GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE AMERICAN PIPIT PALM WARBLER
Snow Goose Cackling Goose Northern Pintail Harlequin Duck Red-throated Loon Common Loon Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Merlin Peregrine Falcon American Coot Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Snow Bunting Yellow-rumped Warbler Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird It's been a wacky weather week here in Ontario and there has been some movement of birds in the area. Winter listers are busy ticking off the list as time ticks on. One extra day this year!!! Province wide there has been a movement of geese in the area. While there have been no sightings of Ross's Geese, three GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen last weekend at the end of Jones Road. No more reports in the week but they are likely still moving around the area. Snow Geese were seen at Bronte Harbour, in Milton in a flooded field at Mattamy National Cycling Centre and today four flying out from a flooded field on 5th Road East. If you have alot of patience, sifting through large masses of geese can produce Cackling Geese. One was seen at the Desjardins Canal early last Saturday. Its been a good year for the often left off the winter list AMERICAN PIPIT. Last week three were seen at Lakeside Park in Mississauga, one was refound on Saturday working along the shoreline. Down at Sedgewick the PALM WARBLER was last seen February 2nd with its cell mate the Yellow-rumped Warbler. It's been a good week for Gulls in the HSA. White-winged Gull numbers have increased. Glaucous Gulls, both adult and juveniles were present at Bayfront Park. Other spots for Glaucous Gulls were Canada Centre for Inland Waters and Bronte Harbour. A first year Iceland Gull was seen off the end of Jones Road in Stoney Creek and was present there again today. Another Iceland Gull could be seen flying near the break wall at Canada Centre for Inland Waters. The adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was back at LaSalle Marina last weekend and another juvenile at CCIW. Today and earlier last week a first winter Thayer's Gull was seen flying near the break wall at Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Unfortunately without access at the lift bridge to the canal, many of these birds remain hidden behind the building. One of the hotspots over the past week has been 10th Road East up in Saltfleet. Two Turkey Vultures were seen flying over 11th Road East and Ridge Road. A Peregrine Falcon was circling over the quarry on 10th Road east early in the week. Common Ravens are in nesting mode and are calling constantly from the quarry. A group of Snow Buntings along with a couple of Horned Larks were seen on Monday. A Northern Shrike patrols the area around the tracks and a wintering Eastern Meadowlark continues to play hide and seek with birders and was seen by a lucky individual last Sunday near the tracks. Although not in good supply, up to two Short-eared Owls have been seen at dusk at this location. In the odds and sods this week, Northern Pintails have been showing up with one overwintering bird at the Red Hill outlet but three more found off Jones Road earlier in the week. A pair of Harlequin Ducks was present last weekend down at Gairloch Gardens in Oakville. A Red-throated Loon made a flypast at Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Last Sunday a record tight group of eleven Common Loons were seen on the bay from LaSalle Marina. Two juvenile Bald Eagles were on the ice at Princess Point. An adult flew down shore at Gairloch Gardens last weekend. Another wintering Merlin seems to be frequenting the area of Guelph Line and Mountainside. A tight group of eighty American Coots were counted down at Bayfront Park. Snowy Owl sightings from this week and last come from Bronte Harbour, Burloak and the QEW and the field near Rebecca and Great Lakes Blvd. Also seen at this field were two Short-eared Owls. Another Northern Shrike was seen at Bronte Creek Provincial Park last weekend. A Belted Kingfisher rattles to make his presence known at the Desjardins Canal. Nearby behind Olympic arena, Tufted Titmouse, Swamp, White-throated, White-crowned Sparrow and Rusty Blackbirds continue to visit the feeders. There have been increased reports of Brown-headed Cowbirds at feeders and elsewhere in the area. That's the news, get out and scour your local patch. Strong south winds could have brought something unusual in. Report your sightings here! Good birding, 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
