GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE PALM WARBLER Snow Goose Cackling Goose Green-winged Teal King Eider Horned Grebe Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Rough-legged Hawk Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Yellow-bellied sapsucker Northern Shrike Common Raven Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Winter Wren Northern Mockingbird Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Yellow-rumped Warbler Fox Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird Pine Siskin
Only a week left of winter listing and the hope is that this warmer temps and high winds will bring in some different birds. It's still been a good week here in the HSA. The big story continues to be the Geese. Up to seven WHITE-FRONTED GEESE were seen in various spots last weekend. Two were seen on the lawn at 50 Point in Grimsby, two off Jones Road in Stoney Creek, two more at Windermere Basin and one at Bronte Harbour. Two Snow Geese were seen at Bronte Harbour last weekend along with one Cackling Goose. Up to four Cackling Geese have been seen through the week in the Bronte Harbour area. The numbers of Geese seem to be on the rise and they move around constantly so look close as you never know what mix you are going to get. Our wintering PALM WARBLER made it through the cold spell again and was seen briefly today and throughout the week. A trip to the area today was brief but there were midges flying around. The Yellow-rumped Warbler is still doing well although there was a report that it might have lost a couple toes. A Winter Wren was quite vocal in the brush near the creek today. There are lots of odds and ends to report this week. A Green-winged Teal was seen in the sewage tanks at Sedgewick Park. Four female plumaged King Eiders were seen west of Fifty Point yesterday as well as a single Horned Grebe seen off the Biggar Sewage Lagoons. A Turkey Vulture sailed over Fortinos in Hamilton between King West and Main West last Wednesday. Up to 9 Bald Eagles were seen on the bay today, ice conditions were good after last weekend's frigid temperatures but the bay is opening up now. Northern Harrier is a guaranteed bird at the fields north of Great Lakes Blvd and Rebecca. A trip into Haldimand near Hagersville yielded many Rough-legged Hawks. Several flocks of Horned Larks and Snow Buntings were seen in various locations down here. There is still a significant group of Snow Buntings and Horned Larks on Fallsview Road. One Lapland Longspur is a good find in the mix. Patience is necessary and the best strategy is to park by the side of the road and wait in the car. Another large flock of Snow Buntings was seen on Jerseyville Road between Lynden Rd and Parsonage Rd. Up to two Short-eared Owls cruise the 10th Road East area near the quarry at dusk. Snowy Owl sightings come from the Home Outfitters on Burloak near the QEW, near Bronte Harbour, from Leon's Furniture near Guelph Line and the North Service Road in Burlington and sitting on the ice in the harbour seen from Sarcoa restaurant in Hamilton. A nice surprise for this week was of a Yellow-bellied Sapsucker which showed up briefly (enough for a photograph) at a feeder in Ancaster near Sulphur Springs Road. The bird was a one day wonder but has the entire Dundas Valley to play in so may not be found again. Three Common Ravens flew through Gairloch Gardens last Saturday while the observer on the west end of Lake Ontario Waterfowl Census. Up on 10th Road East, Northern Shrike, Northern Mockingbird and up to 8 White-crowned Sparrows were seen in the week. The Eastern Meadowlark is an elusive find but was well seen Thursday as it fed on the road up until the point that my car arrived. Tufted Titmouse, Fox Sparrow, Swamp Sparrow and Rusty Blackbirds are still lurking about at the feeders behind Olympic arena. Pine Siskin reports are sparse but they are turning up in odd places. This week locations for Siskins were in Glen Morris and south of Ancaster. That's the news for this week. Winter listing is not over yet, tomorrow will be a warmer day to get out and check those sheltered areas for waifs. Report your sightings here!!! Good birding, 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

