FRANKLIN'S GULL
Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Lesser Scaup Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Green Heron Bald Eagle Virginia Rail Sora American Coot Sandhill Crane Semipalmated Plover Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Wilson's Phalarope Black Tern Ruby-throated Hummingbird Common Raven Pine Siskin It's been another quiet couple of weeks on the home front with a couple of surprises that makes things interesting and encourages birders to get out there and keep looking. Last weekend a FRANKLIN'S GULL spent the weekend loafing down at Bronte Harbour giving birders and photographers something to talk about! Another good record for this time of year although not a rarity was the presence of two Pine Siskins (one well photographed at a feeder) on Deer Run Court near Brantford. An unusual sighting given time of year and the fact that there was no invasion of this species the previous winter. There are two main shorebirding spots in the Hamilton Study Area and slightly outside that are worth keeping an eye on. Windermere Basin has been somewhat active over the past couple of weeks. The return of a Black Tern brings speculation that this is a bird that is spending time nearby and occasionally drifting into the basin. Other birds seen there over the past two weeks include Northern Shoveler, Green-winged Teal, Lesser Scaup, Great Egret, American Coot (up to 3), Semipalmated Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Sanderling (briefly last Monday), Semipalmated Sandpiper and Ruddy Turnstone. At the Townsend Sewage Lagoons, Semipalmated Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Solitary, Semipalmated, Least, Pectoral and Stilt Sandpiper and Wilson's Phalarope have all been noted. A Green Heron was photographed there yesterday. Local stormwater ponds and beach fronts should also be checked. Oak Park Lagoons was in the process of being drained and a Lesser Yellowlegs and Least Sandpiper were birds seen here. This locale is just south and east of the Supercentre at Trafalgar road & Dundas. Bounded by Hays Blvd, 6th Line, Glen Ashton, Central Park Dr. and Georgian Dr.. A Least and Semipalmated Sandpiper were seen on the beach at Bayfront Park and in a stormwater pond just north of Rymal Road and just west of Glover Road, a Solitary Sandpiper made a stop. In the odds and sods, the Red-necked Grebe family is growing and venturing further afield. Sandhill Cranes are still being seen with young at Grass Lake, A Bald Eagle flew over the Burlington Lakeshore last Monday looking as if it were on the move south. Young Virginia Rails and Sora were seen and photographed at Safari Wetlands up on Safari Road west of Kirkwall. A late night Upland Sandpiper was heard over a home in Dundas a couple of nights ago. Uplands are early migrants and most just seem to disappear without notice. A family of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds were coming into a feeder on Plains Road. Feeders should be stocked this time of year, you never know what other species might accidentally show up. Finally, a family group of Common Ravens were soaring over Courtcliffe Park in Carlisle last week. The next few reports will look somewhat different than this one. Please report your sightings so that people will be informed when birds are starting to move. Have a great long weekend. 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
