On Friday, October 31st, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report: BRANT CACKLING GOOSE PURPLE SANDPIPER
Tundra Swan Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Red-breasted Merganser Red-throated Loon Black-crowned Night Heron Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Golden Eagle Bonaparte's Gull Ring-billed Gull Herring Gull Great Black-backed Gull Eastern Phoebe Blue-headed Vireo Winter Wren House Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Orange-crowned Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Eastern Towhee American Tree Sparrow Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow Song Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Purple Finch Common Redpoll Pine Siskin Its been another fairly typical late October week in the HSA, a few stragglers, significant late fall hawk migration and the invasion of winter finches, a bit early but nonetheless noteworthy. Late October is a great time for hawk watching on northwest winds. Various hotspots along the lakeshore can be promising on the right conditions and this week was no exception. At Valley Inn on Monday two Golden Eagles were photographed together along with Turkey Vulture, Red-shouldered Hawk, many Red-tailed Hawks and Sharp-shinned Hawk. This migration was also seen over south Burlington on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Over both days a mixture of mostly Red-tailed Hawk but also Red-shouldered, Sharp-shinned Hawk and both Bald and Golden Eagle passed over. Last Saturday a PURPLE SANDPIPER made a brief appearance at Fifty Point Conservation Area. A check of this spot a couple hours later did not come up with the bird however there were a number of migrants around. Eastern Phoebe, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Field, Fox, Song, Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow, Dark-eyed Junco and Pine Siskin were among birds seen here. A small group of three Bonaparte's Gull's were seen at the end of Fruitland Road. On the lake further west over the past two days a feeding frenzy has been present of Ring-billed, Herring and Great Black-backed Gull and Red-breasted Mergansers in numbers. A Red-throated Loon was seen flying into the frenzy today. On Sunday, at the Petro Canada property located north of the intersection of Rebecca and Mississauga St. in Oakville a number of migrants were seen including Blue-headed Vireo, Winter Wren, Yellow-rumped and Orange-crowned Warbler, Chipping, Song, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow and Dark-eyed Junco in numbers. Surprisingly a number of winter finches have been reported this week. Purple Finches seem to be on the move with birds being seen over Woodland Cemetery. Pine Siskins seem to be moving in force this week with flocks going over Shoreacres/Paletta Park in Burlington and a flock of 100+ being seen over Brantford. A good sized flock of 30+ Common Redpoll were seen over Shoreacres as well. Crossbills could be moving through too so keep a lookout! In the odds and sods, two BRANT have been present over the past week, one on the lawn at Spencer Smith Park and one at Burloak Park at the bottom of Burloak Drive in Oakville. A CACKLING GOOSE was seen at Bronte Harbour on Monday and Tuesday of this week. Eastern Bluebirds were seen at Woodland Cemetery, Tundra Swans were seen off the Captain Cootes trail in the Dundas Marsh. A House Wren and Hermit Thrush were seen along the beach strip in Burlington yesterday. Black-crowned Night Heron and Eastern Towhee were also highlights seen at Valley Inn this week. A Fox Sparrow was a welcome guest at a feeder in South Burlington today. This weekend is the Hamilton Fall Bird Count. We would appreciate any sightings you have so we can include them in the count! Happy Halloween and Good Birding! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Birding 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
