On Friday, August 8th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: Lesser Scaup Ruddy Duck Great Egret Osprey Peregrine Falcon Sora Sandhill Crane Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Wilson's Phalarope Easter Screech Owl Chimney Swift Pileated Woodpecker Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow American Redstart Northern Waterthrush Scarlet Tanager
Not too much change this week in birds around the Hamilton Study Area. Constant rain has hampered some movement but the start of northwest winds has prompted a few odd birds to come to the area. Yesterday, during a rain storm, observers at the lift bridge who were watching the resident Peregrine Falcons, saw a large white bird, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN do a flyover and continue on to the bay. The bird settled in on the islands off Eastport Drive for the evening. Today at about 5:30 p.m. the bird was spotted in a flock of Double-crested Cormorants from Bayshore Park a small parkette located on Northshore Blvd between the Burlington Golf Club and LaSalle Park for about half an hour. Another great sighting today was a flock of 25 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS two kilometers north of #5 Campbellville SR on the west side of Sixth Line in rural Milton. For shorebirding, at Townsend Sewage Lagoons which is slightly out of the Hamilton Study Area, observers on the weekend reported Lesser Yellowlegs, Semipalmated Plover, Least, Semipalmated, Pectoral, Spotted and Solitary Sandpiper and Sora. At the Windermere Basin, a worn juvenile Wilson's Phalarope was seen yesterday. Lesser Scaup, Ruddy Duck, Lesser Yellowlegs and Semipalmated Sandpiper were other birds seen here. Five species of swallow were seen cruising over the basin today along with a Chimney Swift flying at extremely low levels. Increasing numbers of gathering swallows are being seen at various spots around the HSA. In the odds and sods, the yard bird of the week was a flock of 9 Sandhill Cranes over the White Pines and Lakeshore area of Burlington. An Eastern Screech Owl was heard doing begging calls in the Pleasant Valley area of Dundas. At Woodland Cemetery last weekend, Osprey, American Redstart and Scarlet Tanager were seen. Two Pileated Woodpeckers were seen off the escarpment at Rock Chapel. Two Northern Waterthrush were seen at Paletta/Shoreacres Park in Burlington, early migrants starting to move. A banded Great Egret was seen at the stormwater ponds at Upper Middle Road between Burloak and Appleby Line. This particular egret was banded on Nottawasaga Island in Georgian Bay and has been seen in the Oakville area as well. That's the news for the week. Look for those classic east winds to start and bring goodies to VanWagners beach. Jaeger season will start shortly. Have a great week Good Birding Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ 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
