BLACK VULTURE BOHEMIAN WAXWING HARRIS'S SPARROW RED CROSSBILL American Wigeon Blue-winged Teal Green-winged Teal King Eider Ring-necked Pheasant Red-throated Loon Common Loon Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Egret Green Heron Broad-winged Hawk Spotted Sandpiper Solitary Sandpiper Willet Greater Yellowlegs Lesser Yellowlegs Upland Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Dunlin Little Gull Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Barred Owl Red-headed Woodpecker Eastern Kingbird Blue-headed Vireo Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Brown Creeper Winter Wren House Wren Marsh Wren Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Wood Thrush Gray Catbird Brown Thrasher Yellow-rumped Warbler Pine Warbler Palm Warbler Northern Waterthrush Eastern Towhee Chipping Sparrow Clay-colored Sparrow Field Sparrow Savannah Sparrow Swamp Sparrow White-throated Sparrow Rose-breasted Grosbeak Bobolink Baltimore Oriole
Although the list is long, it's been relatively quiet here for numbers of migrants in the HSA but the diversity is good. Let's first address the goodies for the week. On Tuesday, conditions were right at Beamer Memorial Conservation area for a good migration of raptors, south winds with rain arriving Wednesday. A good Broad-winged migration was underway when a flock of 4 BLACK VULTURES made their way over the tower. Later in the day the birds were seen going the other way. Was this the Niagara birds taking a spin, no one will know. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were seen at the corner of York and Baldwin in Dundas early week, definitely a late record for these birds. The HARRIS'S SPARROW first found in February is still present and looking rather spiffy at 6547 Ellis Road where it has been frequenting the feeders. Our RED CROSSBILL pair is still present at the east end of Confederation Park in Stoney Creek. There were lots of new arrivals this week. A Brant was first reported at Canada Centre for Inland Waters and then made its way down to LaSalle Marina on Monday. A Green Heron was present today at Clappison's Corners Wetland in Waterdown otherwise known as Rona Ponds. Another one was heard over Brantford a couple nights ago on a night migration. Spotted Sandpipers are here in numbers. A Solitary Sandpiper was present at the flooded field at 8th Line and Britannia. One was photographed here over a week ago. A neat sighting (almost considered rare in these parts) was a Willet at Windermere Basin. This bird continues to be present today at the back of the Basin along with a smattering of Dunlin. Upland Sandpipers arrived back on territory with birds being seen off 11th Road East and on the north and south side of Mud Street east of 11th Road East. Bonaparte's Gulls continue to move through but in a mass migration last Sunday, a Little Gull was seen amongst them. A Red-headed Woodpecker was photographed today at Pinedale and Forestwood Crescent in Burlington, a brief flythrough but excellent yard bird. An Eastern Kingbird was seen on the very early side last week at Binbrook Conservation Area. Another one was seen at Confederation Park a few days ago and still another at Burloak Waterfront Park today. Blue-headed Vireo was present in Shell Park and in Dundas. House Wrens are popping up in a few places including Dundas, Sherwood Forest Park and Flamborough. A Marsh Wren was skulking along the pond in Confederation Park mid-week. A Wood Thrush was also seen in this locale. Our first Gray Catbird of the season was seen at Iroquois Conservation Area in Ancaster. Palm Warblers have been seen at Van Wagner's Ponds and a "Yellow" Palm Warbler was seen at Shell Park last weekend. A Northern Waterthrush was a good bird at Confederation on Tuesday. Clay-colored Sparrow eluded this observer but was well photographed at Shoreacres in Burlington in the week. A first of year Common Yellowthroat was heard at Van Wagners Ponds in the early week. A Rose-breasted Grosbeak and White-crowned Sparrow made an appearance near a feeder at Brant City Road and Sawmill Road in Ancaster. A very early Bobolink was seen and well photographed at Burloak Waterfront Park last weekend. Lastly a Baltimore Oriole was seen at Raspberry House at the RBG Arboretum yesterday. Shorebird habitat is good this year with fields being well flooded. At Eighth Line and Britannia, in addition to the Solitary Sandpiper, Greater Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpipers along with American Wigeon, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal were seen on Tuesday. At a flooded field east of 10th Road East, Dunlin and Greater Yellowlegs were present. On 5th Road East last Sunday, a total of 32 Wilson's Snipe were seen along with Lesser Yellowlegs. When conditions are good for viewing (no heat shimmer), the flooded fields seen from Ridge Road between 8th and 10th Road East in Saltfleet are worth checking. A number of Yellowlegs sp. were seen last weekend but anything could drop by. Conditions are also right in the Red Hill Stormwater Ponds but today it was only a Spottie Party with 8 Spotted Sandpipers present. The lakeshore properties are good for migrants. Some of the expected migrants moving through here include Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush, Brown Thrasher, Yellow-rumped Warbler, Pine Warbler, Eastern Towhee, Chipping, Field, Savannah, Swamp and White-throated Sparrow. In the odds and sods this week, a King Eider was seen off Green Road twice in the week. Red-throated Loons were also seen from this location. A pair of Ring-necked Pheasants were spotted on Mud Street near 7th Road East briefly today. Common Loons continue to be seen on migration with a stunning one being seen on a Brant dip at LaSalle Marina last Monday. Horned Grebes are also present along the lakeshore in numbers this week. The Red-necked Grebes are setting up shop at Burloak Park and Bronte Harbour. Great Egrets were seen from Green Road and over the Valley Inn. Both Virginia Rail and Sora were heard at Dundas Marsh and Sora was photographed at the Dundas Hydro ponds this week. Sandhill Crane sightings continue to increase with birds present in Dundas Marsh today and seen over Beamer Memorial Hawkwatch earlier in the week. During the foul weather a good place for gulls was the Bronte Pier where Iceland, Lesser Black-backed and Glaucous Gulls were seen. Of interest is a Barred Owl calling at Preservation Park in Guelph. With the invasion we had this year, I wouldn't be surprised to have them set up shop here to nest this year. Burloak Waterfront Park is also a good place to see almost all species of swallows. There is a large Bank Swallow colony here but all species were flying about on cool temps at eye level last weekend. Hopefully we will follow suit with Ottawa and get a Violet-green of our own. Purple Martins were seen up in Saltfleet near 10th Road East. Sparrows seem to be here in good supply with lots of Chipping, Field and Savannah Sparrows now in. Lastly, Purple Finch seems to be back in the area with birds at Van Wagner's Ponds, at the feeder at Beamer and at feeders in Dundas this week. There's not much else to say but GET OUT AND BIRD. Things are about and rarities being found every day is seems. We need to find one here. Report your sightings! 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/
