On Thursday, March 1st, 2007 this is the HNC Birding Report: HARLEQUIN DUCK RED-THROATED LOON TURKEY VULTURE SANDHILL CRANE RED-SHOULDERED HAWK "Western" RED-TAILED HAWK (dark morph Calurus) COMMON RAVEN
American Wigeon Redhead Greater Scaup White-winged Scoter Long-tailed Duck Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Ruffed Grouse Wild Turkey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Shrike Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird White-throated Sparrow Lapland Longspur Winter listing wraps up with the beginning of March and the promise of new migrants by the end of the month. Some significant winter highlights are listed at the top. Perhaps the most unique bird of the week was the discovery of a "Western" Red-tailed Hawk which was determined to be a dark morph Calurus subspecies. The experts pulled out all the references on this one as some of our local photographers were able to get some gripping photos of this bird for them to study. First thought to be a Harlan's Hawk (once considered a separate species), after careful study of photographs and consultation of many experts, it was decided that the bird was a juvenile "Western" Red-tail. A tour of the southern portion of the Hamilton Study Area was fruitful in finding TURKEY VULTURES in numbers last Saturday near Cayuga. A group of 23 Turkey Vultures were seen kettling as if on migration but these birds may have overwintered here. Also in the area were many Rough-legged Hawks and a Northern Harrier. Reports of Short-eared Owls are also still coming in from this area near Cayuga. Another noteworthy hawk sighting comes from the Campbellville Area where an overwintering RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen along the roadside on Campbellville Road near Millborough Line. The lake is picking up action again with the discovery of the female HARLEQUIN DUCK once located on the bay but iced out earlier last month. The bird was seen in the canal on the weekend and was seen just off of L.P. Sayers Park on Tuesday. Other birds seen on the lake and in the open water near Canada Centre for Inland Waters on the bay were Redhead, Greater Scaup, White-winged Scoter, Long-tailed Duck, Common Goldeneye and Red-breasted Merganser. A nice surprise was the discovery of five RED-THROATED LOONS near the Burlington Ship Canal on the lake side. On the ice in the bay, a total of nine Bald Eagles have been seen this week. Over at LaSalle Park a pair of AMERICAN WIGEON continue to be seen on the ice there. More owls in the news this week with the continuing sightings of Long-eared Owls in Bronte Creek Provincial Park, Northern Saw-whet Owl in the Oakville area and Great Horned Owls in Millcroft and another being harassed by crows while perched in-between the cement girders of the bridge at the Valley Inn in the Hendrie Valley. While at the Valley Inn, wintering White-throated Sparrows and Red-winged Blackbirds are still found on the boardwalk and a Winter Wren made a brief appearance in the marsh. At the McCormack Tract off of Governors Road in Dundas this week, two COMMON RAVENS made a flypast over our heads last Friday. A quiet walk however graced by the presence of four Eastern Bluebirds. Out in the Flamborough Area, a trip to a field at the corner of Lynden Road and 4th concession yielded Horned Larks and a single Lapland Longspur. At nearby Patterson Tract on 4th concession just west of Woodhill Road a Ruffed Grouse was flushed in an attempt to find a wintering Hermit Thrush. At Westover Road and 8th concession Wild Turkeys are driving a homeowner crazy with his feeders and a Bald Eagle made an excellent addition to the yard list. If only he could convince the eagle to start feeding on Turkeys at his feeder. In the odds and sods this week, Turkeys were seen on the new Hwy 6 Bypass just south of Hwy 403, A few Northern Shrikes around one at 10th Rd E at Dofasco Trail, one on North Service Rd west of King Rd ,one on Concession 5 just east of Westover Rd and another one adding to a yard list on Joya Place in Dundas. A Tufted Titmouse is still visiting a feeder on River Road just south of Irish Line. A SANDHILL CRANE was seen on Stonechurch Road between Upper Mount Albion and Pritchard Road yesterday and White-throated Sparrows were reported from the Hopkins Tract soon to be singing their sweet spring song. That's the news for the week. Remember to visit the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch located at Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby to see migrating hawks throughout the month. Have a great week! Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
