At 12:00pm, Thursday, January 1st, 2004, 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.
Early highlights from last Friday's Hamilton Christmas Bird Count include a new species for the count, COMMON RAVEN, new high totals for DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT and RUDDY DUCK, as well as a huge increase in BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE numbers, 25% over last year and 15% above the long-term average. Other species of note include YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, immature RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, MARSH WREN and EASTERN TOWHEE. Total numbers are above the long-term average but well down from last year, apparently due to the very high winds driving waterfowl well out into the lake on Boxing Day. Elsewhere, there were numerous reports from the RBG this past week, starting at the Dundas Marsh, where YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, PILEATED WOODPECKER, WINTER WREN, CAROLINA WREN, SWAMP SPARROW, and GREAT BLUE HERON were reported. Nearby in the Hendrie Valley, BROWN THRASHER, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, GRAY CATBIRD, GREAT BLUE HERON, and WINTER WREN were seen, and another GRAY CATBIRD along with 30 or so WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS were reported behind the arena on Olympic Drive. Thumbing their noses at the holiday season (when many of their domesticated brethren meet the roasting pan), flocks of WILD TURKEYS strutted their stuff on Green Mountain Road just before the 8th Concession in Stoney Creek, and south of Caledonia. Other local reports include BALD EAGLE, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, RUDDY DUCK and NORTHERN PINTAIL in and around the CCIW, 18 AMERICAN ROBINS in a Stoney Creek yard, COMMON RAVEN near Westover, CAROLINA WREN at Shoreacres/Paletta Park, plus WHITE-WINGED, SURF, and BLACK SCOTER on the Stoney Creek lakeshore. Last but not least, a walk in the Dundas Valley turned up some excellent winter birds, including PINE WARBLER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, CAROLINA WREN, GREAT HORNED OWL, RED-TAILED HAWK and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK on the McCormack Trail. Meanwhile, another NORTHERN SHRIKE turned up on the Sawmill Trail in the same area. Be sure to let us know about these 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 www.hamiltonnature.org ______________________________________________________________________ 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.
