On Friday, January 27, 2012 this is the HNC Birding Report: CHIPPING SPARROW
Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Brant Cackling Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan Northern Pintail Ring-necked Duck King Eider Wild Turkey Common Loon Red-necked Grebe Black-crowned Night Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Red-tailed Hawk (western) Rough-legged Hawk Thayer's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Great Horned Owl Snowy Owl Long-eared Owl Northern Saw-whet Owl Northern Flicker Pileated Woodpecker Common Raven Horned Lark Eastern Bluebird Hermit Thrush Yellow-rumped Warbler Fox Sparrow White-crowned Sparrow Snow Bunting Brown-headed Cowbird Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Common Redpoll Pine Siskin It has quieted down here in the Hamilton Study area as far as our winter guests go but the action remains strong on some expected species for this time of year. A good winter bird to get on the list is a CHIPPING SPARROW at the Valley Inn just west of the pedestrian bridge that leads to the closed Valley Inn Road. The bird was seen Wednesday feeding near the cement blocks at the bottom of the hill and is probably still in the area. In the other direction on the trail through the Hendrie Valley here, Eastern Bluebird and Yellow-rumped Warbler were birds of note. A Great Horned Owl has taken up residence in the expansion joint gap of the bridge which crosses the trail here. Waterfowl is in the news this week which is not a surprise for this area but there have been some nice additions for listers this week. Down at LaSalle Marina at the end of Waterdown Road last weekend, Greater White-fronted Goose, Brant, Cackling and Canada Goose were seen on Saturday. An immature male King Eider was also an unexpected guest at the marina. Red-necked Grebe was seen at a distance early on Saturday. Later on in the day a Snow Goose came in for a roost down the way at Caroll's Point where it was seen again on Sunday. Tundra Swans were present mid-week at the marina. A group of Northern Pintail were seen at Clappison's Corner. At the Red Hill Creek off Eastport Drive, a tight group of 110 drake Ring-necked Ducks were seen on Thursday. A Common Loon was seen at Pier 4 during a gull watch on Saturday. While scanning the bay for waterfowl, be sure to pay attention to the gulls out there. Lesser Black-backed Gull was seen at the ship canal and LaSalle Marina. An adult Thayer's Gull and possibly a second were seen at the ship canal on Thursday. Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were present at Bayfront Park and Pier 4 earlier in the week. Driving and stopping around Flamborough can be productive for winter birds. Birds seen at the Patterson Tract, located on 4th Concession West just west of Woodhill, included Pileated Woodpecker, Northern Flicker, Common Raven, Fox Sparrow, Purple Finch (over 40 with only 3 males) and White-winged Crossbills. Last week a Turkey Vulture was found in this area. Down the road to the west at a feeder at house no. 1951 Concession 4W there were 7 White-crowned Sparrows seen on Sunday. Today, on 5th Concession West, west of Middletown Road, two Turkey Vultures were flying around and a group of Wild Turkey were on the north side of the road in a corn field. Three Turkey Vultures were seen flying in from the west at Misener Rd north of Jerseyville Rd just near Brant County last Sunday. On Westover Road just above 5th Road East today were two Northern Shrikes with an additional Northern Shrike being seen on 5th Concession West at Millgrove. Rough-legged Hawks were seen flying and perched in a field on 6th concession north of Safari Road. Brown-headed Cowbirds have been reported at feeders in singles and in large groups across this area, in Burlington, Dundas and Greensville and at feeders between 1637 and 1644 on Concession 2 near Orkney. To the east of the Flamborough area, on 11th Concession east north of Carlisle near house number 319, a mixed group of about 150 winter finches were seen in the cedars and hemlocks along the road. This included Pine Siskin, Common Redpoll and possibly White-winged Crossbill. In the odds and sods this week and last, two Black-crowned Night Herons were photographed in the Dundas Marsh a week ago Wednesday. Four Bald Eagles were seen along the Grand River at the end of Powerline Road last weekend. Snowy Owls were reported from Canada Centre for Inland Waters and from Bronte Harbour. Another Snowy Owl was reported at 9th line and Burnamthorpe the week before last. Long-eared Owls and a Northern Saw-whet Owl were seen in Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Of interest is a dark western Red-tailed Hawk at the 403 and Dundas, one of several in the area. A Hermit Thrush was seen in a yard near Unsworth and Plains Road. A Chipping Sparrow had been seen there two weeks previous. White-winged Crossbills were also seen near the maintenance yard at the Hamilton Conservation Authority on Mineral Springs Road a couple of weeks ago. A large flock of Snow Buntings along with Horned Larks were present at Dyments Farm on Sydenham in Flamborough the week before last but this is a traditional area for finding these species along with Lapland Longspur. A Merlin was seen on the same day on Harvest Road just around the corner from here. It's a great time to be about so send your sightings along. There are great winter birds to be found. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe HNC _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
