At 5:00 p.m. Thursday March 25th 2004, this is the Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report:
BLACK VULTURE BARROWS GOLDENEYE HARLEQUIN DUCK AMERICAN WOODCOCK EASTERN MEADOWLARK Common Loon Horned Grebe Tundra Swan Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Coopers Hawk Sharp-shinned Hawk Northern Goshawk Golden Eagle Turkey Vulture Red-shouldered Hawk Red tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Kestrel Merlin Ring-necked Pheasant Killdeer Short-eared Owl Golden-crowned Kinglet Common Grackle Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin This weeks story has certainly been the hawk flight over the past two days at Beamer. I was fortunate enough to play hookey on both days for a little while and the birds which have been bottled up came streaming through despite the showers. The big miss for me was the spotting of a BLACK VULTURE which eluded the counters at the Hawkwatch perhaps below the escarpment or coming in from the south at another spot. This bird was seen by a hiker (who had seen one in Buffalo two days ago) on the Bruce Trail between Devil's Punch Bowl and New Mountain Road and reported again today between Dartnall and Stone Church Rd. However, other birds seen at Beamer the past week have been Turkey Vultures (many), Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Northern Harrier, Red-shouldered Hawk (many), Rough-legged Hawk (both phases), a beautiful adult Goshawk, Merlin, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Coopers Hawk, Red-tailed Hawks and American Kestrel. An adult Bald Eagle was also reported flying over Shoreacres/Paletta Park in Burlington. Other birds spotted at Beamer this week are the appearance of Golden-crowned Kinglets, a Common Loon flying over, flocks of Tundra Swans, many Killdeer, a Common Raven last Friday and Pine Siskin. Close to Beamer on 10th Concession E. south of Ridge Road, Short-eared Owls continue to be seen with 6 being reported last Friday. Also here was a Northern Shrike and the glorious sound of an EASTERN MEADOWLARK first seen Saturday singing today south of the railway tracks. A Ring-necked Pheasant was seen at the SE corner of Woolverton & Ridge Road. AMERICAN WOODCOCK have been heard peenting in old fields off of Harvester Road between Appleby Line and Walker's Line and in an abandoned orchard off of Cumberland Ave which is located south off of Harvester Road between Walker's Line and Guelph Line. Not to be forgotten the BARROW'S GOLDENEYE continues to be seen west of LaSalle Marina and the pair of HARLEQUIN DUCKS that have been present around Ben Macree Park (at the end of Maple off of Lakeshore Road) in Mississauga were last reported on Wednesday. Horned Grebes have also been reported on the lake this week. Other reports this week include a grackle with a white tail collecting nesting material near a bike path in central Burlington and the report of Purple Finches, Pine Siskins and Common Redpolls from feeders in Carlisle and Flamborough. Hope to see reports of Tree Swallows in the next week!! Have a great week. Good birding Cheryl Edgecombe Hamilton Naturalists' Club > Tel: (905) 381-0329 > www.hamiltonnature.org
