On Saturday, January 15th, 2011 this is the HNC Birding Report: BARN OWL ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Cackling Goose Wood Duck American Wigeon King Eider Thayer's Gull Glaucous Gull Great Horned Owl Belted Kingfisher Horned Lark Hermit Thrush Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting A short list of birds this week with an unexpected surprise at the top. On Monday night at the Bronte Go Station, a BARN OWL was seen on a light post and then took off east down the tracks. Subsequent attempts to relocate the bird fell short but this is truly an unexpected bird at this time of the year. The ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was seen last Sunday at approximately at the 1400 m mark of the Waterfront Trail accessed from Bayfront Park in Hamilton. Geese are in the forefront this week with Fifty Point Conservation area harbouring a Greater White-fronted Goose and Cackling Geese in the midst of many Canada Geese. Cackling Geese can be tough to pick out as there are several smaller Canada's amongst them. At Bronte Harbour last weekend a Snow Goose was seem east of the harbour and a Cackling Goose west of it. Other waterfowl seen were Wood Ducks in the open water at the Hendrie Valley and American Wigeon were seen along the east Oakville lakeshore near Arkendo and one at LaSalle Park in Waterdown. Two King Eiders were reported in the week, a female seen at Bronte Harbour last Saturday and another female past VanWagners Beach early in the week. The number of gulls seem to be rising with ice on the harbour now. An adult Thayer's Gull flew past Canada Centre for Inland Waters along with several Glaucous Gulls. In the odds and sods, a Great Horned Owl was present at Fifty Point Conservation Area, look for the harassing crows. A Hermit Thrush was seen near Homestead Drive in Dundas and another at the end of Hollyrood in Oakville. Three Belted Kingfishers were seen along a stretch of 16 mile creek west of the intersection at Bronte and Derry Road. A Fox Sparrow was seen behind the Dundas arena a couple of days ago. Horned Larks and Snow Buntings continue to be a presence along Sydenham Road near Dyments Farm in Flamborough. Snow Buntings and Lapland Longspurs were seen at Stoneman Road in the south of the area in Haldimand. A White-crowned Sparrow was present at a feeder on 10th Road East just south of Ridge Road. That's it, short and sweet this week. Have a great week and send me your sightings. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
