On Thursday, February 2nd, 2006, this is the HNC Birding Report: Horned Grebe Turkey Vulture Greater Scaup King Eider Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Common GoldeneyexBarrow's Goldeneye Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Ring-necked Pheasant Glaucous Gull Eastern Screech-Owl Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Belted Kingfisher Pileated Woodpecker Brown Creeper Eastern Bluebird White-crowned Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird Common Redpoll Pine Siskin
Well the groundhog says we have two weeks until spring but based on the sightings of Turkey Vultures this week it seems like it may be sooner. Several reports of Turkey Vultures came in from Saturday over Dundas, Rock Chapel and flying toward Woodland Cemetery. No other migrants of note this week. Ducks are the main feature of the birds this week in the HSA. The interesting Common Goldeneye x Barrow's Goldeneye Hybrid has been seen through the week with the bird being seen just offshore at Gray's Road today. All three scoters are out there in numbers along with numerous Greater Scaup, Common Goldeneye and Long-tailed Ducks. We also had a report of King Eiders being seen off of Millen Road last Sunday. The ducks are spread out from Gray's Road all the way to Fifty Point so there are many points along the lake to scan for any goodies, it just takes ALOT OF PATIENCE! Owls are also in the news this week. The Snowy Owl has made an appearance again being seen on the roof of Canada Centre for Inland Waters on Saturday and during the rain on Sunday, it was full out on the lamp post in the parking lot. Short-eared Owls were seen tonight on Green Mountain Road between 8th and 10th Road East along with Northern Harriers cruising the fields. An Eastern Screech Owl was seen and heard on 1st Road East tonight as well. Eagle sightings are still coming in with two juveniles seen off of Woodland Cemetery, an adult present near Princess Point and another adult giving a great show eating an unidentified meal in a backyard in the Appleby Line and Lakeshore area in Burlington. An adult bird was present today in the Lowville area. Up in the north part of the Hamilton Study Area, Eastern Bluebirds were seen in the Mount Nemo area, Common Redpolls and Pine Siskins have been coming into feeders on 3rd Side Road near Campbellville and a Pileated Woodpecker was being extremely vocal here as well. On Twiss Road just north of Derry a male Ring-necked Pheasant was a surprise find for me this week. On 8th Line at the corner of Britannia a White-crowned Sparrow was mixed in with the Tree Sparrows and on Britannia at 5th Line an immature Glaucous Gull was seen alone in a field. In the odds & sods this week, a Brown Creeper was seen at Bulls Point along the Captain Cootes Trail today. A Horned Grebe is still around being seen off of Eastport Drive last Sunday, a few Belted Kingfishers have been reported at the RBG and off of Woodland Cemetery and a Brown Headed Cowbird visited a feeder in Dundas. Of interest this week is the presence of an immature Peregrine Falcon at the lift bridge, possibly an American bird based on the bands but not the same bird as seen in previous years. That's all for the week. Keep me posted! Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
