YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT-HERON LONG-TAILED JAEGER Redhead Greater Scaup Black-crowned Night Heron Merlin Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Northern Saw-whet Owl Least Flycatcher
Things are ramping up here in the Hamilton Study Area. A very quiet July was ended by not one but two YELLOW-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS in the area. Last Friday a juvenile was seen and identified at Windermere Basin. The bird has been a bit frustrating for some with multiple trips out for many. The best time to see it is early morning but it spends some times cryptic in the reeds or hops over to the Pier 24 pond which is out of bounds. Patience and scope is mandatory for this beast. A second juvenile bird was photographed along the Hespeler Mill run trail near the roundabout at Beaverdale road. This offers a much closer view of this species but it is a big stretch so patience may be needed here too. Last Tuesday an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER was a pleasant surprise for a birder located at Hutch's Restaurant. The bird made two passes and was not relocated. Last night however this bird landed on the beach at Confederation Park for a gripping photo opportunity. This is just the start of the season for us in the Hammer, more to come for sure so stay tuned. Windermere Basin is still the hotspot here with good shorebird habitat providing a good variety. Tollgate Pond down the way also has offered shorebird habitat although a little challenging looking along the shoreline. Birds seen at these locations include Black-bellied and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Ruddy Turnstone, Sanderling (Tollgate), Semipalmated and Least Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Wilson's Phalarope. A non-breeding Bonaparte's Gull has been hanging out at Tollgate Pond. Another shorebird spot in the north of the HSA is where the Yellow-crowned Night Heron is. Ellicott Landing in the old village of Hespeler offers good viewing from the lookout. A Stilt Sandpiper has been here for some time and there is good habitat for birds to drop in. Of interest this week have been two reports of migrating Upland Sandpiper. One occurred just a short time ago near the Fiesta Mall on Highridge Road and the other over a yard in Brantford last Monday. Upland Sandpipers successfully bred at South Grimsby Road 15 and Mud Street up on the mountain. In the odds and sods, the family of Redheads can still be seen at Windermere Basin. A ratty Greater Scaup was present at Tollgate Pond. Merlins seem to be urban birds these days with reports of birds along Mountain Park Drive in Hamilton and near Bronte Harbour. A Northern Saw-whet Owl was heard tooting in an urban location of Guelph this week. A Least Flycatcher was a first of fall migrant in Stoney Creek last weekend. Look for passerine migration to pick up in the next couple of weeks. That's the news for this week, keep your sightings coming. There are goods worth writing about now! 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
