On Thursday, September 21st, 2006, this is the HNC Birding Report:
Gadwall Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Redhead Lesser Scaup Bufflehead Common Goldeneye Red-breasted Merganser Common Loon Green Heron Turkey Vulture Osprey Bald Eagle Northern Harrier Sharp-shinned Hawk Cooper's Hawk Northern Goshawk Broad-winged Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Golden Eagle American Kestrel Merlin Black-bellied Plover American Golden Plover Semipalmated Plover Common Nighthawk Chimney Swift Ruby-throated Hummingbird Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Blue-headed Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Winter Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Northern Parula Magnolia Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Pine Warbler Black-and-white Warbler Ovenbird Common Yellowthroat White-throated Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak No big rarities in the HSA this week but a really nice mix of birds. The big news of the week was the great hawk watch which was on yesterday and today. Northwest winds made ideal conditions for a great watch near the lake and this observer sat in the front yard playing hookey yesterday looking at Osprey, Northern Harrier, Sharp-shinned Hawk, Cooper's Hawk, Broad-winged Hawks in big numbers, Red-tails and American Kestrels. Two Common Nighthawks also cruised by midday. I missed most of the migration in the spring at Beamer so this more than compensated. The same trend continued for others today with Turkey Vultures and more Broad-winged Hawks in large kettles rising up over Woodland Cemetery this morning. Observers at the high level bridge had both species of Eagle, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon in addition to the mix listed above. Other birds seen at the bridge today were Common Loon, Chimney Swift and Northern Pintail. I expect some birds will be moving tomorrow ahead of the cold front. Other birds reported from Woodland Cemetery and nearby Valley Inn this week included Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Gray-cheeked Thrush, Northern Parula, and a Northern Goshawk zipped through Woodland late last week. Paletta/Shoreacres was a good spot this week for a dribble of migrants which have arrived. These included Red-breasted Merganser, Common Loons and Red-necked Grebes in increasing numbers seen out on the lake, Chimney Swifts overhead, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Red-eyed Vireo, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Magnolia, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, White-throated Sparrow, and Rose breasted Grosbeak. Out in Flamborough, a visit to Valens Conservation Area yielded Blue-headed and Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Magnolia Warbler, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Black-throated Green, Pine Warbler, Black-and-White Warbler and Common Yellowthroat. Ducks are on the increase in the Windermere Basin with Gadwall, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, and Common Goldeneye. A single American Golden Plover was seen in the area of the basin last Friday. Last Friday at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons, all was relatively quiet with Green Heron, Semipalmated Plover and Lesser Yellowlegs the only notables here. Out at the Dundas Marsh a single Black-bellied Plover was seen along with Green Heron and our first report of Hermit Thrush. In the odds & sods department three more American Golden Plover were seen at Tyneside and Chippewa Road last Sunday. That's the news of the week, unsettled conditions and cooler temperatures should bring in more migrants and hopefully some rarities this week. Have a great week. Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329
