On Thursday, November 24th, 2005, this is the HNC birding report: BARROW'S GOLDENEYE POMARINE JAEGER TURKEY VULTURE BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER
Red-throated Loon Horned Grebe Pied-billed Grebe Tundra Swan Redhead Greater Scaup Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Common Goldeneye Winter Wren Fox Sparrow Snow Bunting Common Grackle A very quiet week in the Hamilton Area. Today's weather was certainly not conducive to any birding although we seemed to have escaped the snow in this area. One of two BARROW'S GOLDENEYE reported continues to be seen along the west end of the lake. The last reported sighting was off of Green Road last Sunday. Of course, you will have to sort through the many ducks and scoters Consider it as a game of "Where's Waldo" for those of you familiar with this character. Also seen off of Green Road were Red-throated Loon, Horned Grebe, Redhead, Greater Scaup, all three Scoters, and an increasing number of Common Goldeneye and Bufflehead. Flocks of Snow Buntings continue to be seen flying along the Lakeshore. A report came in of two POMARINE JAEGER'S seen on Tuesday at Grimsby's Murray St. Park flying east to west towards Fifty Point C.A. at a very close distance. Passerines seem to be at a low point this week however the discovery of a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER in Shoreacres Park in Burlington is of note for a late date. A Common Grackle was also seen at a feeder probably not the last of these birds around but certainly their numbers will be dropping as this cold weather settles in. A Pied-billed Grebe is still present at LaSalle Park as of this week along with a Winter Wren still lurking about. In the same area, many Tundra Swans have been seen off of Woodland Cemetery. In the odds & sods department, a late TURKEY VULTURE was seen over Waterdown, a Black-crowned Night Heron was present down at Pier 4 in Hamilton and a Fox Sparrow is present at the Valley Inn. That's the scoop for the week, pretty bleak. However, I take this opportunity to remind people to keep their feeders stocked as sometimes when this cold and wicked weather arrives great rarities are drawn to places of feast. Please report your sightings via the phone line or email. The winter listing season is coming up soon!!!! Have a great week, Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
