VIRGINIA RAIL King Eider Harlequin Duck Surf Scoter White-winged Scoter Hooded Merganser Common Merganser Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Merlin Lesser Black-backed Gull Belted Kingfisher Northern Shrike Horned Lark Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Yellow-rumped Warbler American Tree Sparrow Fox Sparrow Lapland Longspur Snow Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird
Its been another quiet week here in the HSA. The most interesting sighting has come from Pinehurst Conservation Area in Cambridge from the Saturday before last where an overwintering VIRGINIA RAIL seems to be hanging out in an open stream off Sprague Road. The GPS co-ordinates given to me were 43.307218,-80.366704. The bird is likely still in the area even though it wasn't reported immediately. Over the week numerous reports of Turkey Vultures have been coming in. Although these are probably overwintering birds moving around, it does seem like there is a movement of some sort going on. Most birds were reported near the roost in Flamborough/Brantford area but one was seen over Dundas last weekend. At the Dundas Marsh/Desjardins Canal, Hooded and Common Merganser, Pied-billed Grebe (at least two), Bald Eagle and Belted Kingfisher were seen. Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen behind the Olympic arena along with Golden-crowned Kinglet and Brown Creeper. Ducks are still about on the lake with King Eider, White-winged and Surf Scoter being reported from Fifty Point. A Horned Grebe was also seen off the point. Down in the east end, four Harlequin Ducks were reported from the Port Credit Harbour. The group of Yellow-rumped Warblers seem to be hanging in here at the gazebo. A drive north of Oakville yesterday was productive for some birds of note. On 6th Line between Lower Base Line and Derry Road, flocks of Snow Buntings, Horned Larks and four Lapland Longspurs were counted coming out to the road for grit and food. Just north of 5440 5th Line a Fox Sparrow was mixed in with a large group of Tree Sparrows. In the odds and sods, Brown-headed Cowbirds have increased in number at a feeder in Greensville. a Merlin was reported from Highway 6 and Plains Road and another one at University Gardens in Dundas. A Northern Shrike was seen at the Tyneside entrance to Binbrook Conservation Area. A Lesser Black-backed Gull (adult) was seen down at LaSalle Marina last weekend. This is the last weekend of winter listing. Its all uphill from here. March should bring all new birds into the area. Keep me posted of your sightings. Good Birding Cheryl Edgecombe 905-381-0329 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
