At 1:30pm, Thursday, March 13th, 2003, this is the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report. The Hotline is normally revised on Thursday nights, unless an unusual bird turns up in the Hamilton area.
The Bird Study Group meets next Monday, March 17th at Shaklee Canada Inc., 952 Century Drive, Burlington. This month's program, which gets underway at 7:30pm, will feature Dan Strickland's research on Gray Jays in Algonquin Park, as well as Mark Peck from the R.O.M., presenting "Plovers Tied Up in Knots". Hope to see you there... Now on to the birds. The elusive white phase GYRFALCON made another appearance this week, teasing birders with a flypast on Tuesday along the Grimsby lakeshore. Nearby at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer, the highlight of the week was BALD EAGLES - one on Monday and two on Tuesday. Other raptors seen this week include a TURKEY VULTURE over Aldershot, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK in a Dundas yard, and a MERLIN east of Dundurn Street in Hamilton. An eruption of KING EIDERS occurred this week. A first year male was reported near the Burlington lift bridge, an adult male in full breeding plumage was seen at the foot of Jones Road on the Stoney Creek lakeshore, and a 2nd winter/alternate plumage bird was close to shore at the foot of Frederick Avenue, also in Stoney Creek. Other waterfowl seen in and around the Hamilton area include a male BARROW'S GOLDENEYE at Bronte Harbour, EARED GREBE, HARLEQUIN DUCK, REDHEAD, CANVASBACK, LONG-TAILED DUCK, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, RED-NECKED GREBE, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and RING-NECKED DUCK in the ship canal near the CCIW, all three species of SCOTER on the Stoney Creek lakeshore, and HORNED GREBE in the Desjardins Canal. There were some encouraging passerine sightings as well. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at Rock Chapel, Valley Inn, Selkirk Provincial Park, and the Dundas Hydro Station are a sure sign of spring, as are the RUSTY BLACKBIRDS seen at Rock Chapel and on the Pinetum Trail at the RBG. Other local sightings include HAIRY WOODPECKER, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and CAROLINA WREN at Iroquois Heights Conservation Area, EASTERN SCREECH OWL at Beamer, GLAUCOUS GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL in the bay, six AMERICAN ROBINS in Georgetown, GREAT BLUE HERON and EASTERN SCREECH OWL in Carlisle, AMERICAN KESTREL, NORTHERN FLICKER, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, and EASTERN BLUEBIRD behind Olympic Arena in Dundas, a PILEATED WOODPECKER near the carp barrier in Cootes, 13 WILD TURKEYS in a Stevensville yard, a pair of NORTHERN RAVENS at the end of Dublin Road north of Milton, GRAY PARTRIDGE, SNOW BUNTING, HORNED LARK, and LAPLAND LONGSPUR near the Brantford Airport, and last but not least an AMERICAN ROBIN in a Dundas yard. On the Niagara River, the spring flypasts have begun with BONAPARTE'S GULL and LITTLE GULL both seen this week. Be sure to let us know about your sightings this week. Leave your name, telephone number, as well as the time and date of your call. Sightings can also be reported by e-mail. GOOD BIRDING! Keith Dieroff C/O Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report Hamilton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] Hamilton Naturalists' Club Tel: (905) 381-0329 www.hamiltonnature.org ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca Keith Dieroff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
