At 6:00 p.m. on Thursday, June 9th, 2005 this is the HNC birding report: DICKCISSEL
Peregrine Falcon Wild Turkey Semipalmated Plover Solitary Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone White-winged Gull (imm.) Black-billed Cuckoo Yellow-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Eastern Wood-Pewee Willow Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Yellow-throated Vireo Wood Thrush Veery Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler American Redstart Mourning Warbler Scarlet Tanager Eastern Towhee Clay-colored Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Indigo Bunting Bobolink Orchard Oriole This week the list is short and sweet but another rarity has cropped up here in the Hamilton area. A male DICKCISSEL was found yesterday at the north end of Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Access to the bird can be obtained by parking on a small pull off west of Appleby Line on Hwy 5 just east of the lights at Tremaine. There is a roadway with a chain across it. Walk the grassy track down toward and then down the hydro right of way. The bird has been seen around the 9th or 10 pole down flying down to a grassy path or field and then back up into a tree to sing. You will hear it if it does sing, the little beast has a big song. Other birds seen in this area while on the hunt were Savannah Sparrow, Bobolinks galore and a 1st spring Orchard Oriole. Other birds reported this week include Semipalmated Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, Solitary Sandpiper and Least Sandpiper at Tollgate Ponds on Eastport and Ruddy Turnstone at Pier 25. Out at Grimsby Sewage Lagoons last Sunday an interesting sighting of an immature "white-winged" gull. Species is yet undetermined but possibilities include Thayers or a Thayer's/Iceland intergrade. Any further sightings of this gull should be sent along for further information. This is an extremely late date for white-wingeds. Good news on the Peregrine front, a single baby has been seen on the lift bridge. This will be an interesting time as the perils of a busy roadway and a canal pose serious threats to a young fledgling. While surveying new property owned by the HNC near Berry Tract, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Willow Flycatcher, Wood Thrush, Eastern Towhee and Field Sparrow were all noted as potential breeders on this property. Up in north Halton at the Currie Tract which is across from Mohawk Raceway, I had the pleasure of witnessing a male and female Blackburnian Warbler gathering nesting material here last Friday. Other birds in this area were Veery, Rose-breated Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Indigo Bunting and Mourning Warbler. A Wild Turkey walked across 10th Sideroad and Yellow-throated Vireo, Alder Flycatcher, American Redstart and Chestnut-sided Warbler were all seen in the Turner Tract off of 10th Sideroad and 4th Line Nassawagawa. In the odds and sods department, at Brock Road and 4th Concession in Flamborough a Clay-colored Sparrow was heard and seen singing on top of the small pines in this field, Common Nighthawks were seen over Centre Mall in Hamilton and a Yellow-billed Cuckoo was seen at Shoreacres. Well that's the scoop for this week. Remember the bug dope when you go out....its nasty season. Hopefully things will crop up in the week and Wild Turkey won't be so close to the top of the list so keep sending the sightings my way. Until next week..... Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
