On Friday, May 20th, 2011, this is the HNC Birding Report: CERULEAN WARBLER PROTHONOTARY WARBLER SUMMER TANAGER
Brant Red-necked Grebe American Bittern Green Heron Broad-winged Hawk Virginia Rail Sora Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Least Sandpiper Dunlin Forster's Tern Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Ruby-throated Hummingbird Red-headed Woodpecker Olive-sided Flycatcher Eastern Wood Pewee Alder Flycatcher Great Crested Flycatcher Eastern Kingbird Yellow-throated Vireo Blue-headed Vireo Warbling Vireo Philadelphia Vireo Red-eyed Vireo Ruby-crowned Kinglet Blue-gray Gnatcatcher Eastern Bluebird Veery Gray-cheeked Thrush Swainson's Thrush Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush American Pipit Blue-winged Warbler Golden-winged Warbler Tennessee Warbler Orange-crowned Warbler Nashville Warbler Northern Parula Chestnut-sided Warbler Magnolia Warbler Cape May Warbler Black-throated Blue Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Black-throated Green Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Bay-breasted Warbler Blackpoll Warbler Black-and-White Warbler American Redstart Ovenbird Northern Waterthrush Louisiana Waterthrush Connecticut Warbler Mourning Warbler Common Yellowthroat Hooded Warbler Wilson's Warbler Canada Warbler Scarlet Tanager Clay-colored Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Lincoln's Sparrow White-throated Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Indigo Bunting Bobolink Purple Finch Pine Siskin It would be impossible for me to cover all the areas in Hamilton this week where there were birds. Bad weather produces and grounds good birds in good numbers and this week was unprecedented for the number of birds and variety. Areas reported from this week along the west end of Lake Ontario include Forty Mile Creek, Fifty Point, Edgelake Park, Confederation Park, Shoreacres, Sherwood Forest, Shell Park, Lakeside Park, Riverside Park and Rattray Marsh. Many people reported excellent yard birds as well. The list above covers most everything seen at each of these places so I will just cover the highlights of what was different at each location. Forty mile creek had a Golden-winged Warbler on Tuesday, a tough bird to get in these parts. Yesterday a CERULEAN WARBLER was seen at Fifty Point yesterday along with Forsters Tern and Clay-colored Sparrow as other good additions. At Confederation Park in Stoney Creek, an Olive-sided Flycatcher provided an excellent identification study for this species on Sunday and Monday. Shoreacres in Burlington was host to a Red-headed Woodpecker (seen today too), Alder Flycatcher, a late Hermit Thrush, Orange-crowned Warbler, Connecticut Warbler and Clay-colored Sparrow this week. At Sherwood Forest Park in Burlington a female SUMMER TANAGER was a one day wonder on a drizzly Saturday afternoon. This is also a great place to get the Thrushes as 4 Species of Thrush were seen here during the week including Veery, Wood, Gray-cheeked and Swainson's Thrush. Shell Park was host to a Green Heron and Eastern Bluebird yesterday. At Lakeside Park in Mississauga, Blue-winged and Golden-winged Warbler, Orchard Oriole and Lincoln's Sparrows in numbers were seen last Saturday. PROTHONOTARY WARBLER, Orange-crowned Warbler and Louisiana Waterthrush were seen at Rattray Marsh in Mississauga and Yellow-billed Cuckoo and Yellow-throated Vireo were birds at Riverside Park to finish up in Mississauga. Shorebirds in numbers have yet to come in but there are a few flooded fields which have some birds in them. On Middletown Road in Flamborough between 4th and 5th Concession West, Solitary Sandpiper and Lesser Yellowlegs were seen. Further south of 4th Concession again on Middletown Road a field on the west side produced Least Sandpiper, Dunlin and Solitary Sandpipers. Up on 10th Road East, an Upland Sandpiper can still be found and on 5th Road East a mix of shorebirds changes up with mostly Least Sandpipers but a Wilson's Snipe was heard today. There are almost too many flooded fields due to the rain so it's best to keep checking. In the odds and sods this week, a Brant was seen at Bayfront park near the beach up until yesterday. If it is seen again tomorrow, please email me privately. Up to seven Red-necked Grebes were still present at Bronte Harbour. An American Bittern flew over 10th Concession West and a Broad-winged Hawk was also seen perched out in this area. Another Broad-winged Hawk was seen along with Olive-sided Flycatcher over the Clappison's Corner Wetland in Waterdown yesterday. Sora and Virginia Rail are both calling at the Safari Road Wetland on Safari Road, east of Kirkwall. Two Black-billed Cuckoos were present at York Road at the entrance to the Hopkins tract. Common Nighthawks were seen over Burlington and Confederation Park yesterday. Three American Pipits were seen on a field on Tapleytown Road last Saturday, just south of number 490. A Hooded Warbler was banded at Ruthven. A Vesper Sparrow was singing on Highland Road up on the mountain today. Bobolinks have returned to the field at Oldfield Road at 4th Concession in Flamborough. Purple Finch and Pine Siskin are still coming into a feeder in west Oakville, late for both these species. Many people are doing their Baillie Birdathon this weekend, including our team. Please report your sightings via email! It's a very busy and exciting time of year. 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 [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
