GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE ROSS'S GOOSE PALM WARBLER RUSTY BLACKBIRD
Cackling Goose King Eider Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Bald Eagle Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Short-eared Owl Common Raven Horned Lark Brown Creeper Winter Wren Snow Bunting Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-winged Blackbird Brown-headed Cowbird Pine Siskin Well it's a quiet week here in the Hamilton Study Area. Deep cold will make it hard for birders to go out and more importantly for birds to survive. The top of the list has grown smaller a bit but nonetheless we have some highlights. Last weekend, during the rush of geese in the province, the four birds that were thought to be Snow Geese turned out to be ROSS'S GEESE. The last date seen was the Saturday, Sunday turned up no geese. Maybe they knew it was going to be this cold. Hot off the press this morning two GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen on the lawn at Fifty Point with two more being seen at Jones Road. The PALM WARBLER continues at Sedgewick Park in Oakville. The bird was seen on Thursday in the company of the Yellow-rumped Warbler with a Brown Creeper and Winter Wren lurking close by. Conditions will be harsh this weekend, hopefully they can find a warm spot and food at the sewage tanks. Lastly, up to eight RUSTY BLACKBIRDS have been seen at Olympic arena this week, this is a good number even for spring. A Red-winged Blackbird and a sizable flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds were also seen here in the week. The bay will be a good place to look for those winter gulls this weekend as it will likely freeze to the point where its firm enough for gulls to sit on. Through the week, Iceland, Lesser Black-backed and Glaucous Gulls have been spotted. Over on the Cootes side a growing number of Bald Eagles have been seen over here on the ice and they will likely be patrolling the harbour as well this weekend. Up in Saltfleet, two Common Ravens were exhibiting nest building behaviour yesterday, they have nested in the quarry on 10th road East for a few years now. Horned Larks were moving about yesterday and Brown-headed Cowbirds can still be found in flocks of starlings. Last evening two Short-eared Owls were seen at the tracks on 10th Road East. No sign of the Meadowlark, likely underground at this point! In the odds and sods, two Cackling Geese were seen at the entrance of Shell Park. Two King Eiders were seen off Jones Road last Sunday. Up to 5 Common Loons were seen on the bay in the week in a tight group. A Red-necked Grebe was also present here. A Ruffed Grouse was a good yard bird at a home on Brock Road south of Freelton on Monday. Horned Larks and Snow Buntings were seen on Fallsview Road. Another Red-winged Blackbird was seen at Iroquois Heights Conservation Area, maybe an early migrant with the big south winds that came up the week before. Pine Siskins are being reported at feeders in Flamborough and Carlisle. Keep your feeders stocked, birds will be looking for extra energy this weekend. Report your sightings here! Stay Warm 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
