbers now. Today an Olive-sided Flycatcher was seen at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek and last weekend were seen at Shell Park in Oakville. There are quite a few birds already on territory here. A Broad-winged Hawk is taking up residence again near 8th concession West and Westover Road in an area known as the Beverly Swamp. Alder Flycatcher are back at this location too. Yellow-throated Vireo was heard singing at the Millgrove Loam Pits today which is on 5th Concession West west of Moffat Road in Flamborough. In the back of the Millgrove Loam Pits a family of American Woodcock were flushed and Marsh Wrens were singing heartily here. A Hooded Warbler was heard on territory east of Paddy Green Road. Closeby, A nice group of 5 Clay-colored Sparrows were seen on territory in the week back from the radio tower. Shorebirds are in the news this week and particularly today. At the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons this afternoon, Black-bellied Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Whimbrel, Least and White-rumped Sandpiper and Red-necked Phalarope were seen this afternoon. Unfortunately for those who followed in the evening, the birds had been spooked by something and only the Spotted Sandpipers remained. A Least Bittern was also flushed from this area. Common Terns seem to have set up a small colony here. On Tuesday, a Black-bellied Plover was present on the beach strip near Baranga's Restaurant. At the Red Hill Stormwater Ponds, Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Dunlin were all present in the week. A Great Egret was in the ponds today. Spotted, Solitary and Least Sandpipers were seen in Dundas Marsh this week. At a stormwater pond near Sutton and Upper Middle in Burlington, five Semipalmated Sandpipers were seen earlier in the week. For those doing birdathons, a number of Common Loons are still migrating off of Lake Ontario. A Pied-billed Grebe was in the Red Hill Stormwater Pond today. Yesterday a Horned Grebe was seen off Shoreacres in Burlington and a White-winged Scoter was seen at Spencer Smith park mid week. There seem to be a number of Red-breasted Mergansers and Long-tailed Ducks remaining on the lake. A Common Goldeneye was seen off Carroll's Point. Of interest for the winter birds you expect to be gone, Lapland Longspurs were still being seen at a field east of Burloak/Great Lakes Blvd north of Rebecca in Oakville. An interesting sighting of 20 White-winged Crossbills came from Crooks Hollow Road. Pine Siskins seem to be nesting in a number of places this year with reports from west Mississauga, Dundas, Verbinnen's Nursery and Woodland Cemetery this week. In the odds and sods this week, a female Ring-necked Pheasant appeared to be defending a nest near 10th Road East in Saltfleet. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was hear calling at Glover Golf & Sports Park in Hamilton. Common Nighthawks were reported over Bronte and East Hamilton last night. A Red-headed Woodpecker was seen at VanWagner's Ponds last Tuesday. Another Olive-sided Flycatcher was seen at 8th Concession West, west of Westover Road today. A Sandhill Crane was seen lifting off out of the marsh on Wednesday. Orchard Orioles were seen at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons this evening. That's the news for this week. Although the weather is supposed to be fabulous this weekend (good for cottagers, bad for birders), there are still things to be found. Please report your sightings! Have a great long weekend! 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/
