On Friday, December 7th, 2007, this is the HNC Birding Report: HOUSE WREN BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER BOHEMIAN WAXWING
Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Wild Turkey Pied-billed Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Red-shouldered Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Great Horned Owl Long-eared Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Winter Wren American Pipit Cedar Waxwing Fox Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Pine Grosbeak Common Redpoll Its been fairly quiet here in the HSA for the first week of December. The list of birds has definitely taken on a "winter" theme this week with a couple of late stragglers to put on the wish list for winter birders. December started out with a bang for winter birders. December 1st was a good day to get out before the snow & rain and look for those rare winter birds that may not be found later. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER at Burloak Park was one of the best finds of the day. Believed to be harboring itself in the bank that the Bank Swallows live in in warmer days, this bird made a brief but close appearance last Saturday. It has not been seen since however on Monday a couple of American Pipits were present, not a bad addition to the winter list. Another good spot for a couple of winter jewels was Paletta/Shoreacres Park in Burlington. Here a late HOUSE WREN, Winter Wren and a Tufted Titmouse were seen last Saturday. At the Valley Inn, a couple of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen in a flock of Cedar Waxwings during the week. Another big story of the week is the presence of Pine Grosbeaks in the HSA. Unprecedented in this neck of the woods, a flock of 150 was present up at Guelph University today (to the south of Gordon st. and College Ave, south of the intersection) with other reports of smaller flocks in Carlisle (Kentmere & Flamborough Hills Road, Centre Road), Campbellville (between 10th and 15th Sideroad), Dundas (Skyline & Pleasant), Safari Road (near house # 902), 5th Road East, Flamborough (just east of Highway 6). Any fruit bearing trees in the area are game so its worth a stop even in residential areas at crab apple trees to check these out. Bohemian Waxwings might also be found. Also in the news this weeks are increasing flocks of Common Redpolls with 150 + being seen near Guelph in the past two days. Another local hotspot for winter birds was the Desjardins Canal where a Common and Hooded Merganser, Pied Billed Grebe, Great Blue Heron and Belted Kingfisher were present in the week. Vultures, Hawks and Eagles are in the news this week. A Turkey Vulture was reported in the Garden Ave/403 Exit area of Brantford on Tuesday. Bald Eagles have been seen on the Grand River in Brantford, on the bay at Carroll's Point, Valley Inn and the high level bridge on York Road this week, a typical sight of building wintering birds in the HSA. A Rough-legged Hawk was seen today at the Valley Inn. A late Golden Eagle was seen on Cootes Drive last Monday. A Northern Harrier was seen today on Centre Road just north of 5th Concession East. A Red-shouldered Hawk was seen last Sunday near Campbellville Road and Twiss Road. Most sightings this week fall into the "odds & sods" department, so bear with me. Common Ravens were reported from the Valley Inn and from Piconne's Farm near Rock Chapel. A Northern Shrike was reported also from the Rock Chapel area. A small flock of 19 Horned Larks were seen at Dyment's Farm on Sydenham Road, north of Dundas. A Great Horned Owl was heard "hooting" in the area of Middletown Road and 5th Concession West in Flamborough. Fox and White-throated Sparrow were seen at a feeder in this area this week. A flock of 12 Wild Turkeys were seen at the intersection of Millborough Rd. and Derry Road. A Long-eared Owl was present in the campground in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. That's the news for the week. Christmas Bird Counts will be starting soon so all of your sightings count. Please report your message to the hotline. PLEASE NOTE * Our HNC Hotline (phone line) will be down until I read the 22 page manual on how to reset it up so please report your sightings via email and have patience with a technologically challenged hotline operator...... Thanks and have a great week! Cheryl Edgecombe [EMAIL PROTECTED] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
