BLACK VULTURE Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Snow Goose x Ross's Goose Blue-winged Teal Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk, Rough-legged Hawk Sandhill Crane Killdeer American Woodcock Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Northern Flicker Northern Shrike Tree Swallow Common Raven Tufted Titmouse Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Purple Finch Pine Siskin
Spring sure could get here a little faster in my opinion. Slowly early migrants are starting to creep in but cold temperatures and the wrong winds are not helping the cause. Nonetheless, we soldier on with the sightings. This week another BLACK VULTURE was seen over the Dundas Valley Conservation Area, its been a banner year for sightings of this species perhaps indicating their movement into the province permanently. Also seen and heard this week was another FISH CROW, this time in East Hamilton at Edinburgh and Park Road. There has not been much movement in the way of migrants this week. Two Blue-winged Teal were a good find yesterday on Green Mountain Road and 6th Road East. Numbers of Red-necked Grebes were at around 50 on Tuesday out near Saddington Park, time for that Western to show up again. Reports of migrating Great Blue Herons have come in from several locations. Northern Flicker numbers seem to be more numerous with birds coming into feeders near Brantford and a pair seen up on 5th Road East. American Woodcock continue to move in or be active in the area, with birds heard peenting on King Road on a warmer Tuesday night last week. Perhaps the best spring migrant we have had all week was a lone Tree Swallow seen yesterday over the south pasture swamp pond in the Hendrie Valley. Two Purple Finch were heard singing in the Beverly Swamp yesterday, first reports of these in some time and Rusty Blackbirds are being reported now amongst the blackbird flocks in the area. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch has had some moderately successful days this week with mostly Turkey Vultures floating through but also a good number of Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. Other birds in smaller numbers include Blad Eagle, Sharp-shinned and Rough-legged Hawk. Other notables over the watch include a number of migrating Sandhill Cranes, Killdeer and Common Raven. In the odds and sods, just out of the area, Greater White-fronted Geese and Snow Geese have been reported a couple of times this past week at Townsend Sewage Lagoons. What looks to be a Ross x Cackling Goose was also there for a short time. A Ross x Snow Goose combination was seen in a group of Canada Geese on Lynden Road just north of 4th Concession Road West in Flamborough last Saturday. Red-necked Grebes are back calling at Bronte Harbour. Grass Lake near Glen Morris is the place to go for Sandhill Cranes that are on the ground. Two were seen right at Grass Lake with another 4 seen on West River Road South. Three Sandhill Cranes were seen circling around 5th Road East and Green Mountain on Saturday. A dozen Sandhill Cranes were a nice sighting on east side of the Mount Hope Bypass, feeding in the field bordering the road. A Glaucous Gull has been seen periodically from Canada Centre for Inland Waters along with a Snowy Owl sitting out on the docks. Snowy Owl sightings continue in the area with one heavily barred individual at Millen Road and another couple of sightings near 50 Road and the QEW and the Costco Plaza near Casablanca Road. Northern Shrikes were seen on 10th Road East in Saltfleet and on Valens Road south of Concession 8 in Flamborough. Common Raven sightings continue to grow with two birds setting up shop again on Valens Road south of Concession 8. A Tufted Titmouse was seen in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area this week. Overwintering Yellow-rumped Warblers were seen near McMaster University and at Sedgewick this week. Eastern Meadowlarks seem to feel its spring with two singing on 10th Road East. A flock of about 25 Lapland Longspurs were seen last Saturday on Paris Plains Church Road. Pine Siskins seem to be everywhere, likely on the move north but reported in several locations in Dundas Valley and Flamborough. That's the news for this week. Think warm. We need some south winds to get things going again. 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
