RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET TENNESSEE WARBLER ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER NASHVILLE WARBLER NORTHERN PARULA PALM WARBLER WILSON'S WARBLER HOARY REDPOLL
Snow Goose Brant Cackling Goose Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Peregrine Falcon Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Great Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Common Raven Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Gray Catbird Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird White-winged Crossbill Pine Siskin The Christmas Bird Count Period starts this weekend and I think that the Hamilton Study Area has unique offerings for the counts. Looking at the top of the list, we have now added a 7th species of Warbler to the mix. The find of the week was down at Bayfront Park where the action was a few years ago with the warblers. This week a PALM WARBLER was found at Bayfront Park originally near the boat ramp and then moving around a wide range from the east side of the park on the east side of the beach where it was seen yesterday to along the waterfront trail where it was seen two days ago. Bayfront Park is located at the end of Bay Street in Hamilton. Other birds noted there were RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, Cackling Goose, Pied-billed Grebe, Horned Grebe, Common Loon, Black-crowned Night Heron, Bald Eagle, Rough-legged Hawk, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Iceland and Glaucous Gull, Great Black-backed Gull. An interesting sight in the week was a Peregrine Falcon dive bombing a Snowy Owl which tried to take shelter in a small bush but would end up on the waterfront trail. The owl was last seen flying off across the water so was not injured. Our other warblers are still at Sedgewick Park in Oakville with the NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE, WILSON'S and two ORANGE CROWNEDS being reported through the week. Unfortunately the NORTHERN PARULA has not been seen since last Saturday. Other birds present at Sedgewick include Brown Creeper, Winter Wren (up to 4), RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (2), Hermit Thrush and Yellow-rumped Warbler. Just west of Sedgewick at Coronation Park, a Brant has been present up until last weekend and a Snow Goose joined it last Sunday. There have been no reports of the Brant in the past days but it could still be there. PLEASE NOTE FOR ACCESS TO SEDGEWICK PARK THERE IS NO PARKING IN THE JEHOVAH WITNESS PARKING LOT ON SUNDAY. Access to Sedgwick Park must be gained through the entrance to the park at the end of Hixon. To end out the rarities, study of a photograph of Common Redpolls from Bronte Marsh revealed a probable HOARY REDPOLL in the group seen at Bronte Marsh mid-week. Common Redpolls have been reported from Bronte Creek Provincial Park and LaSalle Park as well this week. In the odds and sods this week, four more Snow Geese were seen at the extreme east end of the Hamilton Study Area at Port Credit Harbour. A Red-necked Grebe was seen off Eastport Drive near Windermere Basin with the same or other reported near LaSalle Marina. Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned Night Herons can be seen at the Red Hill Outlet off Eastport Drive. Northern Harrier, possibly two were seen on Sydenham near Fallsview up in Flamborough. A Snowy Owl continues to be seen at Bronte Harbour as of yesterday. A Belted Kingfisher was rattling along the Red Hill Outlet at Eastport last weekend, not too many of these around for winter listers. A juvenile Red-headed Woodpecker made a brief appearance at a feeder near Ancaster early in the week but not seen since. Northern Shrike was reported from the traditional spot of 10th Road East. A Gray Catbird has been seen sporadically up on 11th Concession East in Flamborough but not with consistency. A Common Raven and Eastern Bluebirds were seen yesterday on Mountainview Road in Grimsby. A Red-winged Blackbird was at the feeders behind Olympic arena with a Brown-headed Cowbird present at a feeder in east Burlington. The feeder bird of the week was a female White-winged Crossbill seen briefly at a feeder on Hillview in Grimsby on Thursday. Pine Siskins are still being reported at a feeder in South Burlington. There is lots to report these coming weeks as people get out for the Christmas Bird Counts, please report your sightings here and I can pass them on to the co-ordinators. Have a great week. 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
