SHEARWATER sp. HUDSONIAN GODWIT BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE SABINE"S GULL POMARINE JAEGER PARASITIC JAEGER LONG-TAILED JAEGER
Brant White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Red-necked Grebe Peregrine Falcon Black-bellied Plover Semipalmated Plover Spotted Sandpiper Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Baird's Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Stilt Sandpiper Lesser Black-backed Gull Great Black-backed Gull Caspian Tern Common Tern Forster's Tern Common Raven Yellow-belied Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Red-headed Woodpecker Blue-headed Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Purple Martin Red-breasted Nuthatch Winter Wren Marsh Wren Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Wood Thrush Brown Thrasher Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat American Redstart Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Chestnut-sided Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-throated Blue Palm Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Wilson's Warbler Lincoln's Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Dark-eyed Junco Rusty Blackbird Well Hamilton Study Area has bragging rights for Ontario this week. It has been an exceptional week here in the HSA and the top of the list proves its worth. As is this time of year with strong east winds, our rarities include the seabirds that come from James Bay and make their way to the end of the lake. This week however, a surprise, a SHEARWATER. A few experienced birders who saw the bird over the last couple days think it may be a MANX. Other birders speculate another species. The bird needs to come in for a show and who knows there may be more than one out there. It made its appearance on Wednesday when it was seen three times crossing our path. It was also seen yesterday and possibly a sighting from today in the morning. Other specialty items seen in these days include BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE (an adult and a juvenile), SABINE'S GULLS (seen yesterday and today) as well as POMARINE, PARASITIC AND LONG-TAILED JAEGER. Doesn't get much better than this but wait, five more days of east winds, it just could. While at the beach, other species recorded include, Brant (small flock seen this morning), White-winged and Black Scoter, Red-necked Grebe, Peregrine Falcon, Black-bellied Plover, Hudsonian Godwit, Lesser and Great Black-backed Gull, Caspian, Common and Forster's Tern, Red-headed Woodpecker (immature gleaning insects off the beach). Shorebirds are still in the news. The HUDSONIAN GODWIT which joined the MARBLED GODWIT the week before last remains at Windermere Basin. Along with it was Black-bellied Plover, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Baird's, Least and Pectoral Sandpiper and Dunlin. A Whimbrel remained mid-week at Tollgate Pond and Stilt Sandpipers were still being seen in the Red Hill Stormwater Pond. Along the late side a Spotted Sandpiper and Semipalmated Plover were seen at Bronte Beach. The woodlots are still hopping with migrants. Places reported from this week include Shell Park, Bronte Bluffs in Oakville, Shoreacres in Burlington, Mt Albion Conservation Area in Hamilton and Van Wagner's Ponds. Migrants this week include Yellow-bellied Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Blue-headed, Philadelphia and Red-eyed Vireo, Red-breasted Nuthatch, Winter and Marsh Wren (Albion), Golden-crowned and Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Gray-cheeked, Swainson's and Wood Thrush (Bronte Bluffs), Brown Thrasher, Tennessee, Orange-crowned (Van Wagners Pond), Nashville, Mourning (Bronte Bluffs), Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Northern Parula, Magnolia, Blackburnian, Chestnut-sided, Black-throated Blue, Palm, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green and Wilson's Warbler, Lincolns (Mt. Albion), Swamp, White-throated and White-crowned Sparrow along with our first of season Dark-eyed Juncos. In the odds and sods this week, a Brant remains a house pet at Bayfront Park in Hamilton, easy to see, easy to please. Common Ravens seem to be turning up on migration with three over Edgelake Park and one over Woodland Cemetery and two over Strathcona in Hamilton. A very late Purple Martin was seen on Tuesday on the escarpment up the McNeilly cut. Lastly, Rusty Blackbirds seem to be on the move with birds reported at Bronte, at Great Lakes/Rebecca Stormwater Ponds and in the Hendrie Valley. That's the news for this week. For Hamilton wind speed and direction check out https://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/on-95_metric_e.html. There are obviously no guarantees but the birding has been good with east to northeast winds being best. Lighting is better in the afternoon. Not sure what the rain is doing either. Report your sightings here! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. 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