AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN SNOWY EGRET
BLACK TERN American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Green-winged Teal Redhead Least Bittern Great Blue Heron Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Merlin Virginia Rail Black-bellied Plover Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Dunlin Bonaparte's Gull Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Cliff Swallow Marsh Wren Mourning Warbler Clay-colored Sparrow Its a quiet summer week here in the Hamilton Study Area but our rarities seem to like it here and it appears now that shorebirds have reversed direction and are returning. The AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN continues to be seen in the Cootes Paradise, occassionally getting up for a fly every once in a while around Cootes. The SNOWY EGRET was absent today but has been seen every day up until yesterday. Last week the bird disappeared for a couple of days but then came back. It likes the company of a Great Egret which has also been at the basin on and off for the week. Once again a BLACK TERN showed up in the deluge last weekend at the basin. A first summer bird appreared at Bronte Harbour during the rain storm. Windermere Basin is the local hotspot this week with shorebirds on the rebound and southbound. A Black-belllied Plover was first to arrive yesterday with two Lesser Yellowlegs coming today. A Dunlin has also been present here over the past weeks, doesn't appear to be going anytime soon. Amongst ducks in the basin, American Wigon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal and up to 5 Redheads have been seen. In addition to the Great Egret, Great Blue Heron and Black-crowned night Heron have also kept company with the SNOWY EGRET. In the odds and sods this week, a Merlin is present at Concession and Upper Sherman, a probable nesting site. Out in the Flamborough at the Safari Road Marsh on Safari east of Kirkwall Road, Sora, Virginia Rail and Marsh Wrens were birds of note. Unfortunately a Least Bittern was found by the side of the road, hit by a car. Another Virginia Rail was seen standing in the middle of the road on 8th Concession. Upland Sandpiper was seen last Friday on the wire near the bridge that crosses the Grand near Oak Park Road in Brantford. An immature Bonaparte's GUll was seen in Cootes Paradise. A family group of Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Mourning Warbler were birds recorded at Mahon tract which is in North Halton. Cliff Swallows are nesting again near Northland Nurseries in Flamborough. This is also a good spot for Clay-colored Sparrow. Short and sweet is the report tonight but it doesn't mean birders should sit idle. Looking at the rarity hotlines, things are cropping up all around us. Get out and have a look at the local patch or take the opportunity to go where you haven't before. Report your sightings here! Good birding Cheryl Edgecombe HNC _______________________________________________ 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
