[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Friday, January 11th, 2008

[Cheryl Edgecombe]

On Friday, January 11th, 2008, this is the HNC Birding Report:

KING EIDER
HARLEQUIN DUCK
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER
EASTERN PHOEBE
EASTERN MEADOWLARK

Brant
Wood Duck
Northern Shoveler
Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Canvasback
Redhead
Ring-necked Duck
Greater Scaup
Lesser Scaup
Surf Scoter
White-winged Scoter
Black Scoter
Long-tailed Duck
Bufflehead
Common Goldeneye
Red-breasted Merganser
Ruddy Duck
Gray Partridge
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Blue Heron
Black-crowned Night Heron
Turkey Vulture
Bald Eagle
Red-tailed Hawk (Western Calurus, rufous morph)
Thayer's Gull
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Short-eared Owl
Northern Flicker
Northern Shrike
Tufted Titmouse
Snow Bunting
Red-winged Blackbird
Brown-headed Cowbird
Pine Grosbeak
Red Crossbill
Common Redpoll
Pine Siskin


Wild weather was the story this week.  Our week started out with balmy
temperatures and windy conditions were a factor this week for sure.

Our annual waterfowl count occurred last Sunday.  Conditions were calm with
temperatures bearable for standing at a scope and staring at various
waterfowl all day.  Some great results came of this annual event.  A total
of 6 KING EIDERS were seen, 1 male near the Petro Canada Pier (first one on
this side of the pond in a number of years), 2 females seen from Green Road
and 1 female and 2 first year males seen at Fifty Point Conservation Area.
The last place these birds were spotted were at Millen Road. A Common Loon
was seen on the lake just south of the Burlington Lift Bridge.   Other ducks
seen along the Stoney Creek lakeshore included many Long-tailed Ducks,
Common Goldeneye, some Greater Scaup Red-breasted Merganser a few Redheads,
on Horned Grebe and all three scoters, predominately White-winged Scoter.
Also seen at Fifty Point while viewing ducks was a sizable flock of Snow
Buntings. On the bay side, a Brant was spotted in a flock of Canada Geese
west of the Leander Boat Club, a Wood Duck was seen in the Windermere Basin
along with Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Green-winged Teal, Northern Shoveler,
Northern Pintail, Ring-necked Duck and Ruddy Duck.  At Bayfront Park, seen
on the duck count a juvenile Thayer's Gulls was spotted amongst the many
gulls there and both Iceland and Glaucous Gulls seem to be here in numbers
on the bay and on the lake.  A juvenile Black-crowned Night Heron seems to
be making a winter home here too. Along the Burlington/Mississauga
lakeshore, other highlights, beside the King Eider include a male HARLEQUIN
DUCK seen at Coronation Park.  Most of the lakes Greater Scaup are spending
time on this side as well.

The warm and balmy temperatures provoked a mini migration of birds which
spend time slightly south of here.  On Tuesday, an EASTERN PHOEBE was
reported from Confederation Park, a couple of Red-winged Blackbirds were
seen behind Van Wagners ponds and  a sizable flock of Brown-headed Cowbirds
were seen at a feeder in the Flamborough area.

The Brantford Area has been hopping this week with a number of significant
sightings.  The Gray Partridge were seen on Green Road, last seen on
Saturday, before the snow melt, probably difficult to spot now.  On the
unofficial Brantford CBC, a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was seen along Hardy
Road.  An EASTERN MEADOWLARK was seen near the Brantford Dump along with a
number of Glaucous and Iceland Gulls.  A Turkey Vulture was present this
week west of the Wayne Gretsky Parkway in Brantford.  There have been a
number of reports from here of this species.   Bald Eagles were seen along
the Grand River and Tufted Titmouse and a Northern Shrike were reported from
the River Road area.

In the odds and sods, a very interesting and exciting sighting for me was of
a Red-tailed Hawk (western Calurus rufous morph) just to the east of the
intersection of 5th Concession and Middletown Road, probably one of the most
beautiful hawks I have seen.  A Northern Flicker and a flock of 50-60
Redpolls were seen at this location. This was an exquisite bird and an
interesting study of the diversity this species can have across the
continent.  A Pine Siskin made a visit to a feeder in Dundas.  A Tufted
Titmouse has been seen again at Paletta Park/Shoreacres in Burlington
hanging around with the same group of chickadees. There was an interesting
and exciting report last Sunday of Red Crossbills at Shoreacres but they
only stayed a brief time.  Pine Grosbeaks have been seen at 4250 Walkers
Line but since the warm up, sparingly and a Great Blue Heron was well
photographed huddling in the melting snow down at the Valley Inn, at Cherry
Hill Gate.

That's the news of the week, a little mix of north and south.  Please
continue to report your sightings!

Have a great week!
Cheryl Edgecombe
HNC Hotline
905-381-0329