This email summary is a shortened version of the full report. To see the full report, please visit:
<https://medium.com/birding-hamilton/mcmaster-conservation-corridor-birding-report-for-2014-77d2aac06c53> About McMaster Forest ==== McMaster Forest is a 50 hectare former potato farm, located at the centre of the range of the Dundas Valley & Dundas Marsh Important Bird Area (IBA #ON005), just west of the intersection of Lower Lion’s Club Road and Wilson Street of Ancaster, Ontario. Since the 1960s the property has remained largely untouched until surveys and a tallgrass prairie restoration effort began in 2013 after McMaster University decided to utilize the space as a natural research facility. The property constitutes the southern end of the new McMaster Conservation Corridor which is bounded in the north by “McMarsh”, also known as the former RBG Coldspring Valley Sanctuary. About this Report ==== This report includes bird species observation data from 1 January 2014 through 31 December 2014 inclusive, with the exception of the “Winter Species” section which follows the period 1 December 2013 through 28 February 2014 inclusive, in order to line up with the traditional “winter birding” season. All record data was submitted to eBird by a handful of observers, most of which were submitted by the compiler of this report (Rob Porter). Currently no formal university projects exist at the property involving birds — this is purely a non-institutional citizen science project at this time. Anyone is welcomed to contribute data via eBird. You are also welcomed to share your eBird lists at this site with the account named “mccforest”, as this best helps us manage the data. If you do not use eBird, you may email r...@inpictures.ca with your observations which will be added to eBird with our site-specific data account. If you observe what you believe to be an unusual or rare species, please also pass along written documentation and/or photos or other media of the encounter. Visiting McMaster Forest ==== If you would like to visit the site, peak viewing would be during the breeding season when species diversity is at its strongest. While a very healthy number of species have been seen over the course of the year, the diversity is generally quite spread out over the year except during breeding when near half the species are found. We will be hosting a breeding birds hike this year on behalf of the Hamilton Naturalists Club on Wednesday May 20 at 6:30pm. Data Summary ==== Total Species Observed: 117 Confirmed Breeding: 35 Probable Breeding: 12 Possible Breeding: 12 Cowbird Parasitized Breeding Species: 3 Total Potential Breeding Observed: 59 Ontario “At Risk” Species Observed: 6 Winter Species Observed: 20 OBRC Review Species Observed: 1 Total eBird Checklists Submitted: 113 Ontario “At Risk” Species Observed ==== Bald Eagle Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Barn Swallow* Louisiana Waterthrush Eastern Meadowlark *Breeding nearby, and feeding at the prairie. Confirmed Breeding Species (35) ==== Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker Northern Flicker Eastern Wood-Pewee Eastern Phoebe Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Red-eyed Vireo Blue Jay American Crow Black-capped Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch Blue-gray Gnatcatcher American Robin Gray Catbird European Starling Cedar Waxwing Blue-winged Warbler Common Yellowthroat Yellow Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Scarlet Tanager Northern Cardinal Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Baltimore Oriole American Goldfinch Probable Breeding Species (12) ==== Wild Turkey American Woodcock Mourning Dove Black-billed Cuckoo Pileated Woodpecker American Kestrel Barn Swallow* House Wren Carolina Wren Clay-colored Sparrow House Finch House Sparrow *Barn Swallows, an Ontario Species at-risk, were frequently seen, but not confirmed to be nesting on-site. They were however, fly-catching on the wing above the prairie site. Possible Breeding Species (12) ==== Ruffed Grouse Red-tailed Hawk Killdeer Yellow-billed Cuckoo Great Horned Owl Belted Kingfisher Willow Flycatcher Warbling Vireo Tree Swallow Eastern Bluebird Wood Thrush Louisiana Waterthrush Confirmed Cowbird Parasitized Species (3) ==== Field Sparrow Song Sparrow Common Grackle Winter Species (20) (Dec ‘13 through Feb ’14 inclusive) ==== Canada Goose* Red-tailed Hawk Ring-billed Gull* Herring Gull* Great Horned Owl Red-bellied Woodpecker Downy Woodpecker Hairy Woodpecker American Crow Black-capped Chickadee White-breasted Nuthatch Golden-crowned Kinglet American Robin European Starling Cedar Waxwing American Tree Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Northern Cardinal House Sparrow *Non-resident species, which were only observed flying over. Traditionally the “winter birding season” is the first of December to the last day of February. Thus, this winter species list dips into December of 2013. As regular surveys did not begin until April of 2014, this dataset is less complete than it will be in future years. Thanks ==== Thanks to those who helped by submitting data, or otherwise supported this project: Dilia Narduzzi, Sebastian Irazuzta, Dr. Susan Dudley, Dr. Jim Quinn, Len Manning, Lisa Teskey, Paul D. Smith, R. W. Bullock. Comments, questions, and suggestions regarding this report or the surveys are welcomed. Please see <https://medium.com/birding-hamilton/mcmaster-conservation-corridor-birding-report-for-2014-77d2aac06c53> for the full version of the report which includes further details and photos. _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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