EARED GREBE WESTERN GREBE FISH CROW YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD
Blue-winged Teal Common Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe American Bittern Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-sinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle American Kestrel Merlin Virginia Rail Sandhill Crane Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Caspian Tern Forster's Tern Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Common Raven Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Brown Creeper Winter Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Lapland Longspur Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Louisiana Waterthrush American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow This week has shown improvement in numbers and diversity of migrants coming into the Hamilton Study Area. Let's start at the top. The IBA Waterfowl Census turned up an EARED GREBE along with the ever elusive WESTERN GREBE along the shore in Mississauga at Ben Machree Park for the EARED GREBE and ranging between J. Richards Park and Jack Darling Park for the WESTERN GREBE. Both were seen last Saturday but have been absent since. FISH CROW may be dropped off the rarity list soon as the number of sightings seem to be increasing. Birds were seen over Bronte, Bronte Bluffs and Shoreacres in Burlington, likely the same lot working down the lakeshore. The bird of the week was a stunning male YELLOW-HEADED BLACKBIRD which appeared at the stormwater pond known as "Congestion Pond" located on the North Service Road between Guelph Line and Brant Street in Burlington. The bird was a one day wonder however and as is the case in spring birds are eager to get to the breeding grounds. Some new arrivals this week include, American Bittern at Grass Lake, Broad-winged Hawk over Beamer Conservation Area at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch, Virginia Rail at Grass Lake and at Kerncliffe Park, Forster's Terns seen from Eastport Drive migrating in the Hamilton Harbour, Purple Martins at Ruthven and at Princess Point, an early Blue-gray Gnatcatcher seen at Fifty Point Conservation Area, a record early Great Crested Flycatcher in Flamborough, Ruby-crowned Kinglets in a number of locations, Louisiana Waterthrush at Dundas Valley Conservation Area off Lion's Club Road, Pine Warbler at LaSalle Park, Yellow-rumped Warbler at Edgelake and hot off the press this morning a "Yellow" Palm Warbler at Lakeside Park in Mississauga. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch has been active this week with the first Broad-winged Hawks coming through. Turkey Vultures continue to pour into the province. Other raptors migrating through include Osprey, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Coopers, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, American Kestrel and Merlin. In the odds and sods this week, four Blue-winged Teal were in Congestion Ponds where the Yellow-headed Blackbird was seen on Thursday and Friday. Two more were in the field on 5th Road East. Common Loons have been seen on migration over the west end of Lake Ontario and three were present in the Hagersville Quarry Ponds last weekend. There were 5 Pied-billed Grebes yesterday at the quarry pond on Green Mountain between Tenth and Eleventh Road East. Red-necked Grebes were present in record numbers along the shore of Lake Ontario last weekend. They should be in courtship display at the traditional nesting spots soon. Sandhill Cranes were seen over the Rockton Gliding Club and over 10th Road East in Saltfleet last Sunday. Both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and three Pectoral Sandpipers were present on 5th Road East in Saltfleet between Powerline and Green Mountain Road. Wilson's Snipe could be heard winnowing here. Two were also seen at Grass Lake. A couple of Bonaparte's Gulls were present at the Smithville Sewage Lagoons. A lateish Iceland Gull has been seen at the Suncor Pier in Oakville and at Bronte Harbour. Caspian Terns are here in force now as are Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe, Brown Creeper, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hermit Thrush. An interesting sighting this week was a Common Raven carrying Mallard Duck eggs back to the nest site on 10th Road East. All swallow species were seen on Wednesday hugging the shoreline of Bronte Harbour, Bronte Bluffs and the Suncor Pier in Oakville. Winter Wrens were if full song at the Dundas Valley Conservation area off Lions Club Road. A Brown Thrasher was in full song at the Rockton Gliding Club last Monday. A group of 200 - 250 Lapland Longspurs is still present at the edge of the circle on Plains Church Road near Paris, about 2.5 km east of Pinehurst Road. Vesper Sparrow and American Tree Sparrow were seen at this location as well. Chipping, Field, Savannah and Song Sparrows are now here in force. Cruising the roads of Saltfleet, North Halton or Flamborough will likely give you these for the list. Swamp Sparrows which seem to be in shorter supply were singing at Grass Lake yesterday. Once this rain is over this morning things will pick up quickly as south winds kick in over the afternoon and overnight. Tomorrow could be epic. Report your sightings here. Good birding and Happy Easter 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. 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