CATTLE EGRET RED PHALAROPE BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE PARASITIC JAEGER Brant Northern Pintail Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Kestrel Sandhill Crane Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Hudsonian Godwit Sanderling White-rumped Sandpiper Dunlin Lesser Black-backed Gull Ruby-throated Hummingbird Ruby-crowned Kinglet Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Ovenbird Tennessee Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Blackpoll Warbler American Tree Sparrow Field Sparrow Fox Sparrow Pine Siskins
We've had a good week in Hamilton with some goodies at the top, some late migrants and a nice mix of regulars to round out the list. As always, we start at the top with the top of the list goodies. On Halloween night, a group of 5 CATTLE EGRET were spotted with three Great Blue Herons flying southeast over Stoney Creek. This species has been on an incursion and there was a report of 6 of them from last week at a farm off Old York Road near Clappison's corners so rural fields with livestock should be on the radar to check. On Wednesday a tight flock of nine RED PHALAROPES were seen just beyond the wave tower floating west. The group eventually took off toward the Burlington Lakeshore but one of these birds (or perhaps another) ended up touching down briefly being seen again at Lakeland. Yesterday a juvenile BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE was an unexpected surprise in a group of gulls at 40 mile creek. Lastly, a PARASITIC JAEGER was having a whirl at a group of gulls out on the lake as seen off Arkendo Drive at the border of Oakville Mississauga. Some late migrants of note here in the area. The Hudsonian Godwit remains at Red Hill Stormwater Pond along with Killdeer, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, White-rumped Sandpiper and Dunlin being seen off and on as they move about. A group of 12 Dunlin were seen at Tollgate Pond on Thursday. Two Sanderling have been seen at Bronte Beach the past couple of days, somewhat late for this species. There were two reports of hummingbirds, one a male Ruby-throated Hummingbird which was seen a week and a half ago in a Hamilton yard and another Hummingbird sp (likely Ruby-throated), seen in a yard briefly last weekend in Ancaster. Any hummingbird this time of year should be reported! An Ovenbird was seen in a yard in Hamilton last weekend. Tennessee Warbler was seen in South Shell Park in Oakville. Nashville Warbler was seen at Rona Ponds in Waterdown. A Northern Parula was seen at Sedgewick Park in Oakville yesterday and a Blackpoll Warbler was photographed at Glenn Morris. Waterfowl are always a growing story here for the winter months. Over the past weeks thousands of Long-tailed Ducks have moved in. At Sayer's Park and at the end of Green Road in Stoney Creek, all three Scoter species can be seen and the first Goldeneye of the season were noted. Flocks of Northern Pintail have been noted in transit. At Fruitland Road a flock of 14 Brant were seen last weekend flying along the shore. Another Brant has been present at Bronte Beach for the latter half of this week. Horned Grebes are here in numbers from various points on the west end of the lake as well as the Hamilton Harbour. Common and Red-throated Loons are also travelling in numbers this time of year. Yesterday, there was a steady hawk migration over the Burlington Lakeshore. Species noted include Turkey Vulture, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed (in numbers), Rough-legged Hawk and American Kestrel. A Golden Eagle was reported over Aldershot later yesterday. This is prime time for them to move so eyes to the sky. In the odds and sods this week, Sandhill Cranes were seen near Cayuga just inside the Hamilton Study area last weekend. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen and photographed at Bronte Harbour. Migrants still moving through the area include Ruby-crowned and Golden-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Field and Fox Sparrow. Our first American Tree Sparrows are moving in as well. Pine Siskins are still being seen at local feeders so stock up, this time of year anything can show up!!!! That's the news this week. Our annual Alan Wormington Fall Bird Count is tomorrow. Please send me any sightings you might have from our area from today, tomorrow and Monday so we can compile our list. Get out there today, might be a good day at the beach with east winds blowing. Tomorrow looks a little soggy! 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
