On Saturday, August 3rd, 2013 this is the HNC Birding report: RED KNOT
American Wigeon Green-winged Teal Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Ruddy Duck Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Great Blue Heron Osprey Semipalmated Plover Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Ruddy Turnstone Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Bonaparte's Gull Eastern Screech Owl Common Nighthawk This week's report is centred around one spot but there are several birds of interest here and it warrants a small report. Windermere Basin is the place to go for shorebird migrants. Every day seems to bring a different mix and with cold fronts passing through, it seems like a visit is warranted every day. This week a RED KNOT showed up on Tuesday and continued until yesterday although the observations yesterday were one brief look. The vegetation here makes it challenging for birders to see things at the back and patience and time are necessary as each scan seems to bring different numbers and different birds. I will update today if the Knot is seen. The Stilt Sandpiper was showing relatively well yesterday although the day before was tucked in a corner and difficult to see. Other birds seen at the basin include Ruddy Duck, Great Blue Heron, Semipalmated Plover, Greater (one) and Lesser (many) Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and on Tuesday eight adult Bonaparte's Gulls. A personal observation yesterday was a decline in the number of Common Terns seen so this could mean they are ready to move out. Of interest down here on Wednesday was a Common Nighthawk flying around calling. This is the second time this bird has been seen in the last few weeks. Windermere Basin is located just off Eastport Drive in Hamilton. Eastport Drive can be accessed from the QEW Niagara just before you go over the Skyway Bridge coming from Toronto. It is east of Pier 25 and of Outdoor World RV. There is a driveway opening in the road barrier here with a good sized parking lot. If you get to the lights at Woodward, you have gone too far. A SCOPE IS NECESSARY for viewing most birds out there. It's frustrating for birders with only binoculars to see the shorebirds so if you are out there and see someone who has only bins, maybe offer up a view in the scope for them. There are many good birds there so it's nice for everyone to have a look. In the odds and sods, a trip into the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons turned up a summering, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Hooded Merganser. Common Goldeneye and Common Merganser were photographed on Eastport Drive on the islands. A Great Egret was seen last Friday in the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. A check yesterday finds the water still too high for shorebirds. An Osprey was seen flying over downtown Burlington on Thursday. Eastern Screech Owls could be heard in the wee hours at Rock Chapel and on an evening walk in south Burlington on Princess Street. That's the news this week. Keep your sightings up and coming, they are most needed to write these reports! 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
