On Friday March 16th, 2012, this is the HNC Birding Report: FISH CROW
Greater White-fronted Goose Snow Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck Blue-winged Teal Ruffed Grouse Pied-billed Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Sharp-shinned Hawk Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Golden Eagle Sandhill Crane Killdeer Wilson's Snipe American Woodcock Snowy Owl Eastern Phoebe Tree Swallow Winter Wren Bohemian Waxwing Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-winged Blackbird Eastern Meadowlark Common Grackle Purple Finch White-winged Crossbill Pine Siskin Another great week of warm temperatures and south winds has brought migrants flooding into the area, shattering or matching early records for this time of year. The best bird of the week though was a lone FISH CROW seen Wednesday flying from the lake over Shell Park and continuing on with a constant call. Hopefully this will be one of a few seen or heard this spring. There are plenty of regular migrants to talk about. Twenty-five Greater White-fronted Geese were seen at Dry Lake in the south of the Hamilton Circle on Wednesday. This is a new high count which was previously 22 in 2006 at the same location. A single White-fronted Goose was seen in a flock of Canada's up on the Hamilton Mountain over Lawfield Arena earlier this week. Up near Guelph a flock of 12 Snow Geese were seen near Scottsdale Road. Tundra Swans continued to move through earlier in the week with reports from Dundas, Bronte Harbour, over the Royal Botanical Gardens at Cootes Paradise and over the Hawkwatch at Beamer in Grimsby. Wood Ducks, American Wigeon, Northern Pintail and Ring-necked Ducks are arriving in increasing numbers. Neibauers Marsh on County Road 32 west of Guelph north of the 401 is a good spot to view these waterfowl. Blue-winged Teal made an early appearance at Mountsberg along with a good count of 65 American Wigeon. This is a good spot to look for that Eurasian one. A record early Great Egret was seen at the stormwater pond at Rebecca and Great Lakes Blvd in Oakville. This was record early by about 12 days. Killdeer seem to be everywhere now. Wilson's Snipe were seen in Ancaster (behind Ancaster Toyota) and at Felkers Falls Conservation Area in Stoney Creek mid-week also on the early side for this species. American Woodcock continue to grow in force with reports from a few places in the area. An Eastern Phoebe was seen at the top end of Walker's Line yesterday. Tree Swallows were seen in a few places throughout the Hamilton Study Area with birds first reported in Ruthven, at Windermere Basin and over the Hawkwatch at Beamer. This is erring on the side of record early date for this species. Winter Wren was singing at Shoreacres this morning. A Yellow-rumped Warbler was seen at Woodland Cemetery last weekend. These could be early migrants. As is usual this time of year Red-winged Blackbird and Common Grackle have arrived in numbers through the week. Eastern Meadowlarks are lighting up in song on 10th Road East and one was present and singing at Windermere Basin. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area has been busy this week. Turkey Vultures in increasing numbers, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Sharp-shinned and Rough-legged Hawk and two adult Golden Eagles were highlights this week. To remind us that winter is still not over, one Snowy Owl was still present at Bronte Harbour, one also at the Suncor Pier at the end of Great Lakes Blvd. and two seen in the fields near Home Depot at Burloak in the week. A Northern Shrike was seen on Leslie Street near Mountsberg on Tuesday. Nine Bohemian Waxwings and Purple Finch were seen on Wellington Road 32 at Sandy Shores. White-winged Crossbill were seen on St. George Street in Brantford. Pine Siskins were seen at a feeder on Lynden Ave near Wentworth Lodge in Dundas. In the odds and sods, Pied-billed Grebe is present at Windermere Basin. Red-necked Grebes are back at Bronte Harbour. Ruffed Grouse were seen Nassagaweya/Puslinch Townline along with displaying American Woodcock and last Sunday a lone Sandhill Crane flew over 10th road east and the Dofasco Trail. That's the news for this week, the great weather continues and so with the arrival of birds. Please report your sightings. Good birding, Cheryl Edgecombe _______________________________________________ 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/
