On Friday, June 15th, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: ARCTIC TERN FISH CROW DICKSISSEL
Tundra Swan Canvasback Common Goldeneye Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Ruddy Duck Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Osprey Peregrine Falcon Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Spotted Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Black Tern Common Nighthawk Red-headed Woodpecker Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Great Crested Flycatcher Swainson's Thrush Brewster's Warbler Lawrence's Warbler Nashville Warbler Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Pine Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Canada Warbler Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Purple Finch Mid June is always a good time to recharge from migration. Most migrants have landed at their nesting grounds and have gone quiet. For those birders still out and about, sometimes pleasant surprises of rarer birds or record late migrants are of great satisfaction. Over the past two weeks in the rarity department, an ARCTIC TERN passed by Bronte Harbour late evening on June 2nd. It was a true transient as the next day it had gone. Again our local FISH CROW(S) have made themselves heard again. Last week one flew down over South Burlington near Walker's Line and Regal and reports have been coming in from the last couple of days of sightings of the bird again at Bronte Harbour with the bird seeming to like the area of the Lick's parking lot down there. Lastly from e-bird the report of a DICKSISSEL came from the area of Grass Lake, likely from the weedy field across from the lake about a week ago. There are many neat places to hike in Hamilton and Halton at this time of year to discover our local breeders. One area which supports more northern species is the LaFarge Trail accessed at the end of Middletown Road just above 8th Concession West. On the trail here this week, Veery, Great-crested Flycatcher, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-White and Canada Warbler could be seen and/or heard here. Ruffed Grouse, Winter Wren and White-throated Sparrow are likely other breeders here. Nearby in Westover, the Prairie Warbler continues to be seen and heard. Some complaints have come into this compiler regarding the excessive use of tapes to attract the bird for photographs and viewing. Please respect that this is considered a rare breeding bird in the area and that there is no need for this bird to be hassled with recordings. The bird is audible on its own. Please respect the fact that this bird is trying to breed and keep in mind to give it space and respect its habitat. At the Smith Tract which is on Watson just south of Stone Road near Guelph, Black-and-white, Nashville, Black-throated Green, Yellow-rumped, Magnolia and Pine Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, and Ovenbird are all local Breeders on territory here as of June 13th. At Crawford Lake Conservation Area near Guelph Line and Steeles in Halton, birds heard here include Winter Wren, Veery, Black-throated Blue and Pine Warbler, Northern Waterthrush, Ovenbird and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Birds with active young are in the news this week. Down at Bronte Harbour, two of the Red-necked Grebes have hatched of the 6 eggs. The Peregrine Falcons on the lift bridge are on the fly now sending the watchers running to make sure they have not met doom in the waters below. The Peregrines at the Sheraton are all flying now keeping the Falconwatch volunteers on their toes. Shorebirds have been scarce the last couple of weeks. Of note was a late Pectoral Sandpiper last Friday at a stormwater pond at the end of Wyecroft east of Burloak. The bird was present until Saturday night. A Black-bellied Plover was a late migrant at this locale last Friday. Another 1st summer Black-bellied Plover was seen at the Red Hill Stormwater Pond last Sunday. Another week or so and returning birds will start to show up. Over the past two weeks, a good variety of summering waterfowl have been discovered. A Tundra Swan has been seen a few times along the Burlington Lakeshore being seen from Burloak Park. A Canvasback was seen at Bayfront Park in Hamilton today, earlier last week a Common Goldeneye was reported. A female Ruddy Duck was seen at the west end of the Harbour. Of note was a group of Common Mergansers including juveniles off Arkendo Park in Oakville, this is an unusual breeding record but it appears that this has been a yearly spot for them since 2007. Red-breasted Mergansers were also present here. Common Mergansers were also present on Neare Island off Eastport and a Red-breasted Merganser was seen at Bayshore Park. A Horned Grebe was seen nearby at the Cement Pier in east Oakville. Red-necked Grebes appear to have a good summering population off Rattray Marsh with 55 being seen here earlier in the week. Common Loons were reported off Bayfront Park in Hamilton and off Sayers Park in Stoney Creek. In the odds and sods, a Great Egret made a stopover at a pond near Twiss and Derry Road yesterday. An Osprey was seen at the Valley Inn, likely one of the nesters from the aerial near Highway 6 and York Road. A Virginia Rail was a late migrant heard over Brantford on June 9th. Along with this, a Swainson's Thrush and Spotted Sandpiper were reported in the wee hours of the morning from the same observer. A Black Tern was seen at the end of Green Road for a day on June 2nd. A Common Nighthawk made an appearance in north Flamborough over Westover near 8th Concession, a late migrant. A Red-headed Woodpecker nesting near Sawmill and Shaver Road in Ancaster seems to be making more regular appearances now on the telephone poles. Tufted Titmice were reported from two areas, one at Rock Chapel in Flamborough and another at Westover Safari Marsh. A Lawrence's Warbler was seen at the Merrick Orchard in the Dundas Valley. On Artaban Road a Brewster's Warbler was seen on the same day a few days ago. A very late White-crowned Sparrow was seen and heard singing off Woodward in Hamilton on June 2nd. Vesper Sparrows were seen at the Eramosa Karst Property in Hamilton, Savannah Sparrows are numerous there. At Olympic Park, east of Scenic Drive on the West Mountain, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark were seen. A Purple Finch was heard and seen near the Beverly Swamp last week. That's the news for these past couple of weeks. Keep sending your sightings! Cheers, 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/
