On Friday September 12th, 2008, this is the HNC Birding Report: SABINE'S GULL PARASITIC JAEGER LONG-TAILED JAEGER
Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal Green Heron Osprey Broad-winged Hawk Sandhill Crane American Golden-Plover Semipalmated Plover Killdeer Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot Sanderling Semipalmated Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Baird's Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Buff-breasted Sandpiper Red-necked Phalarope Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Eastern Wood-Pewee Traill's Flycatcher Least Flycatcher Eastern Phoebe Yellow-throated Vireo Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Horned Lark Tufted Titmouse Ruby-crowned Kinglet Swainson's Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Paula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Common Yellowthroat Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Chipping Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Its hard to know where to start in such a busy birding week in the Hamilton Study Area. Many of the best places to bird in Hamilton have produced excellent birds this week. East winds blessed us for two days this week down at Van Wagners Beach. Although moderate, they were good for bringing in the traditional rarities to the beach including SABINE'S GULL, PARASITIC AND LONG-TAILED JAEGER. The highlight on Wednesday was an adult LONG-TAILED JAEGER spotted just after 5:00 p.m. with very long tail streamers and a fierce appetite for gulls. This bird gave a show for about an hour, flying around, chasing gulls till they coughed up what it needed and then sitting on the water for periods at a time within view. A couple of PARASITIC JAEGERS were also seen on Wednesday as well as a distant Sabine's Gull but on Thursday, faithful watchers had the chance to see a close flyby of 2 SABINE'S GULLS and 2 PARASITIC JAEGERS. Other birds seen at the beach included Northern Pintail, Green-winged Teal, Osprey, Sanderling and Red-necked Phalarope. Nearby at Tollgate Ponds along Eastport Drive, a smattering of shorebirds lined the large pond seen at a distance on Monday. Birds included Semipalmated Plover, Ruddy Turnstone Red Knot, Spotted, Least, Semipalmated and Baird's Sandpiper and American Golden Plover. On the north island off Eastport this morning, Semipalmated Plover, a juvenile Ruddy Turnstone, Pectoral and Semipalmated Sandpiper were seen. South on Hwy 6 the Hamilton sod farm on Airport Road east of Hwy 6 produced 36 American Golden Plover and 1 lone Buff-breasted Sandpiper and 100+ Killdeer and Horned Larks on Tuesday. Hopefully there are more to come as they were only there a brief time. The lakeshore lots have been busy this week too with Shell Park in Oakville being the hotspot for migrating songbirds this week. In the week, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, Eastern Wood-Pewee, Traill's and Least Flycatcher, Eastern Phoebe, Warbling Philadelphia and Red-eyed Vireo, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Swainson's Thrush, Gray Catbird, Tennessee, Orange-crowned, Nashville Warbler, Northern Paula, Chestnut-sided, Magnolia, Cape May, Black-throated Blue, Yellow-rumped, Black-throated Green, Northern Waterthrush Blackburnian Warbler, Bay-breasted, Blackpoll and Black-and-White Warbler, American Redstart, Ovenbird, Common Yellowthroat, Wilson's and Canada Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak were all seen here. Down the road west of here Shoreacres in Burlington was not as productive this week with just a smattering of the above seen here in the week. Another good spot although extremely frustrating last Sunday was Woodland cemetery. A large group of Warblers, vireos and flycatchers were buzzing around from tree to tree at a rapid pace. As soon as a few were identified, they would shoot into another tree. Finally they somewhat settled in when the rain started. The highlight here was a Yellow-throated Vireo but many of the same warblers above were seen as well. Down at the Valley Inn, birds have also been here this week. Yesterday evening a juvenile Red-necked Phalarope was photographed. Other birds seen here in the week include Tufted Titmouse, Brown Thrasher, Red-eyed Vireo, Black and White Warbler, Northern Parula, Magnolia Warbler, American Redstart, Northern Waterthrush, Wilson's Warbler and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. Overhead a small Broad-winged Hawk movement was occurring last Wednesday. In the odds and sods, many yards have been reporting migrating warblers passing through in Brantford and Burlington in particular, good for building yard lists! Sandhill Cranes were seen on 20th Sideroad in North Halton. Common Nighthawks are still being seen on migration with another being seen over Ivor Wynne Stadium last Saturday and passing through south Burlington on Tuesday. A Green Heron was seen in the storm water pond on Great Lakes Blvd just up from Lakeshore Road. That's the news for the week. You never know what these strong weather systems this weekend will bring in and ground so keep a look out for those rarities. Have a great week. Good Birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC Hotline 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
