At 5:00pm, Thursday, December 11th, 2003, this is the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report. The Hotline is normally revised on Thursday, unless an unusual bird turns up in the Hamilton area.
The Bird Study Group meets this Monday, December 15th at Shaklee Canada, 952 Century Drive in Burlington. Come for the Christmas goodies or the regular program, which includes a historical profile of a local birder, a slide bird quiz, and a DVD movie presentation. Mark Peck from the ROM will also be in attendance to collect bird specimens. Socializing begins at 7:00pm. Now onto the birds... The Niagara River was the place to be this past week. Twelve species of gulls were seen, including MEW GULL at the breakwall downstream from the control gates, BLACK-HEADED GULL at Niagara-on-the-Lake, LITTLE GULL at Queenston, plus CALIFORNIA GULL, ICELAND GULL, and THAYER'S GULL at Adam Beck. Also seen on the river were a NORTHERN GANNET at the control dam, WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE and BRANT near the barge, and a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE at Grand Island. Flypasts at Niagara-on-the-Lake included 12,000+ BONAPARTE'S GULLS, LITTLE GULL, and PURPLE SANDPIPER. Locally, another PURPLE SANDPIPER was seen just west of Spencer Smith Park in Burlington, while eleven GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS and three GLAUCOUS GULLS were spotted among thousands of RING-BILLED GULLS and HERRING GULLS heading to roost in Hamilton Harbour. Other local reports include RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, GREAT BLUE HERON and AMERICAN WOODCOCK in the Hendrie Valley, NORTHERN SHRIKE, GREAT HORNED OWL, and BROWN CREEPER at Court Cliff Park, PINE SISKIN and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH in Carlisle, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, PIED-BILLED GREBE, and TUNDRA SWAN at LaSalle Marina, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON in the Desjardins Canal, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, COOPER'S HAWK, and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK in Flamborough, plus PEREGRINE FALCON in downtown Hamilton. Further afield, TRUMPETER SWAN, COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL were reported from Jordan Harbour, a HARLEQUIN DUCK was seen on Lake Erie just east of Selkirk, and 300+ COMMON REDPOLLS were seen while traveling through Woodhouse. A trip to Long Point yielded 150 SANDHILL CRANES, numerous TUNDRA SWANS, plus NORTHERN HARRIER, AMERICAN KESTREL, and BALD EAGLE. Be sure to let us know about your sightings. 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 ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca Keith Dieroff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
