KING EIDER GREAT EGRET DOVEKIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! RED PHALAROPE HOUSE WREN RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER PALM WARBLER WILSON'S WARBLER
Snow Goose Canada Goose Wood Duck Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Sandhill Crane Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Northern Mockingbird Yellow-rumped Warbler White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Winter listing is upon us and mild conditions are conducive to late migrants holding off moving. There are some good birds to be seen in the HSA this week. Clearly in the WTF! category a report and photograph of a DOVEKIE on November 30th at Bronte Harbour which has surfaced today has clearly blown everything out of the water. Circumstances of the sighting are still forthcoming but the picture clearly shows the facts. If anyone is in the Bronte area and turns this thing up, it's worth money from yours truly. This is an incredible record for the province let alone the Hamilton Study Area. December 1st brought out the winter listers and there are a number of good finds for the area. A WILSON'S WARBLER continues to be elusive but seen at the sewage treatment plant in East Oakville just north of Lakeshore Road on Armiger Road. At the bottom of Arkendo just east of here a male and female Harlequin Duck, a Horned Grebe and a Belted Kingfisher were winter highlights. At Sedgewick Park in Oakville just east of Third Line, RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET, ORANGE-CROWNED and PALM WARBLER were winter highlights. Hermit Thrush and Winter Wren were also good ticks. A report of a HOUSE WREN came from the trails leading down from Unsworth Avenue in Burlington about 100 to 200 m before a wooden platform overlooking the pond. A GREAT EGRET is a great bird to find if you are able to follow it from the Dundas Hydro Pond to the Valley Inn on its daily journey. It was last seen late afternoon at the Hydro Pond which is behind Olympic Arena in Dundas. Lastly, KING EIDERS have arrived on the west end of Lake Ontario with up to four being seen off Fruitland Road during the week. A careful check of waterfowl could produce a Common Eider. A RED PHALAROPE was seen off LP Sayers Park last Monday, certainly a late date for this species. Other winter goodies around the area this week include a Snow Goose seen today at Concession 2 W. just east of Orkney Road with a group of Canada Geese. A single male Wood Duck was tucked away in a pond at Concession 2 W and Woodhill Road in Flamborough. Another Harlequin Duck was seen today at Ben Machree Park in Mississauga. This is just west of Saddington Park. All three scoters have been seen along the west end of the lake off LP Sayers Park, Green and Fruitland Road. The odd Red-throated and Common Loon have been seen along the west end of the lake, good species to get before it gets too cold. Great Blue Herons were harassing the Great Egret today at the Dundas Hydro Pond. As water bodies have not frozen up, this should be an easy winter species to tick off. Three Turkey Vultures were seen today in a field at Field and Jerseyville Road in Flamborough. This area has been a good area for a winter roost for vultures so is worth a check. The migration of Sandhill Cranes always occurs late November/early December. Reports have mostly been from the north of the circle but yesterday birds were seen at Valley inn and then slowly descending somewhere near Dundas Marsh. From behind Dundas Arena early this morning, a group of about 25 birds could be seen in the distance rising from roost then slowly circling and moving west. Pileated Woodpeckers are present behind Olympic arena and one was seen flying in Bronte Provincial Park West. A Northern Shrike was also seen here. An unusual sighting of two Tufted Titmice comes from behind Olympic Arena in Dundas. This is not an easy species to get in the HSA. Walk east along the hydro right of way and then make a right to the second hydro right of way and the birds have been seen here where seed is put out for the birds. Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen at the sewage treatment plant at Arkendo as well as Sedgewick Park in Oakville. A Northern Mockingbird was present this morning at Princess Point. A careful check of the nooks and crannies behind Olympic Arena can yield Yellow-rumped Warbler, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrow. There is much to be seen out there so get out and check your local patch. If a DOVEKIE can show, anything is possible. Send your sightings here!!!! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. 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
