On Friday, August 3rd, 2007 this is the HNC Birding Report: SANDHILL CRANE EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
Green-winged Teal Hooded Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Green Heron Black-crowned Night-Heron Osprey Virginia Rail Sora American Coot Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Solitary Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Caspian Tern Common Tern Red-headed Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Willow Flycatcher Marsh Wren Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird American Redstart Hot and steamy days here in the HSA makes birding a little tough however more migrants are starting to show up and shorebird numbers continue to build enticing birders to endure these conditions to get their birding fix. This week in the Dundas Marsh a search out at the end of the Willows last Friday yielded a great surprise, 58 Short-billed Dowitchers, quite a sight. Other shorebirds present were Pectoral, Solitary, Least, Semipalmated and Spotted Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. On Tuesday July 31st, Sanderling were added to the mix at the first pond on the walk out to the tip and at the tip that same day a Baird's Sandpiper, likely an adult and both of these shorebirds being the first of the fall season. Among other birds reported out in the marsh, Great Egrets, Black-crowned Night Heron, 3 Ospreys were seen last Sunday, another one seen yesterday (probably migrants), Common Tern, Caspian Tern (many), Willow Flycatcher, Marsh Wren, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and American Redstart. The Grimsby Sewage Lagoons were a little quieter than the marsh but water levels are dropping and this could be a potential hotspot. Lesser Yellowlegs, Spotted Sandpiper and Killdeer composed the shorebird component but also seen in the ponds were Green-winged Teal, Hooded Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe, Green Heron, American Coot with young, Sora, Virginia Rail with young, and Common Tern. Nearby up the Road at the intersection of Fifty Road and Ridge Road, the EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE continues to be seen and heard. The North Service Road Storm Ponds located west of Guelph line, are dropping in water levels and yesterday 3 Great Egrets, 11 Lesser Yellowlegs and 1 Greater Yellowlegs were present here. Another couple of neat sightings for the Hamilton Study Area was the presence of SANDHILL CRANES (2), at Grass Lake near Glen Morris. This has always been a traditional nesting site for these birds but they are not often seen. The Red-Headed Woodpeckers continue to be present on 5th Concession W. between Sager Road and Sheffield Road with one adult being seen near the intersection of 5th Concession and Sheffield last Sunday. Down at Bronte Harbour, the traditional spot for Red-necked Grebe nests, one individual is on nest with 5 eggs. An Osprey flew by the harbour last Sunday. In the odds and sods, another Osprey was reported sitting in a tree on Hwy 8 on the way to Sheffield. Another Osprey was reported from Carroll's Point on August 1st. A Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and two more Great Egrets were seen along the Northshore Trails. Eastern Bluebird and an early migrating Olive-sided Flycatcher were reported from the Brantford Area this week. That's the news this week. Thanks for sending in your sightings. I expect it will get busier the next few weeks as warblers and other passerines begin their journey south. Have a great week! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
