On Saturday, December 29th, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: PACIFIC LOON BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE JAEGER SP. EASTERN PHOEBE BARN SWALLOW RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET GRAY CATBIRD BOHEMIAN WAXWING ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER NASHVILLE WARBLER CAPE MAY WARBLER BLACKPOLL WARBLER YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER HOARY REDPOLL
Snow Goose Cackling Goose Harlequin Duck Ruffed Grouse Common Loon Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Sandhill Crane Bonaparte's Gull Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Short-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Shrike Common Raven Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Snow Bunting Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Pine Grosbeak Purple Finch Red Crossbill White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin Evening Grosbeak Winter has had a bit of a bite this week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Conditions have been harsher here this week and birders have had to be hardy to get out and do their birding and the Hamilton Christmas Bird Count! But it's all about quality and not quantity here so looking at the top of the list, things still look fairly impressive given the season. The Hamilton Christmas Bird Count was on Boxing Day with the count period extending from December 23rd to December 29th. Although conditions were not ideal on count day, some high quality birds were seen then and in the days surrounding. On count day conditions were ideal for lake watching at the west end of Lake Ontario. A PACIFIC LOON was seen flying with a Common Loon from the west at the edge of the circle Green Road in Stoney Creek. Later, two juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were seen flying westward down the shore of the lake towards Hutch's and Lakeland Tower. A JAEGER SP. was also reported. Other birds seen down at this end of the lake on count day include Lesser Black-backed Gull, Iceland, Glaucous and Bonaparte's Gull. Other Highlights from the count include a Thayers and Lesser Black-backed Gull seen along Bayfront trail. The long staying BARN SWALLOWS were seen over the sewage treatment plant on count day, Common Ravens in North Waterdown, Sandhill Cranes over Grindstone Valley in Waterdown, a Northern Saw-whet Owl in the Hendrie Valley, White-crowned Sparrows in North Waterdown, Pine Grosbeaks visiting a feeder on Old Waterdown Road, and Hoary Redpoll in Flamborough and one on the North Shore Trails at the RBG For count week, Snow and Cackling Goose were seen on the turf at Rock Chapel Golf Course. On Christmas Eve, an EASTERN PHOEBE was seen on Grandview Drive in Hamilton near the RGG gleaning flies off a house. Attempts to relocate have been unsuccessful so far. At a residence on Forest Glen Drive in Aldershot on Christmas day, a nice Christmas mix of birds including Cedar and BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, White-winged Crossbill and Common Redpolls made nice additions to count week. Evening Grosbeaks were seen on the 24th at a feeder in Ancaster. Sedgewick Park remains the centre of activity for rare birds here in the Hamilton Study Area. Five species of warbler remain here yesterday and seem fairly active in the southeast corner of the park. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS, NASHVILLE WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER were all actively feeding low giving great looks. It is possible that there are three ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS here. A Merlin made the birds go silent and still for a while. A report from North Halton brought some different birds to the mix. A couple of Pine Grosbeaks visited a feeder briefly up here near 15th Sideroad and 4th Line Nassagaweya. Also seen near here were a flock of about 30 BOHEMIAN WAXINGS. On the Halton Hills count, Common Raven was noted, Red-shouldered Hawk and Northern Shrike at 5th Line North of 15 Side Road. More BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen at 17th Sideroad East of Hwy 25 which might just be tickling the HSA. Down in the south of the area in Caledonia, a feeder here is host to 5 Tufted Titmice, White-crowned Sparrows, Hoary Redpoll and as of yesterday a GRAY CATBIRD in the yard. At the end of Arkendo Road in Oakville last weekend two male and one female Harlequin Ducks were seen. Near there, at the sewage treatment plant north of Arkendo, Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped Warblers and Red Crossbills were highlights on Christmas Eve. In the odds and sods this week, A Snow Goose was present at Fifty Point on Christmas Day. A single Ruffed Grouse is an occasional guest at a feeder near Westover and 8th Concession West in Flamborough. Black-crowned Night Herons were seen at Bayfront Park and at the Red Hill Outlet off Eastport for those wishing to start the new year with this species. Six Turkey Vultures were spotted at Field and Powerline Road in West Flamborough yesterday. Northern Harrier and Short-eared Owl were good birds found yesterday on 10th Road East in Saltfleet. Northern Harrier and Snow Buntings were present at Brantford Airport but sadly no Gray Partridge were found. A Northern Shrike was seen on 8th Road East just north of Green Mountain Road. A Tufted Titmouse is a guest at a feeder in Grimsby, its increasing presence a good sign the species is doing okay. A Hermit Thrush made a brief appearance in a yard in South Burlington yesterday. A Fox Sparrow has made an appearance the last few days at a feeder at the north end of Burloak Drive in Burlington. A Purple Finch was also seen briefly at a yard near Appleby and Spruce yesterday. Pine Siskins still seem to be around in some numbers with reports from feeders in Flamborough and Dundas. Common Redpolls are showing up at feeders everywhere so keep them stocked. Now that the snow is here, good birds should be turning up at feeders. Please report your sightings here! Happy New Year! 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/
