On Friday, March 12th, 2010, this is the HNC Birding Report: Tundra Swan Canvasback Harlequin Duck Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Goshawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Merlin Sandhill Crane Killdeer Glaucous Gull Northern Shrike Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird
The start of spring migration has brought a sigh of relief to anxious birders in the Hamilton Study Area. This week brought in the first migrants of spring and the sounds that accompany it. One of the best sounds of early spring/late winter is the call of Tundra Swans as they migrate over the area. On Wednesday numerous reports of Tundra Swans were coming in from Dundas, Grimsby and Burlington. Several larger flocks were seen at and over the Dundas Hydro Ponds and moving up the Dundas Valley. As always the return of flocks of Blackbirds always seems exciting in the first days. Today was the first full day of Red-winged Blackbirds and Common Grackles being seen in numbers. Over the next few days their presence will sink into the background and become commonplace but it is nice to see them return. Killdeer have also made their return with a few being seen on the lawn at Confederation Park today. Another great bird of spring, an Eastern Meadowlark was seen on Westover Road between 4th and 5th Concession West yesterday. At the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby this week mostly Red-tails were moving through but there was a good Bald Eagle day on Wednesday with 7 adults being counted. Last weekend saw a couple of adult Northern Goshawks being seen and photographed. Other birds seen included Turkey Vulture, Rough-legged Hawk and Merlin. Down at LaSalle Marina over fifty Canvasbacks were counted today. A Pied-billed Grebe and a Lesser Black-backed Gull were birds noted here last weekend. Glaucous and Iceland Gulls continue to be seen on the bay. A Great Blue Heron flew past Canada Centre for Inland Waters today. A real treat this past week was the gathering of King Eiders at the end of Fifty Road. At last count, 21 of them, all first year males or females were seen on Tuesday at Fifty Road and off Fifty Point. A Red-necked Grebe was also seen from the end of Fifty Road last Sunday. In the odds and sods, 5 Sandhill Cranes were seen over Deer Run Court near Brantford. Harlequin Ducks continue to be seen at Port Credit along with the Yellow-rumped Warblers near the gazebo. Yellow-rumped Warblers were also seen behind the Dundas Arena. Flocks of Brown-headed Cowbirds continue to be seen in growing numbers in several places. A Merlin made an excellent yard bird at Britannia Ave. & Province St in Hamilton this morning. A Northern Shrike was seen at Confederation Park today and four individuals were seen at several locations in Saltfleet last weekend. I'm sure this report will grow again this week. Please continue to forward your sightings. 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/
