On Friday, December 09, 2011 this is the HNC Birding Report: PURPLE SANDPIPER BLUE-HEADED VIREO NORTHERN PARULA
King Eider Red-throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Merlin Sandhill Crane Lesser Black-backed Gull Snowy Owl Northern Flicker Common Raven Winter Wren Eastern Bluebird Chipping Sparrow Red-winged Blackbird It's still quiet around the Hamilton Study Area with low numbers of birds but the quality makes up for it. For the winter listers, two PURPLE SANDPIPERS were present on the rocks at Fifty Point yesterday. Apparently they were flushed from here and did not return immediately but still could be lurking around the area. This is a traditional spot for them and it's a good winter bird. The BLUE-HEADED VIREO was last seen at 3:00 p.m. today high in the pines on the upper ridge at the east end of LaSalle Park. The bird was on the lower trail as well today so it does move a bit. Look for the flock of chickadees, it seems to be moving with them but also today it preferred the pine trees where it seemed to be getting food. The NORTHERN PARULA was last reported on Monday but also could still be in the area. This bird is at Bronte Bluffs at the end of West River Street in Oakville. Any further sightings would be appreciated. Another good winter bird a Chipping Sparrow is coming into a feeder sporadically in Mississauga. Hamilton is a hotspot for wintering waterfowl. Naming the highlights, two female King Eiders were seen at the end of Fruitland Road mid-week. A Barrow's x Common Goldeneye was seen off Gray's Road on Monday in miserable conditions! Three Red-throated Loons were seen from Sayer's Park yesterday. Another Red-throated Loon was present on the Hamilton Bay last weekend. A Horned Grebe was seen on the bay in the early week. Today of interest was a female Wood Duck at LaSalle. A Pied-billed Grebe is present at the Desjardins Canal. In the odds and sods, a juvenile Bald Eagle flew over Old Guelph Road last Saturday. A Turkey Vulture was seen near Downey and Forestell up in the northwest corner of the Hamilton Study Area. It is at this location that a Snowy Owl was seen Tuesday and Wednesday and is probably still in the area. The snowy was sitting on the hydro poles near the intersection of Downey and Forestell. A Merlin made a flyby at Winston Churchill and the QEW yesterday. Sandhill Cranes were seen in a corn field at 1220 Shouldice Sideroad near Grass Lake in Glen Morris last Saturday. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was amongst the rif raf of gulls down on the islands at LaSalle Marina yesterday. A Winter Wren was seen under the boardwalk down at the same location. A Northern Flicker was seen over the Patterson Tract on Saturday. Unfortunately the same or a different Northern Flicker was a fresh kill on the way out of the tract. Two Common Ravens were reported flying over Hwy. 6, just south of Carlisle Road last Tuesday. Eastern Bluebirds and a Northern Flicker are being reported in Grimsby from the woodlot at Puddicombe Winery. A Red-winged Blackbird was seen at a feeder in Oakville and to round it out with a bang an Eastern Meadowlark was reported from the McMillan Pit which is located on Concession 2 in Puslinch. That's the news for this week. Keep the sightings coming, cold weather will bring out the best. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC _______________________________________________ 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/
