On Thursday, March 12th, 2009 this is the HNC Birding Report:
Snow Goose Ross's Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Killdeer Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Horned Lark Tree Swallow Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Hoary Redpoll Pine Siskin Its been a little quieter this week with wintery weather returning today to the Hamilton Study Area. Things do however look up as warmer weather this weekend encourage early migrants to continue to slowly infiltrate the area. Waterfowl and blackbirds are the first to arrive here. The rains this week have made the fields in Saltfleet and in Flamborough nice and muddy, an attraction to waterfowl migrating through. Yesterday a flock of 15 Snow Geese and 2 Ross's Geese were seen in a flooded corn field near the Rockton Berry Farm on Hwy 8 , north of Peter's corner in Flamborough. Tundra Swans were also noted on Orkney Road near Highway 5 and near Seaton Road between Safari and Highway 8. A flock of 26 flew over Clappison's Corners yesterday and a flock was also seen at LaSalle Marina. Earlier in the week, flocks of Tundra Swans were seen at LaSalle and over Dundas. Up in Salfleet on 8th Road East, 11 American Wigeon, a Wood Duck and a Northern Pintail were seen in the fields on Tuesday. Many of the fields on 5th road East, 8th Road East and 10th Road East will be prime spots for migrating ducks, geese and swans. Also in Saltfleet a Snowy Owl still continues to be seen sporadically in the Mud Street and 6th Road East area. Along the sides of the road and fields Horned Larks continue to move through. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer has been quiet this week. More favourable conditions appear to be coming on the weekend. Two Turkey Vultures were seen over the escarpment battling the winds. Yesterday, a few Bald Eagles moved through, one Turkey Vulture, several Killdeer and a probable Tree Swallow, one of our earliest records. Down at LaSalle Marina, in addition to the Tundra Swans, American Wigeon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebes (in increasing numbers), Green-winged Teal, Glaucous and a second year Lesser Black-backed Gull were highlights in the week. Out at Rattray Marsh in Mississauga at the end of Bexhill Drive, a flock of Wood Ducks touched down on the lake and an overwintering???? Ruby-crowned Kinglet was also noted last weekend. Blackbirds in the form of Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbird have been reported at numerous places and in increasing numbers this week. Look for Rusty and Brewer's Blackbirds sneaking in amongst them. Winter finches seem to be travelling north with the mix changing. Common Redpolls with a Hoary Redpoll in the mix were reported from Saddington Park in Mississauga this week. Pine Siskin numbers seem to be decreasing although they are being reported at feeders throughout the HSA. Purple Finch are still present at the RBG Arboretum and several flocks of White-winged Crossbills were seen in the week at various places. There was a notation of a White-winged Crossbill skulking around in the evergreens in downtown core of Burlington and other reports of single birds in possible nesting activity. Any further sightings are most appreciated since these birds could possibly be nesting in this area already. In the odds and sods, Golden-crowned Kinglets and a Brown Creeper were spotted at Shoreacres, possibly migrants. A Red-shouldered Hawk was seen at Spencer Gorge and a Northern Shrike was seen at the orchard on Harvester and Cumberland. That's the news for this week. Keep listening out for those American Woodcock sure to arrive soon. 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
