HARRIS SPARROW Snow Goose Ross's Goose Brant Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Pintail King Eider Ring-necked Pheasant Red-throated Loon Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Sandhill Crane Killdeer American Woodcock Iceland Gull Snowy Owl Common Raven Tree Swallow Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle
As you can see by the list, things are looking up and with the warm temperatures last weekend, a number of migrants gave us hope that things are turning around. The HARRIS'S SPARROW was the only super rarity reported in the week with it last reported on e-bird at 6547 Ellis Road in Cambridge on March 11th. There has been considerable movement of waterfowl during the week. On West Dumfries Rd., SW of Glen Morris last Tuesday, a Ross' Goose was found along with 4 Snow Geese in the flooded fields here. Sandhill Crane and Killdeer were also of note here. A Cackling Goose was reported in a field on Fallsview Road in Flamborough yesterday. Down in the south of the Hamilton Study area a nice find was a Brant with a flock of Canada Geese. This flock was spotted in the Hamilton circle and then flew out of it to land in a field near 452 Robinson Road. Also seen down here in this area were 2 Snow Geese and 22 Great Blue Herons in and around the heronry on Ortt Road just north of Dunnville. Tundra Swans have been a major force this week with flocks reported everywhere. The list would be too long to mention but today there are a number of them sitting out in Cootes Paradise. Significant numbers are being seen up in Saltfleet between 8th and 10th Road East along with Wood Duck, American Wigeon and Northern Pintail in numbers. A King Eider was seen off 40 mile creek in Grimsby along with a couple of passing Red-throated Loons. Finally, the Red-necked Grebes have found their way back to Bronte Harbour and are exhibiting courtship behaviour and nest building already. The Niagara Peninsula Hawk Watch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby has seen some tough conditions this week. Nevertheless brave volunteers have withstood wind and snow squalls to produce some good results. Hands down the best bird of the week was an early Osprey seen over the tower on Wednesday. Other birds seen during the week include Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawk. In the odds and sods this week, a Ring-necked Pheasant was once again seen near 10th Road east. Merlins were reported from Stoney Creek and from south Burlington in the Walker's Line and New Street area today. Another Sandhill Crane was seen earlier in the week over the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Killdeer are here in numbers, a welcome sound of spring. Up there in my favourites, American Woodcock have been heard peenting in traditional spots of Confederation Park, up on York Road near the Hopkins Tract and I am sure in Bronte Campground East. An Iceland Gull was also seen at the mouth of 40 Mile Creek today. The Snowy Owl first found last week at 1st Road East and Highland Road returned on Tuesday to the same field. Lots of space up here so it's worth a check of other fields. Common Ravens have been reported a few places, there seem to be more every year. A few have been reported at the hawk watch, one at QEW at Winona Rd on Tuesday and a group of 5 birds flew over a residence in North Halton last Friday. Today a Raven was seen feasting on a raccoon on 10th Road East at Green Mountain. A super find this week was two early Tree Swallows found upstream from Wilkes Dam in Brantford on Thursday. One would think that here must be some regrets from them on making this journey so quickly. Lastly, the return of the Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles always causes excitement and they have come in force. Two Rusty Blackbirds were seen around Green Road in Stoney Creek last Saturday. That's the news for the week. Hopefully things will turn around and bring some more migrants into the area. Please let me know any sightings you have. 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/
