On Friday, November 9th, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: EURASIAN WIGEON GYRFALCON POMARINE JAEGER BOREAL CHICKADEE BOHEMIAN WAXWING WESTERN TANAGER
Brant Harlequin Duck Hooded Merganser Ruffed Grouse Golden Eagle Sandhill Crane Solitary Sandpiper (record late date) Purple Sandpiper Dunlin American Woodcock Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Great Horned Owl Barred Owl Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Common Raven Barn Swallow (late date) Tufted Titmouse Marsh Wren Hermit Thrush Nashville Warbler (late date) American Redstart (late date) Lapland Longspur Pine Grosbeak Purple Finch Red Crossbill White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin Evening Grosbeak It's been another stacked week here in the Hamilton Study Area with a phenomenal fall of goodies. This past Sunday was the HNC Fall Bird Count. Conditions were ideal and the birds did not disappoint. We are tied at our record for 147 species with a few more reports to come. Rarities for the fall count include a EURASIAN WIGEON, first record for the fall count found at Mountsberg Reservoir and present to yesterday. A search for it today did not turn it up but the reservoir is vast and there are many nooks and crannies to search. Another phenomenal bird was a dark GYRFALCON found while watching for rarities at VanWagners Beach. Sadly none of the storm waifs turned up for the event but what a nice consolation prize. A POMARINE JAEGER was seen off the mouth of 16 mile creek in Oakville. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are also on the move with flocks being seen in Flamborough at 8th concession East and Westover Road and on Gordon Street and on the campus of University of Guelph. On count day, at the Westdale Ravine in West Hamilton, a female WESTERN TANAGER was a mind blower and totally off the radar for this observer. Unfortunately only one other party saw the bird briefly. The abundant food in the area of the RBG Children's Garden would hold this bird for a while, it may be still present but no reports since count day. To round out the rarities, not seen on the count but yesterday, a BOREAL CHICKADEE was amongst a group of Black-capped Chickadees at the back of Mountsberg on Leslie Street. Other count highlights were Harlequin Ducks and Purple Sandpiper at the end of Arkendo in Oakville, Ruffed Grouse, Sandhill Cranes near Cambridge, Dunlin in the Dundas Marsh, American Woodcock flushed in the Westdale ravine while looking for the Western Tanager, Iceland Gull at Mohawk Lake in Brantford, Glaucous Gull in Dundas Marsh, Barred Owls at Joe Sam's Park in Waterdown and in Flamborough, Short-eared Owl flying over the west end of Lake Ontario, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker in SE Oakville and Rattray Marsh, Northern Shrike at Cumberland and Harvester, Barn Swallow at the sewage treatment plant behind Joseph Brant Hospital, Marsh Wren in the Dundas Marsh, Nashville Warbler at Gage Park, American Redstart at LaSalle Park and Lapland Longspur over the Burlington Beach strip. A big part of the count and days following were eight species of winter finches. This week, Pine Grosbeak was reported from Mountsberg Conservation Area, Purple Finches were moving over Woodland Cemetery and on several count lists. Red Crossbill was seen in the vicinity of Middletown Road and 5th Concession West mid week. White-winged Crossbills arrived with a vengeance with birds being seen on cone crops on Thorpe Avenue in Burlington, over Woodland Cemetery, Bronte Creek Provincial Park and at 4th Concession near Flamborough Downs. Common Redpolls were seen over Woodland Cemetery on Saturday and Dundas Marsh on Sunday. Pine Siskins still seem to be in the picture with several parties reporting on the count and some at feeders through the area. Evening Grosbeaks were also seen on the count although I think these birds will move through and not spend the winter here. Twenty were seen at Bronte last weekend. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS are also on the move with flocks being seen in Flamborough at 8th concession East and Westover Road and on Gordon Street and on the campus of University of Guelph. Raptors were still moving last weekend. Over Woodland Cemetery last Saturday, Turkey Vulture, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned, Coopers, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed in numbers and Rough Legged Hawk, Golden Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon were seen. Golden Eagles were seen in a few count areas including, Ancaster, Dundas and Bronte. In the odds and sods, a Brant was seen on the lawn at Spencer Smith Park on Wednesday. A group of 80 Hooded Mergansers were seen at Long Pond. At the end of Arkendo a record late Solitary Sandpiper was seen on Tuesday. A Great Horned Owl was perched on a roof for a day at Appleby College. Another Barred Owl was seen today at the Arboretum in Guelph. A Common Raven was seen over Cootes Paradise today. Eastern Phoebe was seen at Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Two Northern Shrikes and a Tufted Titmouse were highlights at Woodland Cemetery last Saturday. That's the news for this week. November is typically a good time to find those super rarities. Warm weather this weekend could bring some more in. Please report your sightings here. Cheers, 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/
