EARED GREBE WILLET LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER WHITE-EYED VIREO FISH CROW RED CROSSBILL
Brant Ring-necked Pheasant Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe American Bittern Great Egret Green Heron Osprey Sora Common Gallinule Sandhill Crane Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Northern Saw-whet Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Willow Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Tufted Titmouse Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Veery Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Northern Waterthrush Blue-winged Warbler Black-and-White Warbler Magnolia Warbler Yellow Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Grasshopper Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch It's been busy here in the Hamilton Study Area this week. Although there hasn't been an overwhelming number of migrants there has been a good variety and some specialty birds to make things interesting. Last Sunday, two EARED GREBES were seen on the west side of LaSalle Marina. Stunning views of one just offshore swimming next to a Horned Grebe made for and interesting study of these two species. The EARED GREBES were last reported on Wednesday. The WILLET was still present at Windermere Basin earlier in the week, an extended stay for this species at this time of year and over the past few years scarce in the area. On Monday a group of three LONG-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen in a flooded field on Middletown Road just south of 4th Concession West. The birds were a one day wonder and were elusive as they probed and fed in the back of the field amongst the long grasses. This is another species rare to the area in spring. WHITE-EYED VIREO is not a common bird in the Hamilton Study area but this week three different individuals were found at Fifty Point Conservation Area, Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek and Sedgewick Park in Oakville. The Bronte FISH CROW seemed to have disappeared however, relocation of the bird is probable around the Shell Park area with one being heard last weekend. There are many American Crows though to keep you guessing. Our pair of RED CROSSBILLS have settled into the east end of Confederation Park and were seen throughout the week. A great place to go this time of year for a night serenade is Grass Lake near Glen Morris. Here in the marsh, American Bittern, Sora, Common Gallinule and Sandhill Crane were all seen or heard last evening. Of course the frogs are competing for sound out there but it is a peaceful place to watch the sun set and listen to the sounds of the night. Savannah and Grasshopper Sparrows are singing in the field across the road. An Osprey has made a nest on a telephone pole not too far off the ground for its size at the corner of the marsh. Shorebirds are diversifying this week with still plenty of wet fields to check. Up in Saltfleet at 5th Road East, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin and Wilson's Snipe were all recorded this week. The Windermere Basin is also producing with Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Dunlin in addition to the Willet this week. Upland Sandpiper is on territory on 11th Road East south of Mud Street. The lakeshore properties along the western edge of Lake Ontario seem to take turns in harbouring migrants. Areas covered here include Lakeside Park, Mississauga, Sedgewick Park (Oakville), Shell Park (Oakville), Sherwood Forest Park (Oakville), Shoreacres (Burlington), Confederation Park (Stoney Creek), Edgelake Park (Stoney Creek). This week, Eastern Phoebe, Great Crested Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-headed Vireo, Warbling Vireo, Red-eyed Vireo (Shoreacres), Tufted Titmouse (Sedgewick), Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Wood Thrush (Sherwood Forest Park), Brown Thrasher, Northern Waterthrush, Brewster's Warbler (Sedgewick Park), Blue-winged Warbler (Lakeside Park, Shoreacres), Black-and-White Warbler, Magnolia Warbler (Edgelake Park), Yellow Warbler, Black-throated Blue Warbler(Sedgewick Park), Palm Warbler, Pine Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green Warbler (Shell) Chipping, Field, Lincoln's (Shell and Edgelake Park), Swamp and White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Baltimore Oriole and Purple Finch were birds reported along this swath of Lakeshore. An interesting place to visit this time of year is the banding station at Ruthven. Some of the highlights can be seen at http://www.ruthvenparknatureblog.com/ and include Blue-winged, Nashville and Black-throated Blue Warbler, Grasshopper and White-crowned Sparrow. Lake watching is still not over. This evening a Brant made an appearance near 301 Frances Road close to shore. Last weekend hundreds of Bonaparte's Gulls were seen off Oakes Road along with a couple of Little Gulls for flavour. A late Iceland Gull was seen off Fifty Road. In the odds and sods this week, a female Ring-necked Pheasant was seen at Kemp and Allen Road east of Woolverton. Two males were seen on 10th Road East. A flock of 9 Red-throated Loons flew over the Dundas Valley last Sunday. Common Loons can be seen daily flying over the lakeshore. Green Herons were seen in the Hendrie Valley and along Appleby Creek in Burlington. Great Egrets have been on the increase with some in the Hendrie Valley and at Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Of interest last weekend was a group of three Great Egrets and a smaller white heron/egret flying along the west end of the lake. An American Woodcock seems to have taken up residence in Sherwood Forest Park. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was a yard guest in Ancaster last weekend. A Eastern Whip-poor-will was reported calling in the Pineland school area of south Burlington. Red-headed Woodpeckers are back on territory on 5th Concession west, west of Sheffield where two were seen last evening. An extremely early Willow Flycatcher was seen on a golf course west of Guelph Line on Britannia. Veery was reported from a yard in Oakville and in east Hamilton. Gray Catbird was seen in the Dundas Valley last Sunday. Vesper Sparrows were heard on 11th Road west south of Mud Street last weekend. Lastly a Rose-breasted Grosbeak was seen at a feeder in at Ray North and Peter in Hamilton and in Flamborough, the first of many to come this week. It's simple, get out there and bird, anything is possible. Send along your sightings here! 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/
