RED KNOT WESTERN SANDPIPER FISH CROW Northern Shoveler Green-winged Teal Canvasback Redhead Lesser Scaup Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Great Blue Heron Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Red-shouldered Hawk Merlin Solitary Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Stilt Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Wilson's Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Caspian Tern Common Tern Chimney Swift Purple Martin Barn Swallow Baltimore Oriole Bobolink
Well it's been very quiet here in the Hammer and area. People are starting to ask if I am still doing this report so thought I would put one out to update the people. This past week has been a little more active than others. Today a WESTERN SANDPIPER was found at Windermere Basin while doing a shorebird survey in the back. Unfortunately, this area is not accessible without a permit and the bird flushed and could not be refound. This said, Windermere Basin's water levels are being lowered for some repairs so there will be alot more mud to look at soon and some of these birds may appear closer and be able to be seen from the lookout. Out there today however was a RED KNOT (likely one of the two birds seen at Tollgate Ponds earlier in the morning), Stilt Sandpiper, Least, Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Short-billed Dowitcher, Great Egret, Great Blue Heron, Green Heron along with a variety of ducks including Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler and Hooded Merganser. Earlier in the week, a Wilson's Phalarope and White-rumped Sandpipers were seen. Most of the Common Terns are gone from here now with only two being seen today and the number of Caspian Terns are dropping slowly as well. Daily checks of this locale are warranted. Nearby at Tollgate Pond today, two RED KNOTS were seen near the large tubes in the north west corner and an adult Sanderling also made an appearance along the berm. A Juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron was tucked in the corner and two Canvasbacks, unusual birds at this time of year were also present. In keeping with shorebirds a new location on 8th Line north of Britannia and South of Derry, brought in a Baird's Sandpiper today along with Least, Semipalmated and Pectoral Sandpipers. For those wishing a variety further afield, Townsend Sewage Lagoons, slightly out of the HSA, holds the same mix of shorebirds as above but including Solitary Sandpiper. A spectacle to behold at Townsend was the gathering of approx 450 Purple Martins and in the surrounding grasses, 45 Bobolinks. A good number of Purple Martins were viewed over a neighbourhood in Brantford as well this week. It's nice to see both these species doing so well. FISH CROW is in the news again. A FISH CROW was seen flying and calling with two other Crows along the Winona shoreline at Barton and Fruitland. Birds were also reported from Sioux Lookout the week before last. In the odds and sods, a Common Goldeneye was seen off Sayer's Park on August 15th, an interesting summer record. A Merlin was viewed having dinner at the corner of Guelph Line and New Street last evening, this is likely one of the pair that breeds locally. A Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Kirkwall and Hwy 87 today. A "Big Sit" at Woodland Cemetery yielded good numbers of Chimney Swifts, Barn Swallows and a light hawk flight on Saturday. Orioles also seem to be turning up in numbers on yard lists as they are early exiters. Warblers and other passerines should be lurking in the woodlots, get out to your local patch. With Jaegers on the lake east of us, the next east winds should produce some action at the beach. Make sure to send 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
