PIPING PLOVER LAUGHING GULL SNOWY OWL Long-tailed Duck Great Blue Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Osprey Broad-winged Hawk Merlin American Coot Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Bonaparte's Gull Black Tern Common Nighthawk Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Purple Martin Tree Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Northern Waterthrush Yellow Warbler Bobolink Baltimore Oriole Purple Finch
The tide has turned here in the Hamilton Study Area with a definite start in migration and a few waifs that have shown up in the area to make it interesting. On Tuesday, a PIPING PLOVER showed up at the Windermere Basin. Although seen at a great distance, the bird stuck around more or less in the same place with a few Semipalmated Plovers throughout the day. It was reported the next day briefly but has not been seen since. On the same day, Tuesday, a LAUGHING GULL was photographed seen briefly at Bronte Harbour. Unfortunately the bird was flushed and not seen again. There was a report of this bird earlier in the day off Van Wagner's beach. Lastly a surprise for the week from the north was a SNOWY OWL found at Eastport Drive last Saturday. The bird was seen today off Eastport Drive at building across from the RV Sales Centre at Pier 25. Shorebirds are continuing to move through this week. Local hotspots include North Island viewed off of Eastport where Semipalmated, Least, White-rumped and Pectoral Sandpiper have been seen. At Tollgate Ponds, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Least Sandpiper and Sanderling were seen. At Windermere Basin, the landscape is always changing. As with all of these spots, a scope is almost mandatory but continuous scans of the habitat out here drummed up Black-bellied (2) and Semipalmated Plover (4), Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher, American Coots and up to three Great Egrets along with a growing number of Great Blue Herons. At Confederation Park a Sanderling scurried along the beach. Passerine migration has started in earnest this week. A highlight for me was a tally of 77 Baltimore Orioles at Woodland Cemetery last Sunday. The birds were encouraged to move by our spishing and were counted moving in one direction over the point. These were all young/female type birds, there were no males amongst them. A couple of Bobolinks were also heard going over. In the odds and sods this week, a Long-tailed Duck was seen at the Beach Canal last weekend. Up to a dozen Black-crowned Night Herons lined the border of Tollgate Ponds in the week. This is a good time to look for a Yellow-crowned Night Heron which may sneak into the pack. A number of Ospreys were seen cruising along the bay near Woodland Cemetery with up to 6 being seen here last night. At Carroll's Point 25 Great Egrets were noted here last night. Common Nighthawks were noted here, at the high level bridge and over Brantford this week a sign that these birds are now moving south. A juvenile Broad-winged Hawk was seen over Carlisle in the week perhaps young of a breeding situation here as adults were noted earlier in the summer. Merlins have successfully bred in Brantford again. For the 5th consecutive year Merlins have been seen in this area of Brantford (Carolina Park/Henderson Survey). An Upland Sandpiper was seen and heard calling in the field near Grass Lake in Glen Morris last weekend. These are early migrants moving through the area. Two were heard over Brantford at night the week before. A huge gathering of gulls on the Hamilton Bay produced a couple of Bonaparte's Gulls here. In the past week Bonaparte's were also seen from Fifty Point. An immature Black Tern was photographed over the Dundas Hydro Pond on Wednesday. A nicely marked Yellow-bellied Flycatcher was seen at Shoreacres in Burlington yesterday. Flood damage is significant here and the trail access is limited. A Least Flycatcher along with several Eastern Kingbirds and Yellow Warblers were seen at Confederation Park today. A keen observer in south Oakville noted a good migration of Purple Martin, Tree and Barn Swallows yesterday with one Cliff Swallow making an appearance. Swallows are gathering in great numbers now, ready to be on the move with these fronts. A Northern Waterthrush was seen at Fifty Point Conservation Area last Saturday, this species being one of our earlier migrants. Finally a young Purple Finch came into a feeder on Centre Road north of Waterdown, a possible breeding scenario here. Beach season is almost here. Please note that this reporter holds a disclaimer for guaranteeing the specialties that occur at VanWagners Beach but I have been asked by some to give a heads up as to when these conditions may occur. We are approaching the time when Long-tailed Jaegers start showing up in the area. Sabine's Gulls are generally early September. The Weather Network and Environment Canada are good resources for posting the winds which will be occurring. Generally the best conditions are East and Northeast winds following a front. Anything with a James Bay Low is even better. If monitoring the Weather Network, please choose conditions at Burlington as Hamilton is the Hamilton Airport station. Environment Canada's website is the best here for Burlington as the winds are gauged at the lift bridge. Early in the week next week, east winds are predicted for the west end of the lake. That's the news for the week, please keep your sightings coming as this is getting to be an exciting time of year here in the Hamilton Study Area!!!! Good birding, 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
