ROSS'S GOOSE WESTERN GREBE BLACK VULTURE LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE (possible) TREE SWALLOW ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER HARRIS'S SPARROW
Snow Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Peregrine Falcon Sandhill Crane Killdeer American Woodcock Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Common Raven Ruby-crowned Kinglet Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Meadowlark We are finally starting to see some movement this week here in the HSA as warm temperatures return to the area. Some goodies have popped up to give us some excitement though. The ROSS'S GOOSE was seen up until last Sunday being seen down at LaSalle Marina for much of the day that day. This may have been a different bird from the one seen at the RBG a couple days earlier. On Tuesday, an Aechmophorus Grebe was found early in the day way out on the lake giving people some pause. Later it the day it was positively identified as a WESTERN GREBE. This species returned here last year around the same time. It was only seen for a day or so but was not present Thursday or Friday although the Grebe's were way out on the lake. At the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer in Grimsby, a BLACK VULTURE was seen late in the day on Thursday over the tower. Unfortunately it did not turn up at one of the areas where Turkey Vultures roost but it's the season to keep an eye out in large flocks of Turkey Vultures. Others birds seen here this week include Snow Goose, Tundra Swan, Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagles in good numbers, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk, Sandhill Crane and Ruby-crowned Kinglet. Our first TREE SWALLOW was seen by an observer yesterday. An interesting sighting yesterday was of a SHRIKE which was a good candidate for a LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE. It's that time of year when both species are to be considered. The location was up on 10th Road east between Ridge and Green Mountain Road. Also up here American Woodcocks could be heard peenting and at least one Short-eared Owl is present near the tracks. Common Ravens can be seen regularly as they are nesting in the quarry. As well, the Peregrine Falcons seem to be checking out a new nest box that the quarry has put up for the bird. Our ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER at Sedgewick seems to have made it through the winter. The star of the week and the most reliable has been the HARRIS'S SPARROW in Milton. The bird has been present for a while but now comes into seed placed between 1623 and 1625 Gowlings Terrace. Gowlings Terrace can be accessed off Trudeau which is in the area of James Snow Parkway and Derry Road. Seed is helpful and this area has plenty of cover for it. In the odds and sods this week, flocks of Tundra Swans were moving yesterday with birds over Bronte Harbour, up in Saltfleet on 5th Road East. Wood Ducks are becoming more numerous with numerous birds seen on 10th Road East. Red-necked Grebes are back in numbers with over a hundred seen at Saddington Park yesterday and another hundred seen at Bronte Harbour. A Black-crowned Night Heron was our first migrant heron seen on the north-east shore of the harbour mid-week. American Woodcocks are also active at Hopkins Tract off York Road. Up to three Snowy Owls have been seen this week, two at Bronte Harbour and one at Suncor Pier which appeared to be a different bird. Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen at Sedgewick Park in Oakville and Eastern Meadowlarks and Eastern Bluebirds continue to set up shop at Gates of Heaven Cemetery. Another Eastern Meadowlark was seen in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. That's the news this week, after this rainfall it looks like steadier warmer temperatures for the rest of the week, time to get out and shake the cobwebs off. I am sure there will be migrants to come. Good birding, 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
