WESTERN GREBE FISH CROW BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Tail Blue-winged Teal King Eider Red-throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great BLue Heron Osprey Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk American Coot Greater Yellowlegs Wilson's Snipe Iceland Gull Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Common Raven Tree Swallow Purple Martin Tufted Titmouse Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Fox Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Pine Siskin Things are looking a little more spring like in the Hamilton Study Area this week with the arrival of some early migrants. Up at the top of the list a WESTERN GREBE has returned to the eastern most border of the HSA again. It was found on Wednesday at Saddington Park in Mississauga and since has moved west of here with a number of Red-necked Grebes to Rhododendron Park. On Thursday, a second bird was reported further out but has not been seen since. Lighting can be difficult in the mornings and a scope is highly recommended. FISH CROWS seem to be all over the place with some being recorded at Rhododendron Park in Mississauga yesterday, up to five seen at Bronte Harbour this week and up to eight at the location near Sioux Lookout in Burlington. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are still roaming around the University of Guelph Campus near the War Memorial lecture hall. This is located directly in front of College Avenue. If you haven't had a chance to catch up with them, I would soon. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch continues its count this week with Turkey Vulture, first of year Osprey, Bald Eagle, Sharp-shinned, Cooper's Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. With the warm air filtering up from the south the next couple of days could be really productive. Keeping with the raptor theme, Osprey's are back on territory at Christie Conservation Area. Arriving migrants this week include a Greater Yellowlegs seen on the west side of 8th Road West south of Ridge ROad. An Eastern Phoebe was seen at Confederation Park yesterday and one seen at Fifty Point C.A. earlier in the week. Our first Purple Martin was seen over Grimsby Sewage Lagoons along with a growing number of Tree Swallows. A Blue-winged Teal remains here as of yesterday but two pair were seen earlier in the week. A few Bonaparte's Gulls were seen from Green Road earlier in the week, these should be coming in decent numbers in the next days. Golden-crowned Kinglets were seen at Paletta/Shoreacres park in Burlington. A Ruby-crowned Kinglet was seen at the Hawkwatch at Beamer. Other arriving migrants there this week include Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Towhee and Fox Sparrow. Vesper and Savannah Sparrows are back on territory on Highland Road near address 1306 which is east of 10th Road East. In the odds and sods, a King Eider was seen off Green Road last Tuesday. Birds seen in the flooded fields include Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon and Green-winged Teal. Red-throated Loons continue to be seen on Hamilton Harbour. A number of Great Blue Herons were on the move yesterday, time for our first Great Egret tin the next couple of days. Up to three Iceland Gulls were seen near Bronte Harbour last week. A Short-eared Owl was an unexpected surprise flying over the lake at Green Road on Tuesday. A Northern Shrike continues its winter stay on 10th Road East in Saltfleet usually seen on the west side just north of the tracks. Common Ravens are being seen again in Oakville on Wyecroft between Bronte and Third Line exhibiting nesting behaviour. A Tufted Titmouse was seen yesterday on the Hilltop Trail in the Dundas Valley Conservation Area. Eastern Meadowlarks are here in numbers as of yesterday. Rusty Blackbirds can be seen and heard sporadically on 5th Road East and 8th Road East in Saltfleet although difficult to find for this birder!. Pine Siskins are still coming into feeders. Stock up those feeders for the coming weeks, never know what may show up. Its going to get busy in the next few weeks so report your sightings here. If you know you have something rare on your hands, kindly take a minute to post on the local list serve or Ontbirds for other birders to enjoy. Not everyone is connected to WhatsApp and ebird alerts in the field and this reporter is far too busy to field posts right now! With so many ways to hear about birds, I still think the list serves get out the word to everyone in a timely manner. Thanks for your consideration and for listening to my two cents. 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 birdalert@ontbirds.ca 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
