On Friday, May 25th, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN MISSISSIPPI KITE FISH CROW ACADIAN FLYCATCHER
Tundra Swan Northern Shoveler Canvasback Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ring-necked Pheasant Common Loon Red-throated Loon Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Osprey Semipalmated Plover Lesser Yellowlegs Whimbrel Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin Lesser Black-backed Gull Common Nighthawk Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood Pewee Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Swainson's Thrush Tennessee Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Migration is winding down here in the Hamilton Study Area with many species skipping over the area and just heading north and some others invisible in the advanced tree and shrub canopy this year. Despite these circumstances, we have had some good birds reported this week. Today an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN was seen over Cootes Paradise near Hickory Island, the bird was observed heading south but may come back to the area to roost later. Another great bird seen last Saturday was a MISSISSIPPI KITE. The bird was observed at a low altitude over the marina at Fifty Point Conservation Area probably had roosted there the night before. Our weekly FISH CROW sighting comes from Bronte Harbour once again last weekend. Lastly a bird not seen in the Hamilton Study Area too often, an ACADIAN FLYCATCHER made a brief appearance near a birder's home in Brantford where it was actively calling. Time to switch things up and put the shorebirds ahead. This week has seen a significant increase in the number and variety of shorebirds in the area. The Whimbrel Watch for the Hamilton Study area is Saddington Park located at the end of Mississauga Road in Mississauga. Early today, significant flocks of Whimbrel totaling 149 birds were seen and a nice flock of 16 Red Knot also passed by in the 7:15 - 8:15 a.m. hour. This is good number for this area considering the status of this declining species. Other shorebird spots include the Great Lakes Stormwater pond located at Rebecca and Great Lakes Blvd on the south east corner where this week Semipalmated Plover, Dunlin, Semipalmated and Least Sandpiper were seen. The Red Hill Stormwater Pond has also had a similar mix this week with numbers changing every day and the addition of Lesser Yellowlegs. A Ruddy Turnstone was seen off Eastport Drive on Neare Island, Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper and Dunlin were seen on North Island. Walking through woodlots along the lakeshore, many of the birds reported are by sound only. Heavy leaf cover makes viewing difficult so birding is a bit more challenging. At Fifty Point Conservation Area last weekend, Tennessee Warbler, Northern Parula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Black-throated Green, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll, Wilson's and Canada Warbler were seen and/or heard in the park. At Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek, an Olive-sided Flycatcher made a brief appearance last Saturday. At Shell Park in Oakville and Shoreacres in Burlington, many of the above species were seen as well as Eastern Wood Pewee, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher (Shoreacres), Willow Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Swainson's Thrush, Black-throated Blue-Warbler, Common Yellowthroat and Ovenbird. At this time of year with people doing birdathons, lingering duck news is always welcome. The following were seen last Saturday, Northern Shoveler - (2 at Tollgate Pond; one at North Island), Greater and Lesser Scaup in Red Hill-Windermere Channel, one Black Scoter and Surf Scoters off Green Road, Long-tailed Ducks off VanWagners Beach, Common Mergansers near Neare Island off Eastport Drive, Red-breasted Merganser, Red-throated and Common Loon off Sayer's Park in Stoney Creek. A female Canvasback was present in the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons last Saturday. There was a lingering Tundra Swan between Burloak and Appleby along the Burlington shoreline on Wednesday. There is lots of baby news this week. Red-necked Grebes are on nest down in Bronte Harbour and in the inlet off Burloak Park, tight on eggs. The lift bridge Peregrine Falcons had their three male chicks banded this week, Jimmy, Carrey and Port Hope. The other set of babies at the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton have not been banded but I expect will be soon. They can be viewed at http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/. An Osprey nest can be seen in the western part of the Hamilton Study area in Brant County at Clarence & Erie. In the odds and sods, Ring-necked Pheasant was heard in the vicinity of 10th Road East at the Dofasco Trail. Two pair of Upland Sandpipers and Bobolinks have also set up territory at this location. Of interest, 38 Black-crowned Night Herons were counted along the shoreline north of Canada Centre for Inland Waters. They seem to be doing well there despite the cormorants. A Great Egret was seen at the Red Hill Stormwater Pond again this week. Common Nighthawks were reported near Gage Park, over Burlington and over Grimsby. A first summer Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen Peace Park near Forty Mile Creek in Grimsby. Hooded Warbler was reported on territory near the traditional spot of Martin's Lane. There are still birds around. A report of two small egrets earlier in the week is worthy as it seems to be a good year for southern herons and egrets to come up on these south winds. Please report your sightings! 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/
