At 1:30pm, Thursday, February 6th, 2003, this is the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report. The Hotline is normally revised on Thursday nights, unless an unusual bird turns up in the Hamilton area.
Leading off this week's report are sightings from the RBG. A walk on the Pinetum Trail produced SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, PILEATED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, and LONG-EARED OWL. Nearby at the Hopkin's Tract, a pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS were heard at dusk. On the North Shore Trails, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and NORTHERN SHRIKE made appearances, while a trip to the "willows" was quiet except for about 300 AMERICAN ROBINS. A trip to Spencer Smith Park yielded more than a dozen species of waterfowl, including TUNDRA SWAN, MUTE SWAN, BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, GADWALL, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCK, CANVASBACK, GREATER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, RED-BREASTED MERGANSER, and AMERICAN COOT. Other local waterfowl sightings include a blue phase SNOW GOOSE among CANADA GEESE on Britannia Road in north Oakville, plus WHITE-WINGED SCOTER and BUFFLEHEAD at Confederation Park. Elsewhere, the Stoney Creek mountain was the origin of several interesting sightings. 19 WILD TURKEYS and a RING-NECKED PHEASANT were spotted at Green Mountain Road and 1st Road West, while a pair of SHORT-EARED OWLS and an EASTERN MEADOWLARK were seen on 10th Road East. More SHORT-EARED OWLS were seen at the Fisherville Raptor Preserve near Fisherville, along with RED-TAILED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, MERLIN, and NORTHERN SHRIKE. Other local reports include NORTHERN RAVEN at Mountsberg, BALD EAGLES at LaSalle Park and over downtown Waterdown, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at Shell Park, NORTHERN FLICKER at Shoreacres/Paletta Park, PEREGRINE FALCON in downtown Hamilton, SNOW BUNTING plus adult and juvenile BALD EAGLES on the ice in the bay, and five EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on Highway 5 east of St. George. Reports of the NORTHERN HAWK-OWL have tapered off, but the bird was still present as recently as Wednesday at 3:45pm. There were some good yard reports submitted this past week. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was visiting a feeder near Highway 20 and Dixon Road, three EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen in Stevensville, and AMERICAN ROBIN, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, DOWNY WOODPECKER, NORTHERN CARDINAL, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, SONG SPARROW, WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, MOURNING DOVE, and NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD were reported from a yard in Beamsville. Be sure to let us know about your sightings. Leave your name, telephone number, as well as the time and date of your call. Sightings can also be reported by e-mail. GOOD BIRDING! Keith Dieroff C/O Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline Report Hamilton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] ______________________________________________________________________ Post your free ad now! http://personals.yahoo.ca Keith Dieroff <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
