GREAT EGRET RED PHALAROPE CAVE SWALLOW PALM WARBLER PINE WARBLER Greater Scaup Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Long-tailed Duck Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Hooded Merganser Red-throated Loon Common Loon Black-crowned Night Heron Bald Eagle Rough-legged Hawk Golden Eagle Merlin Bonaparte's Gull Killdeer Snowy Owl Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler Purple Finch
The list is a little thin this week for birds in the Hamilton Study Area but as you can see from the top, some very exciting birds were seen this week giving quality and maybe not quantity. A big highlight last weekend was a RED PHALAROPE that was found close to shore at Bronte Beach in Oakville. The bird remained for the entire day giving birders and photographers an eyeful of this rarely seen species here. At the same time three CAVE SWALLOWS were performing aerial tricks at extremely close views just steps away from the phalarope. Many decent photos of this species were taken that day and to top it off down at Sedgewick Park in Oakville, two more CAVE SWALLOWS had found their way to the tanks at the Sewage Treatment Plant affording good views of this species at rest on the rails or the buildings. Unfortunately, the last sighting of CAVE SWALLOW was last Tuesday as the two at Sedgewick departed. Of interest late in the afternoon on Tuesday, two more swallows were seen over Mapleview Mall in Burlington. I suspect that there are CAVE SWALLOWS still lurking about somewhere in the province and maybe even the HSA. Warm temperatures have made it non-essential for these birds to be sticking close to the tanks at Sedgewick or elsewhere so perhaps the cold this weekend will drive them into areas where they can get sufficient food. The rest of the top of the list may be of interest to winter listers. Winter listing starts on Tuesday and is a great way to get through the thick of winter by giving a focus on how many species can be seen from December 1st to February 28th. The Hamilton record stands at 133 so let's see what we can do. A GREAT EGRET was seen flying around the Dundas Hydro Pond yesterday, certainly a late date for this species. I don't believe the pond will freeze this weekend and there is a great deal of open water around for it to feed at so it might be good for a Tuesday tick. A PALM WARBLER was seen and photographed at Sedgewick Park in Oakville midweek but has been elusive since. A PINE WARBLER was a one day wonder at a feeder in east Oakville last weekend but this species is usually hardy enough to settle in somewhere for the winter so may turn up again. The first instalment of the West End of Lake Ontario IBA waterbird survey took place last Saturday. A highlight was a Harlequin Duck found at Fifty Road and refound yesterday at Winona Road. Other birds seen on the count in numbers were Greater Scaup, all three scoter, thousands of Long-tailed Duck, Bufflehead, four each of Red-throated and Common Loons. Late Bonaparte's gulls were a good find. In the odds and sods this week, a Common Loon was seen at Wilkes Dam in Brantford, an unusual spot for this species. A Red-throated Loon was seen from LaSalle Marina swimming out on the bay. Five Black-crowned Night Herons are present at the Red Hill Outlet off Eastport Drive in Hamilton. A Bald Eagle was seen harassing the rafts of ducks out on the lake at Winona Road. A Golden Eagle was photographed travelling along the lakeshore at Sedgewick Park mid-week. In the south of the circle at Tyneside Rd between White Church Rd and Chippewa Rd a flock of 120 American Pipits were seen in the corn field and a Rough-legged Hawk was cruising the area. A Merlin was seen near Nelson High School in Burlington, this species has wintered here the last several years. A late Killdeer was seen at Lakeside Park in Mississauga. A Snowy Owl seems to have set up shop at Bronte Harbour for the winter. Several Belted Kingfishers have been reported along the edge of the lake and at the Red Hill Outlet, a difficult species to get on a winter list some years. Eastern Bluebird reports come from Sawmill Road and Shaver and from Gates of Heaven Cemetery in west Burlington. A Hermit Thrush lingers at Sedgewick Park in Oakville. Yellow-rumped Warbler which is a usual for wintering has been absent but one was seen at Princess Point late week. A single Purple Finch flew over this birder's house in south Burlington last weekend but failed to show up at the feeder! That's the news for now. Winter listing is upon us, send your sightings here of unusual or late birds you may see in the field. Cheers, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. 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
