GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GOOSE BLUE-WINGED TEAL KILLDEER TREE SWALLOW RUSTY BLACKBIRD Cackling Goose Canada Goose Tundra Swan Wood Duck American Wigeon Northern Shoveler Northern Pintail Green-winged Teal King Eider Ruffed Grouse Red-throated Loon Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Great Blue Heron Turkey Vulture Bald Eagle Red-shouldered Hawk Red-tailed Hawk Rough-legged Hawk American Kestrel Merlin Peregrine Falcon Sandhill Crane Iceland Gull Glaucous Gull Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Common Raven Yellow-rumped Warbler Red-winged Blackbird Common Grackle Brown-headed Cowbird Finally there is a sign of hope that winter will indeed end as there was a significant movement of birds in the last week of early spring migrants. Highlighted at the top are not rarities but first spring migrants this week. More GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE came in with the warm push and one was seen on Wednesday for a first over the Hawkwatch at Beamer Conservation Area. Three more were seen along Powerline Road on the mountain. Yesterday two BLUE-WINGED TEAL were seen from Woodland Cemetery along the edge of the ice. One of the same or perhaps a different bird was noted later on down at LaSalle Marina. KILLDEER were arriving in droves on Thursday, setting up territory in a number of places but particularly noted in Saltfleet and St. George. The first TREE SWALLOW daringly arrived yesterday and was seen battling strong winds at Powerline Road and 5th Road East in Saltfleet. Lastly, last week a single RUSTY BLACKBIRD was photographed on March 8th at the Desjardins Canal near the butterfly gardens. There are lots of places to go to see migrants finally. Most of the birds arriving are puddle ducks and blackbirds. On the Hamilton Harbour and over Woodland Cemetery yesterday many Wood Ducks, American Wigeon, Gadwall, Shoveller, Green-winged Teal and Northern Pintail could be found along the edge of the ice. Some of the same mix could be found in the flooded fields on the mountain and in Saltfleet with areas around Powerline Road and 5th Road East being very productive. Also seen on the Hamilton Harbour were arrivals of Pied-billed, Red-necked and Horned Grebes. Red-throated Loons continue to be seen on the Harbour with new arrivals coming in daily while other birds move on. Tundra Swans have been reported over a widespread area in the Hamilton Study Area, their calls a welcoming sign of spring. Canada Geese too have been moving with Cackling Geese being seen mixed in their flocks. A total of 18 Cackling Geese were seen near Powerline Road and 5th Road East on Thursday. Sandhill Cranes are moving as well with one heard over a house in Dundas on Wednesday and seen at the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer. Great Blue Herons have started to arrive with two reported in Binbrook and other reports around the area. The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch located at Beamer Conservation Area in Grimsby will be ramping up over the next weeks. A slow trickle of Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks were noted this past week. The first Red-shouldered Hawk arrived yesterday, more to come. Also of note were three species of Falcon including American Kestrel, Merlin and Peregrine Falcon. The Hawkwatch is still looking for counters and counters on duty are always looking for an extra pair of eyes. Blackbirds were streaming in over the past few days with Red-winged Blackbird, Common Grackle and Brown-headed Cowbirds all setting up and singing on territories as they do so early in the season. In the odds and sods this week a King Eider was seen and photographed by a group at Jones Road last weekend. This species has been a little scarce this year. Ruffed Grouse were seen along Lennon Road in north Flamborough two weeks ago, they should be a little easier to hear drumming now that the weather has turned. A Snowy Owl has returned to the docks at Bronte Harbour although difficult to spot at times. Iceland Gulls were seen at Bronte and Oakville Harbours in the week. A Glaucous Gull was seen on Hamilton Harbour. A Northern Shrike was seen on 10th Road East on the north side of the tracks yesterday. Common Ravens are being reported in growing numbers with a few reports coming from Grimsby over the last week. They are likely tending to nest. There appears to be a pair also nesting at the transformer station again seen from the 403 at Brant Street. A single Yellow-rumped Warbler seems to be the sole survivor over the winter at Sedgewick Park in Oakville. That's the news this week, now that things are starting to happen, reports will be more frequent but sightings are needed to make a report so please send along. Looking forward to the next weeks! Cheryl Edgecombe HNC --- This email has been checked for viruses by Avast antivirus software. https://www.avast.com/antivirus _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO) - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup Posting guidelines can be found at http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide Visit the OFO Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/OntarioFieldOrnithologists
[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Saturday, March 16th, 2019
Cheryl Edgecombe via ONTBIRDS Sat, 16 Mar 2019 04:32:33 -0700
