ROSS'S GOOSE TUFTED DUCK HARLEQUIN DUCK Greater Scaup King Eider Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Black Scoter Common Loon Turkey Vulture Iceland Gull Snowy Owl Short-eared Owl Pileated Woodpecker Northern Shrike Common Raven American Pipit Yellow-rumped Warbler White-crowned Sparrow Eastern Meadowlark Pine Siskin
This past two weeks has been relatively quiet here in the Hamilton Study Area. The days are getting longer and there are some injections of warmer temperatures moving birds around so it's still a good time to get out and see what's new. This week's highlights include two ROSS'S GEESE that were seen last Saturday on Oakes Road in Grimsby. There was some discussion about a few characteristics of hybridism in the two birds but for the most part they are a decent enough percentage to be deemed ROSS'S GEESE. It was an interesting study and experts in the province say that there are fewer and fewer pure ROSS'S in the province each year due to interbreeding with Snow Goose. A highlight yesterday was a TUFTED DUCK in the beach canal on the harbour side. This duck appears to have more of a tuft than the one in Mississauga but it could be that moult has had a factor in the size of the tuft of the Mississauga bird over the past couple of weeks. Nonetheless, one or two birds, both good finds. It flew off from this location but is likely still on the bay somewhere. Perhaps it will return today to the same location. The harbour side of the beach canal can now be accessed from the Hamilton side of the Lift Bridge. While there on the Burlington side of the lift bridge the female Harlequin duck continues to be seen as of yesterday. Parking to see this bird is on the Burlington side of the lift bridge on Lakeshore Road just before the bend in the road that will take you under the skyway. The bird has been hanging tight in the cove near the north side of the pier but quite often can't be seen from the pier. Access to the lakeshore trail will give different views. To continue on our theme of ducks, King Eiders have been seen at various locations along the west end of the lake. Last weekend four females and a young male were present at Green Road. Mid-week, one female was seen from Sayer's Park in Stoney Creek. All three scoter species are also present at various access points. In the odds and sods this week a Common Loon flew over Canada Centre for Inland Waters. There had been one off the Burlington side of the lift bridge. A Turkey Vulture was a hopeful sighting of warmer times flying over downtown Burlington on Thursday. A first cycle Iceland Gull and an adult Iceland Gull have been hanging around the Burlington Beach this week. The adult Iceland Gull was sitting further down yesterday from where it was first seen near the first lot that can be accessed on Lakeshore Road by Joseph Brant Hospital. There was another count of 27 Bald Eagles that came from the rapidly disappearing ice on the bay side of the Hamilton Harbour. Snowy Owls continue to be present in the area. One was seen on the ice off the pier where the Tufted Duck was seen yesterday. Short-eared Owls continue to fly at dusk on 10th Road East near the tracks between Ridge Road and Green Mountain Road. Two Northern Shrikes were present in this vicinity last weekend as well an Eastern Meadowlark was heard calling on 11th Road East. A Pileated Woodpecker was a nice surprise at Iroquois C.A. this week. Common Raven sightings continue to increase in the area with birds starting to set up shop for nesting, this week seen over Cootes Paradise and last week a pair seen over the Hamilton Harbour. A nice winter bird for listers is an American Pipit still present as of yesterday at Sedgewick Park in Oakville. A Yellow-rumped Warbler has also been seen here. White-crowned Sparrows seem more plentiful than White-throated Sparrows with birds this week being reported from two locations in Ancaster. Pine Siskins still moving about in various location, keep those feeders stocked. That's the news for this week, will post updates of the TUFTED DUCK as I get them today. Good Birding, 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. 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 Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
