At 7:20pm, Thursday, January 29th, 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.
The bird of the week was a TUFTED DUCK discovered over the weekend on the lake at Port Weller. Directions are as follows: take the QEW to St. Catharines and exit at Niagara Street. Head north (towards the lake) to Lakeshore Road and then go over the lock to Government Road. Turn left and travel about 100 yards up the road. The bird was in open water at the north end of the lock. Locally, a close second to the TUFTED DUCK was the HERMIT THRUSH seen at Christie Conservation Area in Flamborough. Reports from the RBG this past week include BALD EAGLE over the Pinetum Trail, BROWN THRASHER, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, and PILEATED WOODPECKER on the Captain Cootes Trail, plus TUFTED TITMOUSE and AMERICAN ROBIN at Bull's Point. The GRAY CATBIRD and BROWN THRASHER, which persist in the Hendrie Valley, were joined by SWAMP SPARROW, NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD, BROWN CREEPER and WHITE-THROATED SPARROW. Elsewhere, a COOPER'S HAWK was spotted at Gage Park, PIED-BILLED GREBE, WOOD DUCK and HOODED MERGANSER were seen in the Desjardins Canal, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD turned up behind the Arena on Olympic Drive, KING EIDER and all three species of SCOTER were visible from L.P. Sayers Park in Stoney Creek, LONG-EARED OWL and SHORT-EARED OWL turned up at Binbrook Conservation Area, and last but not least, 20 or so HORNED LARKS were reported from Bronte Provincial Park. Sightings from the Brantford area this week include GRAY PARTRIDGE, HORNED LARK and SNOW BUNTING at the Airport, SANDHILL CRANE at the 403 and Rest Acres Road, plus MUTE SWAN, NORTHERN PINTAIL, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD and BLACK DUCK at the Wilkes Dam. Lots of yard reports to relay. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD were reported from Beamsville, RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH, COMMON REDPOLL, and PINE SISKIN in Carlisle, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK in Burlington, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD in Blackheath, as well as COMMON REDPOLL on Cedar Springs Road. That's all for this week. 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 BYE and 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.
