RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER Snow Goose Cackling Goose King Eider Common Loon Bald Eagle Merlin Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Belted Kingfisher Horned Lark Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Fox Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Snow Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch
This has been by far the quietest winter I have seen in my years of reporting birds in the Hamilton Study Area. Despite somewhat mild conditions very few birds are being reported about. Unfortunately I think the snow and cold concentrate the birds but I'm good without it! Our ORANGE CROWNED WARBLERS are still being reported, pretty hardy little beasts. The one at LaSalle was last seen on the 9th and reports have it that it has taken to seed. The one at Sedgewick Park in Oakville also survives along with a RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET and a couple of Yellow-rumped Warblers. Yellow-rumped warblers have also turned up at the Desjardins Canal and Windermere Basin in the past couple weeks. As always waterfowl is a big part of the Hamilton scene in the winter. I won't list all of the expected but King Eider seems to be in good supply this year with birds seen off Jones Road in Stoney Creek and one continuing at the Burlington Ship Canal. A Snow Goose has been seen on and off at LaSalle Marina. Geese seem to be plentiful here with Canada Geese in the hundreds if not thousands around the west end of the lake. Mixed in are Cackling Geese if you have the time and patience. Cackling Geese have been reported from Bronte Harbour, at Fifty Point C.A. last Monday and last night flying over Hwy 8 and Dewitt Road. Two Common Loons were spotted a couple of days ago off LaSalle Marina out in the bay. In the odds and sods this week, Bald Eagles have been around all winter, at least a couple of adult birds and some juveniles and/or immature birds. There is no ice to sit on out on the bay, sometimes they are seen on the islands off Eastport Drive or in Cootes Paradise. A Merlin was seen at the RBG Centre at Plains Road, one regularly winters around here near Woodland Cemetery. Three adult Glaucous Gulls were seen at Canada Centre for Inland Waters on Jan 30th. A Snowy Owl has been making the QEW its hunting ground reported several times over the last week sitting on signs on the highway or on the North Service Road between Appleby and Guelph Line. Belted Kingfishers were reported at the creek at Governors Road and Ogilvie in Dundas and at the Desjardins Canal in Dundas, perhaps same bird. The traditional spot for Horned Larks is on Sydenham Road near Dyments Farm just north of Dundas. A few birds have been seen here but a sizable flock of Snow Buntings have also been reported on and off over the past couple weeks. Snow does help. Out in Ancaster, 7 White-crowned Sparrows are visiting a feeder near Sawmill and Shaver. Around the corner from here Brown-headed Cowbirds are being seen at another feeder. Eastern Bluebirds also seem to be creeping into this area. An Eastern Towhee continues at the feeder at the Arboretum in Guelph. A Purple Finch has joined the party there. A Fox Sparrow was seen with a couple of White-throated Sparrows down at Valley Inn. A bird that has been scarce this winter, Swamp Sparrow, was seen in the Robertson Tract in North Halton this week. That's the news, it should be picking up soon I would hope. Please send your sightings here so I have something to write about!!! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
