GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE TREE SWALLOW PALM WARBLER
Tundra Swan Wood Duck Gadwall American Wigeon American Black Duck Mallard Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Hooded Merganser Ring-necked Pheasant Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Kestrel Merlin Killdeer Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Common Raven Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee (early record!) Fox Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle Pine Siskin Well, there's no argument, spring has arrived in the Hamilton Study area. It's been a great week for early migrants and some records have been broken here. The biggest phenomenon of the week is the number of GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE passing through the area. We were lucky to have a small number pass through in the winter but this week there have been smaller flocks of birds seen on 8th Road east and just off of 30 Road in Grimsby (8-9 birds). Not a record but a significant number of birds (at least forty) have been seen in the Dry Lake area in the south of the circle over the past two days. A TREE SWALLOW was a very early migrant over Princess Point earlier in the week, lots more to come probably tomorrow. The PALM WARBLER has successfully overwintered at Sedgewick Park along with its entourage of Yellow-rumped Warbler, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren and Golden-crowned Kinglet. The sounds of spring are breathtaking. Tundra swans in the thousands passed through the area all week with larger numbers at the beginning of the week. Today, small flocks were seen in the fields in Saltfleet. It's lovely to hear them first and then see them as they head on their way. The numbers of waterfowl in the fields in Saltfleet are staggering. Gadwall, American Wigeon, American Black Duck, Mallard, Northern Pintail (in significant numbers) and Green-winged Teal were all seen in flooded fields from Grimsby to Stoney Creek up on the mountain. Wood Ducks and Hooded Mergansers were present in the quarry pond on Green Mountain Road between 10th and 11th Road east. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area has started in earnest this week. Recorded over the week were many Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, our first of season Red-shouldered Hawks, Red-tailed Hawks in numbers, Rough-legged Hawk, American Kestrel and Merlin. Non raptors include Tundra Swans, Killdeer, Common Raven and of course Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles. Two Eastern Bluebirds were welcome guests. In the odds and sods, a male Ring-necked Pheasant has been seen in the corn field on the east side of 10th Road East just south of Ridge Road. Common Loons were reported over Greensville and at LaSalle Marina. A Pied-billed Grebe was seen near Bronte Harbour. Several Red-necked Grebes have made a return to the harbour. Horned Grebes were seen from LaSalle Marina today. Double-crested Cormorants were coming in today, extremely early for this species. Three Bald Eagles were seen sailing over Cootes Paradise earlier in the week. Killdeer have made a return with their all too familiar cries a welcome sign of spring. American Woodcocks could be heard peenting and twittering at the RBG property at York Road and up at the Eramosa Karst. A Snowy Owl has made a temporary stopover on the islands at LaSalle Marina. A Northern Shrike was heard singing today on 10th Road east. Common Ravens were seen at the 403 and Waterdown Road. A Hermit Thrush was seen at McMaster Forest mid-week. An Eastern Towhee was an extra early migrant showing up at a feeder in Brantford today. A Fox Sparrow made an unexpected appearance at the Rona Wetlands, perhaps an overwintering bird which has decided it's safe to come out. Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles were everywhere this week, spreading their songs of joy. A Rusty Blackbird was found amongst them in a mixed flock up in Saltfleet. Lastly, lingering Pine Siskins were seen at a feeder in Carlisle. Thats the news for this week. This weekend will bring in more goodies, be sure to sort through them all. If a Bean Goose can show up anything can happen. Cheers Cheryl --- 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
