COMMON EIDER EARED GREBE RED-HEADED WOODPECKER RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET GRAY CATBIRD ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER NASHVILLE WARBLER PINE WARBLER
Snow Goose Cackling Goose Trumpeter Swan Tundra Swan American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Canvasback Ring-necked Duck King Eider Harlequin Duck Ruddy Duck Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Merlin American Coot Lesser Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Common Raven Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler White-throated Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Rusty Blackbird You can see the list is a bit longer this week due to birders getting out to work on their winter lists. So far some great birds have turned up in the Hamilton Study Area during this first week. A COMMON EIDER was discovered off the rocks at Fifty Point Conservation Area. This is indeed a bird to see, excellent close looks this morning at the mouth of the harbour there. A female King Eider continued at Millen Road in the week and the same or different female King Eider was seen from Fruitland Road early in the week. Another great winter bird is still present in Puslinch. An EARED GREBE was discovered last weekend along with a Horned Grebe in the McMillan Pit on Concession 2 Road Puslinch. The grebe was seen again today buried in a mass of Mallards. The Horned Grebe seems to have moved on. Other birds seen in this area include American Wigeon, Common Loon, Bald Eagle, Common Raven, Northern Shrike, Snow Buntings and along the fence row a GRAY CATBIRD. A scope and patience is necessary for the EARED GREBE. A Cackling Goose was present in the nearby McNally Pit. Another great find of the week was a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. Located behind the Olympic Arena in Dundas, this is a young bird and probably the same bird seen on the HNC Fall Count in the Dundas Marsh. Although not visible today, the bird is likely still around, it was hanging with a Pileated Woodpecker. Other birds seen here in this woodlot include Great Blue Heron, Northern Flicker, Brown Creeper, Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-throated Sparrow, Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle. Winter listers are sure to take in Sedgewick Park in Oakville where this week, ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, PINE WARBLER and a dozen Yellow-rumped Warblers were part of the scene here. The previously reported Ruby-crowned Kinglet and Yellow-bellied Sapsucker seem to be absent but could still be around. A Winter wren was seen gleaning insects off the barrier close to the Jehovah Witness parking lot. Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen in the cedars and pines at the front of the property. I feel the best strategy is to stand by the fence near the tanks and wait. All the warblers seem to travel together and come in to feed around the tanks. Cold weather is a factor as when temperatures are warmer, the birds seem to disperse a bit. Another good spot to watch for wintering warblers is the sewage treatment plant at Arkendo at the border of Oakville and Mississauga. On Wednesday a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and 8 Yellow-rumped Warblers were viewed. Another big story here in the Hamilton Study Area is the Snowy Owl invasion that has been ongoing throughout the week. Last Saturday, one was seen at Tollgate Ponds. This number tripled on Sunday to three in the same location. Other birds were seen at Canada Centre for Inland Waters, the islands at Eastport Drive, Windermere Basin, First Road East and Highland on the Mountain, 10th Road East at the railway tracks between Ridge and Green Mountain and lastly two at 40 Mile Creek. Unfortunately a Snowy Owl was found at the side of the road today, victim of a vehicle. There are other good spots this week for winter listers. A Snow Goose was a nice surprise among a group of Canada Geese flying over Great Lakes Blvd and Rebecca. A Harlequin Duck was seen from Fifty Road last Saturday but moved off quickly in an easterly direction. An adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was a nice bonus at this location. LaSalle Marina is a good spot for wintering ducks. Today, Trumpeter Swan, Canvasback, Ring-necked Duck, Ruddy Duck, Common Loon, Red-necked Grebe and American Coot were nice additions to the list. A Merlin flew over Waterdown Road between LaSalle and Plains Road. Tundra Swans were seen around the islands off Eastport on Sunday. Black-crowned Night Herons are still present in the Red Hill Creek Outlet off Eastport Drive at Woodward. Northern Harrier, Northern Shrike and Eastern Meadowlark are good winter birds up on 10th Road East in Saltfleet. Northern Shrikes seem to be plentiful this year with birds up at the McMillan Pit, on Brock Road and in Saltfleet this week. An American Pipit was a good flyover bird at Canada Centre for Inland Waters on Saturday and on the rocks there Sunday. Finally, a female Rusty Blackbird was a decent bird at the arboretum in Guelph. That's the news for the week, please keep reporting your sightings here. With changing weather and upcoming Christmas Bird Counts, it's an exciting time to be out. Good birding, 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
