On Friday, April 3rd, 2009, this is the HNC Birding Report:
Greater White-fronted Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Ring-necked Duck King Eider Harlequin Duck Black Scoter Common Merganser Wild Turkey Red-throated Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Peregrine Falcon Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Wilson's Snipe Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Caspian Tern Short-eared Owl Eastern Phoebe Tree Swallow Brown Creeper Winter Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Rusty Blackbird White-winged Crossbill Migrants have been showing up slowly in the area throughout the week however a warm push of air yesterday was a good catalyst for bringing more and a variety of these birds in. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby had a banner day yesterday with over 2000 Turkey Vultures and 7 Golden Eagles. This was only the tip of the iceberg as the south winds pushed birds to the lake and only a small portion of the vulture migration yesterday was counted over the tower. Hundreds of Turkey Vultures came streaming down the Lake Ontario shoreline. Mixed in with the kettles were good numbers of Red-tailed Hawks, some Red-shouldered Hawks, Coopers and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Also seen in the week were a few Ospreys, Rough-legged Hawks and Northern Harriers. It won't be long before the Broad-wings will be filtering through. Other interesting birds seen at Beamer this week include Sandhill Crane, Lesser Yellowlegs, Eastern Phoebe, Tree Swallow in increasing numbers and Fox Sparrow. In Saltfleet this week, Wilson's Snipe continue to increase in numbers this week. Two were seen on 11th Road East today and 5th Road East is a good spot for them too. Last weekend on 11th Road East, two Northern Harriers were seen in an incredible aerial display. Also over the same field were two Rough-legged Hawks. Ring-necked Ducks and Redheads were present at the quarry on Green Mountain Road between 10th and 11th Road East. On 10th Road east more displaying Northern Harriers were seen and at least one Short-eared Owl is still present. On 8th Road East today about a dozen Rusty Blackbirds were seen in a large group of Blackbirds. Yesterday on 6th road east just south of Green Mountain Road an incredible flock of around 250 Lapland Longspurs were seen in the field. On 5th Road East yesterday, 3 Sandhill Cranes were seen out in the field in the late afternoon. In the flooded fields in this area Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal and Wood Duck can be noted and a first for me today on 8th Road East where 3 Common Mergansers were seen in a flooded field. Wild Turkey were seen today on Ridge Road near Rock Chapel Road. The lake has also been busy this week. Yesterday from Bal Harbour Park, approximately 52 Horned Grebes were seen along with 102 Red-necked Grebes. Further east at Fifty Road last weekend a first year male and female King Eider were seen Saturday. At L.P. Sayers Park in Stoney Creek a male Black Scoter was observed last Saturday along with 2 Red-throated Loons. Around the lake in Mississauga at Saddington Park 3 Harlequin Ducks continue to be reported. In the passerine category, early migrants at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek include Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Golden-crowned Kinglet and Hermit Thrush. Down at Bronte Harbour this week, Great Egrets and Black-crowned Night Herons have returned. Red-necked Grebes have also been seen at the harbour a traditional nesting spot for this species. Out in Flamborough last weekend Tundra Swans continued to be seen in the field near Fairchild Creek. Two Sandhill Cranes were also seen on Sheffield Road south of Conc. 5 West last Saturday along with 60 Tundra Swans. In the odds and sods, a Greater White-fronted Goose was seen in with a flock of Canada Geese near Hagersville last weekend. Great Egrets were also reported at the Valley Inn. Another Great Egret was seen flying over York Road in Dundas. Caspian Terns have returned to the nesting colony on the islands off Eastport Drive. Both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were seen on the islands at LaSalle Marina last weekend. An Eastern Towhee was seen at Shell Park. Tree Swallows are back checking out the nest boxes at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Interestingly a group of 5 female White-winged Crossbills were seen at Parking Lot A in Bronte Creek Provincial Park on the west side last weekend. A Chipping Sparrow was heard singing in Dundas this morning and another reported at a feeder in Lynden. Lots to be seen as the sun comes out after this deluge. Keep me posted on returning migrants and especially the rarities! 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/
