NEOTROPIC CORMORANT
Cackling Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal King Eider Harlequin Duck Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Double-crested Cormorant Great Egret Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Merlin Sandhill Crane Killdeer American Woodcock Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Bonaparte's Gull Snowy Owl Northern Flicker Eastern Phoebe Northern Shrike Tree Swallow Tufted Titmouse Golden-crowned Kinglet Eastern Meadowlark Evening Grosbeak The list looks alot happier this week doesn't it? Warmer weather and south winds have been kind to us this week bringing in more migrants and a great rarity. A NEOTROPIC CORMORANT was the highlight of the week first being seen and photographed from the end of Green Road in Stoney Creek flying toward Hamilton. Later in the day another keen observer refound the tiny cormorant on the berm at Tollgate Pond where many birders were able to view it mostly sleeping but occasionally putting its head up for a show. The bird was not seen yesterday but today at about 10:45 p.m. it was seen again over Lakeland Tower along with 3 Double-crested Cormorants and then a few minutes later past Green Road again. Although the number of cormorants has increased signficantly, this bird may stay around and be found this weekend. More birders looking this weekend will help. Migrants coming in these past two weeks include Wood Duck, American Wigeon, Blue-winged Teal and Green-winged Teal seen in the flooded fields in Saltfleet and Flamborough. Two King Eiders were seen from Green Road today. Common Loon, Horned Grebe, Red-necked Grebes were reported from several locales around the end of the lake from Mississauga to Grimsby. A Great Egret was seen flying past Green Road today. Tundra Swans were seen in numbers this week with 105 going over this birders house in Burlington on Tuesday. A Northern Harrier flushed up two Wilson's Snipe on 5th Road East this afternoon. A flock of Sandhill Cranes went over Canada Centre for Inland Waters earlier in the week. Killdeer are here in numbers and the number of reports of American Woodcock has increased exponentially. Traditional sites include York Road in Dundas, Bronte Park East in Oakville and tonight many peenting up on King Road. A Bonaparte's Gull was a nice surprise last weekend at the end of Millen Road, two had been seen earlier in the week at Green Road. Reports of Eastern Phoebes today came from the Hendrie Valley, Mount Albion Falls, 5th Road East and 8th Road East in Saltfleet. A single Tree Swallow made a brave appearance at Bronte earlier in the week but today Tree Swallows arrived in force at the boxes at Windermere Basin. There were other reports from Canada Centre for Inland Waters and Princess Point. Golden-crowned Kinglets are also starting to move through. Eastern Meadowlarks could be heard on 10th Road East between Ridge and Green Mountain finally singing about spring. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in Grimsby has its open house tomorrow. It should be a banner day with warm temperatures ahead of a cold front. The Open house runs from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.. There is a voluntary donation and lots of exhibits to look at including the hawks! This week our first Osprey came through, two more were seen today from Canada Centre for Inland Waters and one over Valley Inn. Turkey Vultures in great numbers, Bald Eagle, Northern Harrier, Sharp-sinned, Coopers, Red-shouldered (banner day on Tuesday with 298 birds), Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawk, Golden Eagle and Merlin were raptors moving through this week. In the odds and sods, a Cackling Goose was seen from the Green Road condo location today. Two Harlequin Ducks including a stunning male are still at Gairloch Gardens in Oakville. Early morning seems to be best before the dog walkers arrive. White-winged Gulls are still around with both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls being seen on the remaining ice on the bay and at Tollgate Pond. Snowy Owls were reported from 6th Road East and Highland and from Bronte Harbour/Suncor Pier. A Northern Shrike was seen on 10th Road East in the week, we will be looking for the elusive Loggerhead Shrike in another couple weeks. Tufted Titmouse made an appearance at a feeder on Sawmill Road and up in Puslinch an Evening Grosbeak continues to visit a feeder near Puslinch Lake where it has been for several months. Tomorrow will be a great day for arrivals, get out and enjoy the sunshine and warmth, it won't last for long. Please report your sightings here. Good birding! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC. --- This email is free from viruses and malware because avast! 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