[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Friday, April 25th, 2008

[Cheryl Edgecombe]

On Friday, April 25th, 2008 this is the HNC Birding Report

Northern Pintail
Green-winged Teal
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Horned Grebe
Red-necked Grebe
Great Egret
Green Heron
Black-crowned Night-Heron
Bald Eagle
Northern Harrier
Sharp-sinned Hawk
Cooper's Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Merlin
Virginia Rail
Sora
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Spotted Sandpiper
Solitary Sandpiper
Upland Sandpiper
Pectoral Sandpiper
Dunlin
Wilson's Snipe
Bonaparte's Gull
Glaucous Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Blue-headed Vireo
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Tufted Titmouse
House Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Brown Thrasher
Yellow Warbler
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Pine Warbler
Palm Warbler
Northern Waterthrush
Louisiana Waterthrush
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Savannah Sparrow
Rusty Blackbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin

There are encouraging signs this week that something is coming.  Little
dribs and drabs of migrants from further south are starting to show up in
small numbers around the Hamilton Study Area.

This week Northern Waterthrush started to sing in the Beverly Swamp. House
Wrens, Yellow Warblers and Blue-gray Gnatcatchers showed up at the Dundas
Marsh and another Louisiana Waterthrush could be heard belting out its song
in Spencer Gorge.  Numbers and variety of migrants have been low but this
week after all this weather moves out things should pick up significantly.

The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer saw its larger push of
Broad-winged Hawks last weekend.  For those who were at the tower, large
numbers of Broad-wings along with Bald Eagle, Golden Eagle, Osprey, Northern
Harrier, Sharp-shinned and Coopers Hawks moved through.  Other birds seen up
there were Sandhill Crane, Brown Thrasher, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and five
male Purple Finch at the feeder.  In Saltfleet, on 10th and 11th Road East,
Upland Sandpipers could be heard and seen displaying, a number of Wilson's
Snipe also displaying.  In the wet fields seen from Ridge Road between 8th
and 10th Road East, Northern Pintail, American Wigeon, Green-winged Teal,
Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin, Pectoral and one Solitary Sandpiper
were seen last Sunday.  On 5th Road East, both Yellowlegs, a single Pectoral
Sandpiper and many Wilson's Snipe were present.  On 8th Road East a Vesper
Sparrow was seen and heard between Ridge and Green Mountain Road.  Chipping,
Field, and Savannah Sparrows have now arrived in numbers. Down off the
escarpment at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons, Common Terns have shown up along
with Spotted Sandpipers and WOOD TICKS!!!

The Lakeshore properties, Paletta/Shoreacres and Shell Park have been
extremely quiet this week.  Brown Thrasher, Eastern Towhee, and Ruby-crowned
Kinglets were reported in the week.  Tree, Barn, Bank, Rough-winged Swallows
and Purple Martins can be seen flying over the edges of the lake feasting on
the many midges present here.  The Bank Swallow colony at Burloak Park is
now very alive!  Pine Warblers were heard in Bronte Woods and at LaSalle
Park. At Confederation Park, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher and Purple Finch were
seen last Saturday.  Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek produced a Palm Warbler
and Blue-headed Vireo on Thursday.

Out on the lake another story has unfolded.  A significant Loon Migration
occurred this week with many Common Loons (over 180) and a few Red-throated
Loons were seen at various access points on the lake from Bronte Bluffs in
Oakville to Green Road in Stoney Creek.  Other birds found out on the lake
and bay this week include Horned Grebes (dwindling in numbers), Red-necked
Grebes, Bonaparte's Gulls in significant numbers around Bronte Harbour.
Caspian Terns and now Common Terns can be seen cruising up and down the
shorelines.  Two Glaucous Gulls were seen flying over the bay last Saturday.

Lots to report in the odds and sods this week.  Two Green Herons were seen
flying over 14 Mile Creek in Oakville.  Pine Siskins were heard and seen on
McNiven Road near Killbride. A Great Egret was hiding in the reeds behind
VanWagners ponds last Sunday.  Sora could be heard calling at the back of
Mountsberg Conservation Area.  Virginia Rail are now present at the marsh on
Safari Road just east of Kirkwall Road. A Tufted Titmouse was seen in the
Hendrie Valley.  Kettling Broad-winged Hawks, Vesper, Field, Savannah and
Chipping Sparrow and Eastern Bluebirds were reported from Courtcliffe Park
in Carlisle.

Finally, this week good news from the Sheraton Hotel in Hamilton.  Our
resident Peregrine Falcons Madame X and Surge are now incubating 4 eggs.
The birds can be viewed on the web cam at
http://falcons.hamiltonnature.org/.  The Falcon watch is looking for
volunteers for when the new arrivals come.  Information is on the website.

Looking forward to a busy week, keep sending in the sightings.  Good
birding!

Cheryl Edgecombe
HNC Hotline
905-381-0329