BLACK VULTURE SWAINSON'S HAWK FISH CROW Snow Goose Blue-winged Teal Pied-billed Grebe Horned Grebe Red-necked Grebe Chimney Swift Virginia Rail Sora Sandhill Crane Upland Sandpiper Spotted Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs Bonaparte's Gull Iceland Gull Green Heron Broad-winged Hawk Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Blue-headed Vireo Purple Martin Tree Swallow Northern Rough-winged Swallow Bank Swallow Cliff Swallow Barn Swallow Tufted Titmouse Brown Creeper Golden-crowned Kinglet Ruby-crowned Kinglet Hermit Thrush Brown Thrasher Purple Finch Lapland Longspur Grasshopper Sparrow Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler
It's almost May and the birds are coming in steadily now as the cold damp weather seems to be leaving us. Up at the top, a BLACK VULTURE was reported perched on a fence-post on the Caledonia bypass (Highway 6) at Domtar Road on Friday. Yesterday a probable SWAINSON'S HAWK was well described passing through Saltfleet, seen on 5th Road East travelling west. Now is a good time to look for one as they often travel with Broad-winged Hawks which have steadily been passing through the area last few days. Lastly our FISH CROW update this week includes a group of 13 at South Shell Park on Friday, they seem to be multiplying by the day. New arrivals this week include a couple of Chimney Swifts, one over Dundas and one over Woodland Cemetery. A Sora joined multiple Virginia Rails at the marsh on 11th Road East just north of Green Mountain Road. Spotted Sandpiper was seen at the Suncor Pier and along Bronte Creek at Petro Canada Park this week. Upland Sandpipers are back with birds displaying over Oak Park Road in Brantford. Grasshopper Sparrow is back on territory here as well. Another pair of Upland Sandpipers were found yesterday at the traditional nesting area near South Grimsby Road 15 and Mud Street. Green Herons were reported on a flyover at Fern Hill School in north Burlington and along the Sheldon Creek Trail in South Burlington, early dates for this species. Blue-headed Vireo was seen on Saturday at Lakeside Park in Mississauga and reported along the trail at Sheldon Creek. All six swallow species were reported from Bronte Harbour on a soggy Saturday. Brown Thrashers have been reported singing on territory in a number of places. A nice flock of around 80 breeding plumaged Lapland Longspurs were seen along Paris Plains Church Rd near Paris on Thursday. This is an excellent spot to look for this species as they seem to pass through here every year. Pine Warblers are increasing in numbers with birds reported from LaSalle Park, along the Sheldon Creek Trail and South Shell Park in Burlington. Yellow-rumped warblers seem to be arriving although numbers are expected to increase significantly this week. Lots to report in the odds and sods this week. A Snow Goose was seen on Saturday with two Canada Geese on Drumbo Road in Paris. Pied-billed Grebe was seen at the Grimsby Sewage Lagoons along with a continuing pair of Blue-winged Teal. Horned and Red-necked Grebes are still sprinkled along the shoreline of Lake Ontario. A lone Virginia Rail was kidekking at Grass Lake on Thursday on a rainy night. Sandhill Cranes could be heard bugling here as the light faded. On Saturday, six Iceland gulls were noted sitting on the Suncor Pier. A small number of Bonaparte's Gulls were also seen here. Saltfleet still has a number of flooded fields to scan. At 5th Road East there was a count of over 20 Greater Yellowlegs on the weekend. A number of Lesser Yellowlegs were present there on Friday. A Tufted Titmouse was present on Lookout trail in the Dundas Valley on Thursday. On a rainy Friday and Saturday, numbers of earlier migrants were still being reported in several woodlots including good numbers of Brown Creepers, Golden and Ruby-crowned Kinglets, Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers and Hermit Thrush. Purple Finches showed up at feeders in Flamborough and in St. George this week. Common Redpolls are still in the area with one reported yesterday on Mackenzie Road and Fife Street in Caledonia. Keep those feeders going it's important to keep them stocked for the coming weeks as you never know what will show up! Report your sightings here! Good birding, 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
