Wood Duck Green-winged Teal Redhead White-winged Scoter Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night Heron Merlin Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Great Horned Owl Red-headed Woodpecker
Life is still quiet here in the HSA but northeast winds yesterday reminded of times to come in the fall down at the beach, not that I am wishing the summer away. Still too early for Jaegers and such but a few Bonaparte's Gulls were flying around and a good summer record was of two Common Goldeneye flying west to east past Lakeland. Earlier in the week and last week small groups of Sanderling were seen here between Lakeland and Hutches and at the beach seen from Jones Road. The hotspot this week is Hespeler Mill Pond/Ellicott Landing located in the village of Hespeler near Cambridge. Low water levels make a brilliant habitat for shorebirds here with good numbers of many species, the best being a mostly breeding plumaged Red-necked Phalarope and Baird's Sandpiper. Other species present there were Semipalmated Plover, Spotted, Solitary (or not so Solitary as there were 31), Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper. A high recommend on the list for those wishing to see shorebirds. Scope is needed. Windermere Basin water levels are still a bit high for large numbers of shorebirds but birds noted here include Semipalmated Plover, Spotted Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated and Least Sandpiper. A good variety of herons here, with Great Blue Heron, Great Egret (up to 11), Green Heron and Black-crowned Night Heron can be seen here. Ducks noted at the basin include Wood Duck, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, White-winged Scoter and Bufflehead. Things should get better here in August. In the odds and sods this week Merlins are now adept to city living with pairs seen in Stoney Creek, near Garth and Fennell and in Southeast Oakville. Red-headed Woodpeckers are turning up in more places in the HSA with birds seen in a new location of Powerline and Paddy Green. A Great Horned Owl was heard calling at Rock Chapel. August is good for the early birds moving like Yellow Warblers, Orchard Orioles, Yellow-bellied Flycatcher. Dust off the bins and get out to the local patch especially after a cold front. Lots of other rarities in the province, just waiting our turn. 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
