FISH CROW Great Egret Osprey Sharp-shinned Hawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Merlin Sandhill Crane Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Snipe Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Blue-headed Vireo House Wren Winter Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Black-and-white Warbler Yellow Warbler Palm Warbler (Eastern Yellow) Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Swamp Sparrow
Slowly the page has started to turn on a fresh set of migrants entering the area as spring progresses. The deluge of rain this week kept birds south for the most part but did a service to keep the fields wet for incoming shorebirds. This week's rarity continues to be the increasing sightings of FISH CROW, this one seen and heard over Lowville just north of Burlington. New arrivals this week include Upland Sandpiper found at the new traditional spot of South Grimsby Road 15 and Mud Street in the field near the barn. These birds have nested here for the last few years now. New migrants at Edgelake and Confederation Park include Blue-headed Vireo, Black-and-white Warbler (Edgelake), Yellow Warbler (East Confederation Park) and "Yellow" Palm Warbler at both sites. Other migrants here include a flyover of Sandhill Crane at Confederation, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler in increasing numbers, Easter Towhee, Chipping, Field and Swamp Sparrow. House Wrens were noted in Dundas and at Fifty Point Conservation Area last Sunday. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch in Grimsby had a push of Broad-winged Hawks mid-week, Sharp-shinned Hawks come in second for the species noted. Numbers of Turkey Vultures and Red-tailed Hawks continue to filter through. A Pileated Woodpecker made a guest appearance here as well early in the week. Shorebirds are in the news. A Spotted Sandpiper was seen at Windermere Basin last weekend, water is high here, hopefully it drops for shorebirds to come in. Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Dunlin were present on 5th Road East along with 20 Wilson's Snipe yesterday. At 8th Line and Britannia in Mississauga, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs and Pectoral Sandpipers are present. This field is also looking ripe for a rarity. A group of 8 Dunlin were seen swirling around the Burlington Ship Canal last weekend. In the odds and sods, a Great Egret was taking good cover in the reeds at Windermere Basin last Sunday. The Osprey at Hwy 6 and the 403 has changed towers. Other Osprey can be seen back at the nest sites in Brantford and near Grass Lake. Two Short-eared Owls continue to hunt at dusk up on 10th Road East in Saltfleet. Purple Finches seem to be on the move back north with birds being seen at Windermere Basin, along the Burlington Beach strip, at Edgelake Park and at a feeder in Stoney Creek this week. That's the news for the week. Now that its drying out, get out and search your local patches for migrants. Birders visiting east Confederation Park and Edgelake Park are urged to submit checklists to e-bird and/or forward your lists to me. These areas are in jeopardy of development and it's important to keep tabs on what birds use these areas on migration. Eat, sleep, bird. That's the mantra for the next month. Report your sightings here. 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
