At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday June 24th, 2004, this is the Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report:
AMERICAN AVOCET Red-necked Grebe Blue-winged Teal Great Egret Ruffed Grouse Peregrine Falcon Least Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Wilson's Snipe Common Tern Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Red-bellied Woodpecker Least Flycatcher Eastern Wood Pewee Eastern Phoebe Veery Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Pine Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Canada Warbler Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush Orchard Oriole Another hit for the Tollgate Ponds (cesspool) this week with a beautiful AMERICAN AVOCET present there on Tuesday. This pond which hosted the Wilson's Plover earlier in the year seems inhospitable to most however continues to be good for shorebirds in this area. A Least Sandpiper was also present there on Monday, perhaps a return from a failed nest. A trip out to Grimsby Sewage Lagoons (on the same day as the avocet) produced Blue-winged Teal, Common Tern, Spotted Sandpiper and I flushed a Snipe which I thought was good until I read about the Avocet (after I skipped over the Tollgate Ponds on the way home thinking there would be nothing there and had to go back.....). On the same trip, I had an Eastern Phoebe at the end of Kelson Road near Fifty Point C.A.. Paletta Park/Shoreacres on Lakeshore Road is home now to nesting Red-necked Grebes building a nest near the bridge on the lake side. An important note on nesting, the Peregrine Falcons have now all taken flight giving coronaries to the dedicated volunteers who make sure that they keep out of trouble. Volunteers are still needed for the Falconwatch so if you have a couple of hours to come down, it will be well worth the look at these amazing birds. Please email me privately and I will put you in touch with the organization for more information on volunteering. On a walk on the Northshore trails this week a Hooded Warbler was seen near the marker for the Marsh Boardwalk as well as Orchard Oriole and Eastern Wood Pewee. On the Dundas Rail Trail between Slote Road and Jerseyville Road, Black-billed Cuckoo, Mourning Warbler, Blue-winged Warbler and Common Yellowthroat were all seen this week. In this area on a trail off of Sulphur Springs Road, a Louisiana Waterthrush could be heard chipping and singing. Martins Road area in Ancaster is still producing Golden-winged Warbler in addition to Red-bellied Woodpecker and Eastern Wood Pewee. Up in Flamborough reports of Canada Warbler carrying food, Least Flycatcher, Northern Waterthrush, Veery and Ruffed Grouse. This is an excellent spot to go for some variety. Take Hwy 6 north to 8th concession west and follow this past Westover to where the road turns to gravel. This stretch around this area is also good for both Black-billed and Yellow-billed cuckoos. A Great Egret over an apartment complex in Hamilton gave someone a nice yard bird to add to their list. That's the news this week. Thanks for your sightings. Until next week, good birding. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
