ROSS GOOSE COMMON EIDER EARED GREBE ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER NASHVILLE WARBLER PINE WARBLER
American Wigeon King Eider Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Yellow-rumped Warbler White-crowned Sparrow Brown-headed Cowbird This has been a quiet week in the Hamilton Study area filled with quality and not quantity. Lack of birds is likely due to lack of birders as cold temperatures have settled in with a strong wind chill and it looks like a significant snowfall tomorrow. Nonetheless, here is a rundown of the rarities. A ROSS' GOOSE was found last Sunday at Lakeside Park which is on Lakeshore Road at the border of Oakville and Mississauga. The bird was last seen last Monday but still could be around. It roosted on the water but then took to feeding in the water treatment plant across the street from the park. For winter listers, this is a good spot to find American Wigeon. A COMMON EIDER first discovered the week before, remained at Fifty Point Conservation Area until mid week. A King Eider has been reliable at the end of Millen Road. The EARED GREBE at the MacMillan Pit up in Puslinch was present until last weekend. This quarry pond is now frozen and unfortunately I think the Common Loon also present there may have succumbed to cold and lack of space to take off. Sedgewick Park in Oakville continues to be a spot for warblers although there have been no reports since mid-week, likely from lack of visitation. The ORANGE-CROWNED, NASHVILLE and PINE WARBLER were all seen here in the week. Several Yellow-rumped Warblers also continue to travel with them visiting the tanks for insects. It will be interesting to see how many have stayed/survived during the cold. The South Peel Christmas Count is tomorrow so if anyone is in the area and sees any of the above species, please report them to me. The other big story of the season is the Snowy Owl invasion which continues. Birds this week include ones seen at LaSalle Marina, on the islands off Eastport Drive, at Windermere Basin, Tollgate Pond, Bronte Harbour and the Suncor Pier in Oakville and lastly at Saddington Park in Mississauga. There should still be some around for the Christmas Bird Counts. In the odds and sods this week, another King Eider was seen off Saddington Park in Mississauga. A Red-throated Loon was seen east of Fifty Point Conservation Area but still within the HSA. A couple of Horned Grebes were seen at Bayfront Park this week. An adult Iceland Gull was seen at the boat launch at Bronte Beach. A first year Glaucous Gull was seen along the lakeshore in Stoney Creek. A Northern Shrike was an unusual visitor at a feeder at 11th Concession and Centre Road. A White-crowned Sparrow was observed on Foreman Road in Flamborough and lastly a female Brown-headed Cowbird has been a regular visitor at a feeder in Grimsby. This Saturday marks the start of the Christmas Bird Counts for Guelph and South Peel. If you have observed any species this past week, please forward your sightings here so I can forward to the appropriate compilers for count week. Heavy snow tomorrow could bring in some interesting birds. Stock your feeders, snow and bitter cold make it hard for even the hardiest species to survive. Good birding, 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 including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
