FISH CROW EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL CERULEAN WARBLER Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Caspian Tern Common Tern Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Least Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Red-eyed Vireo House Wren Winter Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Ruby-crowned Kinglet Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Louisiana Waterthrush Northern Waterthrush Golden-winged Warbler Blue-winged Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Cape May Warbler Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Yellow Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Palm Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Prairie Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Grasshopper Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White=throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Scarlet Tanager Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Orchard Oriole Baltimore Oriole
It only takes a little bit of south winds to get things going on migration and what a difference a week has made here in the HSA. This week has seen a significant influx of warblers and vireos and today was probably one of the best days so far. We will start with the rarities. A FISH CROW was seen and heard at Burloak Park last Monday, it was only there briefly and then flew north. As you may recall a couple of birds tried to nest at this location two years ago. Last night an EASTERN WHIP-POOR-WILL was heard calling near the trail centre at the Dundas Valley. Another good bird seen today at a yard in South Burlington (unfortunately not mine) was a well described CERULEAN WARBLER. The lakeshore woodlots have been the most productive as they are always in the spring. It began last weekend with migrants moving along the west end of Lake Ontario and a great bird for a condo list being Prairie Warbler heard singing at the end of Frances Road and on Monday followed by spectacular views of a Louisiana Waterthrush at Edgelake Park. From Forty Mile Creek and Fifty Point in Grimsby, Edgelake and Confederation Park in Stoney Creek, Princess Point in Hamilton, Shoreacres Park in Burlington, Burloak Park, Shell Park and Bronte Bluffs in Oakville the following migrants were reported: Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Least Flycatcher, Eastern Kingbird, Blue-headed, Warbling and Red-eyed Vireo, House and Winter Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Veery, Swainson's and Wood Thrush, Gray Catbird, Golden-winged (Shell), Brewster's (Shoreacres), Blue-winged (Shell and Sheldon Creek Trail), Black-and-white, Tennessee, Orange-crowned (Appleby Creek), Nashville Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Cape May (Edgelake and Fifty Point), Magnolia, Blackburnian, Yellow (in numbers), Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Pine, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green Warbler, Lincoln's, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Scarlet Tanager (Bronte Bluffs), Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Indigo Bunting, Orchard Oriole (Burloak Park) and Baltimore Oriole. Shorebirds are in the news again this week. Two prime locations are the wet fields at 8th Line and Britannia in north Oakville, Windermere Basin and Red Hill Pond. Shorebirds reported this week include American Golden Plover (8th Line and Britannia) Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated and Least Sandpiper, Dunlin and Wilson's Snipe. Shorebirds can only get better over time. In the odds and sods, Red-necked Grebes are nesting again at Bronte Harbour with 2 eggs on the nest already. Common Loons were moving through along the lakeshore today, waters have been flat along the lake, a good time to scan. Pied-billed Grebe and Blue-winged Teal were notables at Windermere Basin. The Common and Caspian Terns are settling into their nesting colonies there. A Great Egret was seen this afternoon at Congestion Ponds on the North Service Road east of Brant and west of Guelph Line. Bonaparte's Gulls were out in good numbers off Forty Mile Creek last weekend unfortunately not flying around enough to pick out a Little Gull. Chimney Swifts have returned to traditional areas in the chimneys in Dundas. An early Gray-cheeked Thrush was banded at Ruthven in the week. Northern Waterthrushes are on Territory on Middletown Road between 5th and 6th Concession West and in the Beverly Swamp. Grasshopper Sparrows could be heard chirping at the traditional site of 6th Concession West west of Westover Road under the hydro towers. Bobolinks were flushed off the trail at the Windermere Basin but are expected at the traditional sites already such as Saltfleet. Thanks to all who reported sightings from their yards, we had a number of hummingbird sightings at peoples feeders so now is the time to put them out. It's going to be a busy weekend here, get out to your local patch. There is lots to see in the Hamilton Study Area and I am sure rarities are lurking out there somewhere. Please report your sightings here. 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
