BLACK VULTURE LITTLE GULL BLACK TERN Blue-winged Teal Northern Shoveler Greater Scaup Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Ruddy Duck Ring-necked Pheasant Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Black-crowned Night-Heron Broad-winged Hawk Sandhill Crane Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Sandpiper White-rumped Sandpiper Dunlin Wilson's Phalarope Bonaparte's Gull Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Red-headed Woodpecker Marsh Wren Grasshopper Sparrow Bobolink Eastern Meadowlark
Breeding season is in full swing here in the Hamilton Study Area however there are birds to be seen sometimes just not easy to find. This week a few surprises in the list gave listers some ticks off their list. A BLACK VULTURE was reported a week ago Wednesday over the high level bridge in Hamilton. Over the next few days, sporadic reports of the beast came from Pleasantview area in Dundas and Homestead Drive just south of York Road. Most birders making the stakeout were not rewarded and there have been no reports over the last few days. It could still be in the area. Windermere Basin is still a hotspot and this week a couple of surprise guests dropped in. On Friday, three BLACK TERNS, three LITTLE GULLS and a dozen Bonaparte's Gulls were present at the wetland. A Great Egret has been present all week and Black-crowned Night Herons can often be seen flying over the basin. Over the week, shorebirds seen were including Black-bellied Plover, Semipalmated Sandpiper, White-rumped Sandpiper, Dunlin and a pair of Wilson's Phalaropes. The Wilson's Phalaropes have not been seen in the last couple of days but any reports of either male or female would be appreciated as it may be a potential nesting situation. Summering ducks herw include Blue-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler, Greater and Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead and Ruddy Duck. In the odds and sods this week a Ring-necked Pheasant was heard near Safari Road marsh in Flamborough. Marsh Wrens also seem to have settled in up here, the first time in a few years. A Red-throated Loon was seen off Burloak Waterfront Park with a Common Loon being seen off Walker's Line. An unusual sighting for this time of year was a Horned Grebe off Gray's Road earlier in the week. Red-necked Grebes with chicks are present off Burloak Park and down at Bronte Harbour. Up to seven Sandhill Cranes were seen at Grass Lake near Glen Morris. Sora, Virginia Rail and Marsh Wrens are present here. The grassy field across from the marsh seems to have a good supply of Grasshopper Sparrows. A Yellow-billed Cuckoo was heard at the Hardy Road trails in Brantford. Red-headed Woodpeckers have nested again and are visiting feeders near Sawmill Road in Ancaster. Bobolinks and Eastern Meadowlarks are nice grassland birds being seen and probably nesting up in Olympic Park which extends north and east from Mohawk and Scenic up on the West Mountain. That's the news this week. It's a bit of a hiatus but there are birds showing up so keep checking your locals spots. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! Antivirus protection is active. http://www.avast.com _______________________________________________ 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 Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
