BLACK TERN Wood Duck Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup White-winged Scoter Black scoter Bufflehead Common Merganser Red-breasted Merganser Common Loon Least Bittern Great Egret Green Heron Bald Eagle Virginia Rail Sora Common Moorhen American Coot Sandhill Crane Spotted Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Semipalmated Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Yellow-billed Cuckoo Great Horned Owl Alder Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Yellow-throated Vireo Common Raven Sedge Wren Marsh Wren Black-throated Blue Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark Orchard Oriole
Mid June is a quieter time for birds here in the Hamilton Study Area, most breeders are already on nest and keeping their whereabouts a secret with little song. However, there are birds to report so let's get to it. The only rarity of the week disappeared last Saturday. A BLACK TERN was present at Windermere Basin until about noon on Saturday when it was chased off by a Caspian Tern. Windermere Basin continues to be a source of birds and water levels are dropping now so when the tides turn and summering shorebirds and failed breeders start moving, this should be a good place to check. A neat find this week was a male Wilson's Phalarope which continued into yesterday. Other shorebirds present through the week include Semipalmated Sandpiper, Dunlin and Ruddy Turnstone. Summering Ducks include Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Greater and Lesser Scaup and Bufflehead. A Green Heron and American Coot were seen earlier in the week. Another nice place to go this time of year is Grass Lake out near Glen Morris. Last Saturday up to 6 Sandhill Cranes could be hear bugling from the marsh. A nice surprise was a Sedge Wren singing from the marsh just down the road from the main marsh. Other birds present in these two areas included Wood Duck, Sora, Virginia Rail, Alder and Willow FLycatcher, Grasshopper Sparrow, Bobolink and Eastern Meadowlark. Safari Road Marsh is also productive this year with Least Bittern, Sora, Virginia Rail, Common Moorhen and Marsh Wren present. A Great Horned Owl could be heard at a distance making contact calls with its young and an odd sighting was an Eastern Meadowlark up in a tree in the middle of the marsh. In the odds and sods this week a record late Black Scoter was seen with a number of White-winged Scoters off Peace Park at 40 Mile Creek. Common Loons were seen at various access points along the shore of the west end of the lake. a Great Egret flew over the Canada Centre for Inland Waters yesterday. Bald Eaglets have fledged the nest at the Royal Botanical Gardens (Cootes Paradise). Two Eaglets located in Brantford are looking ready to go as well and should fledge by the end of June. A group of seven Bonaparte's Gulls were seen in Cootes Paradise off Princess Point this week, an unusual sighting for this time of year for Hamilton, perhaps very late migrants. Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard in the McMaster Forest earlier in the week. Another was heard at Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle. Yellow-throated Vireo was a consolation prize for birders looking for the White-eyed Vireo in the Beverly Swamp on 8th Concession West near Valens. Four Common Ravens were seen flying near Palladium Drive and Appleby Line a couple days ago, perhaps adults with young. A late Black-throated Blue Warbler was heard from Glow Park near Glow Ave in east Hamilton. Another good location again this year for Grasshopper Sparrow is under the hydro lines on 6th Concession West near Westover in Flamborough. Clay-colored and Vesper Sparrows continue to be reported from City View Park in Burlington. Finally, a female Orchard Oriole was seen last weekend at Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle, a nice place to visit this time of year. That's the news for this week, please keep reporting your sightings! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com _______________________________________________ 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
