FISH CROW ACADIAN FLYCATCHER American Wigeon Redhead Lesser Scaup Red-breasted Merganser Ruffed Grouse Red-necked Grebe Yellow-billed Cuckoo Black-billed Cuckoo Common Nighthawk Sandhill Crane Semipalmated Plover Ruddy Turnstone Sanderling Dunlin White-rumped Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Little Gull Forster's Tern Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Yellow-bellied Sapsucker Merlin Least Flycatcher Alder Flycatcher Yellow-bellied Flycatcher Winter Wren Veery Wood Thrush Clay-colored Sparrow Vesper Sparrow Blue-winged Warbler Nashville Warbler Mourning Warbler Hooded Warbler Blackburnian Warbler Pine Warbler Yellow-rumped Warbler Scarlet Tanager
Breeding season is upon us now and it appears that the last of the migrants have left. There is no reason to be complacent as good birds are turning up still and it gives a chance to visit the sanctuaries that provide breeding habitat for those that stay. We start at the top with FISH CROW being seen still around Bronte Harbour and is regular every day on the menu here at Walker's Line and New Street area over the yard. Six birds were seen flying west over Bronte Harbour yesterday. There are a number of breeding sites worth visiting this time of your. The Britton up in the Halton Forest accessed off 6th Line Nassawagawa is one of several big tracts of land which have excellent hiking trails. An ACADIAN FLYCATCHER was refound Tuesday here on the north part of the loop accessed from the north parking lot for this tract. Also present there were Ruffed Grouse, Black-billed Cuckoo, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Alder and Least FLycatcher, Yellow-throated Vireo, Winter Wren, Veery, Wood Thrush, Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white, Nashville, Blackburnian and Pine Warbler, American Redstart and Scarlet Tanager. Another great place to visit during the breeding season is the Dundas Valley which offers a variety of habitat to explore. On June 2nd off Martins Road area, both Cuckoo species were present along with Alder Flycatcher, Veery, Wood Thrush, Blue-winged, Mourning, Hooded and Pine Warbler and Scarlet Tanager. Similar birds were seen near the Merrick Parking lot and Maintenance Centre. Shorebirds have more or less left but over the past two weeks, Windermere Basin, Suncor Pier, Burloak Park and 8th Road East in Saltfleet saw the last of the migrants. Birds include Semipalmated Plover, Sanderling, Ruddy Turnstone, Dunlin and Semipalmated Sandpiper. The Windermere Basin is still worthwhile visiting as there has been Redhead, American Wigeon, Lesser Scaup and last Saturday a first summer Forster's Tern. Babies are in the news this week. There are three Peregrine chicks which have now fledged at the Burlington Lift Bridge. Unfortunately the first nest attempt of the birds at the Sheraton Hotel have failed. Down at Bronte Harbour, at Bronte Beach a family of four chicks seems to be doing well. In the odds and sods, Common Nighthawks were seen over Waterdown and Gage Park in Hamilton last week. Little Gulls continue to turn up sporadically at Oakville and Bronte Harbour. Three first summer birds were seen at Windermere week before last. A large colony of Black-crowned Night Herons seem to be thriving on the west berm at Tollgate Pond with 42 being counted. Nice to see them get some space from the Cormorants. Up in Saltfleet, five very co-operative Black-billed Cuckoos were seen along the Dofasco Trail west of 10th Road East. A territorial Merlin was seen in Dundas one of several pair that seem to now nest in urban areas. A Clay-colored Sparrow was seen at Cityview Park in Burlington. Two interesting late records of Yellow-rumped Warbler occurred the week before last with one being seen in Brantford and another down near Bronte Harbour. That's the news for this week, Cheryl Edgecombe Hamilton Naturalists Club --- 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