[Ontbirds] Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area (21 Apr 2018) 583 Raptors

[reports--- via ONTBIRDS]

Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area
Grimsby, Ontario, Canada
Daily Raptor Counts: Apr 21, 2018
---

SpeciesDay's CountMonth Total   Season Total
-- --- -- --
Black Vulture0  0  7
Turkey Vulture 197   5812   7153
Osprey   2 33 33
Bald Eagle   2 10 40
Northern Harrier 4 20 22
Sharp-shinned Hawk 114413437
Cooper's Hawk3 38 63
Northern Goshawk 0  1  1
Red-shouldered Hawk  0 56205
Broad-winged Hawk  204213213
Red-tailed Hawk 49413884
Rough-legged Hawk3 10 15
Golden Eagle 0  0  2
American Kestrel 4 15 20
Merlin   0  7  9
Peregrine Falcon 0  5  8
Unknown Accipiter0  2  2
Unknown Buteo0 10 16
Unknown Falcon   0  0  0
Unknown Eagle1  1  1
Unknown Raptor   0  6  6

Total: 583   7065   9137
--

Observation start time: 08:00:00 
Observation end   time: 16:00:00 
Total observation time: 8 hours

Official Counter:Phil Waggett

Observers:Bill Rapley, Ron Pittaway, Stuart Laughton, Tom Thomas

Visitors:
A huge thank-you to Tom Thomas whose eyesight continues to amaze me--he
spotted most of the high shins and broadwings coming through.   Another
high-five to 7 year-old Asher Clayton who was visiting from Georgetown with
his dad--Asher spotted many birds with naked eye before we ever saw them. 
Lots of visitors today, many of whom helped with the count--Stewart
Laughton, Bill Rapley, Kayo Roy,  Bob Curry & Glenda Slessor, Bob Stamp,
Gord Kuzak, Craig Corcoran, Brian Hawthorne. If I omitted any names, my
apologies.


Weather:
Started out with high, hazy overcast skies which gave way to a mix of sun
and cloud (mostly high and wispy).   Winds were out of the WSW to start and
eventually shifted into the north in the afternoon although the winds were
light for most of the day.   Cool in the morning giving way to more
pleasant temperatures (finally!!!) in the afternoon.

Raptor Observations:
A good flight with a moderate number of broad-winged hawks and sharp-shins.
 Turkey vultures again migrated in good numbers.   The flight was extremely
high with most of the shins and broad-wings being mere specs in the sky.  
Local TV's, coops and red-tails were again active.

Non-raptor Observations:
Not a major flight of other migrants today but we had some good birds
migrate through Beamer.  Bonaparte's gulls (3), wood duck, great-blue
heron, common loon, eastern phoebe, and rusty blackbird were all seen.Kayo
Roy noted 4 fox sparrows under the feeders.  Local red-bellied woodpeckers
are becoming more active.

Predictions:
I suspect we will have a continuation of today's flight, aided by east
winds.  Ripley's flight today showed good numbers of Broad-wings and shins;
 Derby Hill also counted over 1800 birds today.  Birds are "in the
pipeline" and the next 2 to 3 days look very promising.

Report submitted by Phil Waggett (philipwagg...@hotmail.com)
Grimsby, ON - Beamer Conservation Area information may be found at:
http://www.niagarapeninsulahawkwatch.org/


More site information at hawkcount.org:  
http://hawkcount.org/siteinfo.php?rsite=389

Site Description:
Hawk migration monitoring at the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area in
Grimsby, Ontario is conducted by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH). All
counting is done by volunteers. Not all members are counters nor does a
counter have to be a member. Typically one person is the designated counter
for each day but other observers present assist with the spotting and
identification.  Counting is done from a steel observation tower with a
wooden floor. For wind protection on cold days, particularly in March, a
black plastic wind guard is installed around the tower's platform. This
platform easily accommodates ten people but on most busy days, no more than
five or six observers would be on it.  

The site lies within a publicly accessible property owned by the Niagara
Peninsula Conservation Authority. There is no charge for admittance. The
tower stands in the centre of a mowed area with a gravel ring road 

[Ontbirds] OFO Merchandise at Pt Pelee. May 4-11

[Nancy Smith via ONTBIRDS]

Anyone wanting OFO logo merchandise can email me at birdersm...@gmail.com or 
text 
905  5638322 and we can arrange to meet at the park. You will need cash or 
cheque. 
Hoodie $40, black or navy
Denim shirt $50
Khaki Ball Cap $10
Toque in black or navy $10
Pin $5
$2 2018 checklists are also available at the Visitor Centre
Happy Birding.  Nancy Smith

Sent from my iPhone
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[Ontbirds] Eurasian Widgeon

[John E. Black via ONTBIRDS]

Hello

Blayne and Jean Farnan have just phoned (4:30 pm) to say that they have a 
Eurasian Widgeon at the north end of Mud Lake in Port Colborne.

Mud Lake can be reached by taking Elm Street north from Highway 3. A small 
parking lot is on the right or east side of Elm Street just past the Garbage 
dump and Invertose Road (metal salvage) and a pathway leads to the lake.

Good luck
John Black
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[Ontbirds] Kingston Area Birds: 14th - 20th April 2018

[Mark D. Read via ONTBIRDS]

Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) maintains records in a 50km radius of
MacDonald Park, Kingston. Birders using eBird are encouraged to share their
sightings with 'Kingston FN'. Alternatively, please email or post records
directly to me - contact details below. Please note that some sightings may
require review and remain unconfirmed unless stated otherwise.

 

NOTE: Information regarding road closures on Amherst Island due to the
installation of wind turbines can be found at
http://amherstislandwindproject.com/site_main/index.php/construction-updates
/. Also note that the regular ferry is currently at dry dock being serviced.
The replacement service has half the capacity of the regular ferry. 

 

Highlights:

It was another tough week for the birds and birders alike but a turn in the
weather today looks like it will persist into next week. Here are the
highlights of the last 7 days:

 

SURF SCOTER - the first of the year was seen at Prince Edward Point on 20th.

LITTLE GULL - a minimum of 13 birds were present at Kaiser Cross Road,
Prince Edward County on 19th.

SNOWY OWL - birds still continue on Wolfe and Amherst Islands with a minimum
of 40 recorded on Wolfe on 18th. All farmland on both islands is private -
please no trespassing.

LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE - birds continue at the Napanee Limestone Plain IBA.
Another bird was seen on 3rd Line, Wolfe Island on 18th.

NORTHERN SHRIKE - several birds are still present in the region - the most
recent being an individual seen at Lemoine Point CA, Kingston on 19th.

VESPER SPARROW - the first of the year was seen at Prince Edward Point on
20th.

 

Several other first of year species showed up this week but none were
outside their normal arrival period. It has been a slow start to the season
but the weather this weekend and into next week looks promising.

 

 

In order to minimise disturbance to wildlife and property in the recording
area, Kingston Field Naturalists has adopted the KFN Sensitive Sightings
Policy
 . Please note that you must be a member of Kingston Field Naturalists
(KFN) or be accompanied by a member to access the Martin Edwards Reserve.

 

As always, a big thank you goes to all those who have submitted sightings
directly or via eBird.

 

Mark.

 

Mark D. Read

337 Button Bay Road,

Wolfe Island,

Kingston, Ontario

K0H 2Y0

Canada

 

Mobile: +1 (613) 217-1246

Email:   markdr...@gmail.com

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[Ontbirds] American Bittern, North London

[Quinten Wiegersma via ONTBIRDS]

Hi all,


I know not a provincially "rare" bird, but certainly a very interesting one for 
Middlesex County (fourth record on eBird in the last decade, first since 2016)


This afternoon I found an American Bittern in the wetland just north of 
Sunningdale Road between Richmond Street and Adelaide Street in London. The 
wetland can be accessed off of Canvas Way. The pathway is flooded along the 
retaining wall (in fact, that is where I first spotted the bittern!), so you 
may find it useful to turn left off of Canvas Way onto Eclipse Walk. At the end 
of the road there is another access point to the wetland.


eBird checklist: https://ebird.org/view/checklist/S44791441


Good birding,

Quinten Wiegersma

London, Ont

https://birdsbugsbotany.blogspot.ca/

qwieger...@hotmail.com
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[Ontbirds] Hamilton Naturalists Club Birding Report - Saturday, April 21, 2018

[Cheryl Edgecombe via ONTBIRDS]

FISH CROW

Wood Duck
Blue-winged Teal
Northern Shoveler
Green-winged Teal
King Eider
Wild Turkey
Red-throated Loon
Common Loon
Pied-billed Grebe
Horned Grebe
American Bittern
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Northern Harrier
Sharp-shinned Hawk
Red-shouldered Hawk
Broad-winged Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Virginia Rail
Sandhill Crane
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Pectoral Sandpiper
Wilson's Snipe
American Woodcock
Bonaparte's Gull
Little Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Forster's Tern
Snowy Owl
Northern Saw-whet Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Common Raven
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Brown Creeper
Winter Wren
Ruby-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Yellow-rumped Warbler
Chipping Sparrow
Field Sparrow
Vesper Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Lapland Longspur
Rusty Blackbird
Pine Siskin

What a wild and whacky weather week we have had here in the Hamilton Study
Area.  High winds, snow, sleet and heavy rain drove birds into unfamiliar
places and displaced already nesting birds.  There were a few migrants that
arrived despite the conditions but I think we have turned the corner and can
expect a surge of migrants over the next few days.

The weeks notable was another sighting of FISH CROW from Ben Machree Park in
Mississauga and from LaSalle Park in Burlington. 

New arrivals this week include American Bittern seen today at Kortwright
Hills Park in Guelph.  Great Egrets were reported with great regularity this
week. Virginia Rails have returned to traditional spots such as Kerncliffe
Park in Burlington and the Rona Wetlands in Waterdown. Greater and Lesser
Yellowlegs are now here comfortably with 7 Greaters and 3 Lesser Yellowlegs
seen today on 5th Road East.  Three Greater Yellowlegs were seen yesterday
at Fairchild Creek on 5th Concession West in Flamborough. Yesterday, 15
Wilson's Snipe were flushed from along the field on 5th Road East, today
they were up winnowing.  Midweek, 3 Pectoral Sandpipers made a brief stop on
Green Mountain Road near 6th Road East.  Caspian Terns are here in numbers.
Common Terns were noted at Bronte Harbour and in Port Credit and a single
Forster's Tern stopped briefly at LaSalle Marina on Thursday.  More swallows
arrived with a lone Bank Swallow being seen near the Suncor Pier trying to
find shelter.  Tree, Barn and Northern Rough-winged Swallow all saw higher
numbers.  Purple Martins are checking out their nest houses on 10th Road
East at Ridge Road.  Woodlot migrants this week reported from various
locations include, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern
Phoebe, Brown Creeper, Winter Wren, Ruby-crowned Kinglet, Hermit Thrush,
Yellow-rumped Warbler and Fox Sparrow.  An Eastern Towhee was a guest at a
yard on Strathcona in Hamilton just after the storm.  Vesper Sparrows were
seen on 8th Road East, near Fern Hill School in Burlington and today on 11th
Road East at Highland.  A field Sparrow was happily singing along the
Dofasco trail at 10th Road East today. Savannah Sparrows are here in numbers
now! A dozen Lapland Longspurs were seen near 11th Road and Highland today. 

The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch has had a tough week given weather but the
last two days have seen more numbers.  Larger numbers of Sharp-shinned Hawks
are now going through.  This week should be the height of the Broad-winged
migration.  Other raptors seen here include a steady stream of Turkey
Vultures as well as a few  Northern Harriers, Red-shouldered and Red-tailed
Hawks.  Still in the raptor department a juvenile Northern Goshawk was seen
along the Nipegon Trail, which runs just east of Sixth Line, between Upper
Middle Road and River Oaks Boulevard in Oakville.

In the odds and sods this week, 5 pair of Wood Ducks were seen at a pond on
Inksetter Road near Dundas.  Three Blue-winged Teal were seen on 5th Road
East in the flooded field on Wednesday.  Today at the flooded area south of
Ridge Road between 8th and 10th Road East, Northern Shoveler and 72
Green-winged Teal were noted.  A near adult King Eider was seen from the end
of 50 Road this morning, a high powered scope is necessary for the
identification.  Two Wild Turkeys were seen along the woodlot on 8th Road
East on the west side.  The bay and points along the lake from Burlington to
Mississauga have seen good numbers of Red-throated Loon, Common Loon,
Pied-billed Grebe and Horned Grebe.  With the storm, some of these birds
ended up on smaller bodies of water inland and a loon had to be rescued as
it was in a place where it would never be able to take off.  Many Ospreys
have returned to their nesting locations.  On Thursday in high winds one was
seen carrying a large stick to the cell tower at the Aldershot Go Station.
Three Sandhill Cranes cruised along the shore of Stoney Creek this morning.
Bonaparte's Gulls and an adult Little Gull were seen at Oakville Harbour
during the storm.  Snowy Owls continue to be seen although with less
regularity.  Today 

[Ontbirds] Eurasian Wigeon at Beaver Meadow WMA

[Kyle Blaney via ONTBIRDS]

There was a male Eurasian Wigeon at Beaver Meadow WMA this morning.

Beaver Meadow is in Prince Edward County on County Road 11 south of Picton.

Kyle Blaney
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[Ontbirds] Eurasian Widgeon- Cranberry Marsh

[David Worthington via ONTBIRDS]

This morning at 8:45 I found a male Eurasian Widgeon at Cranberry Marsh 
straight out from the N platform. We watched it for about 15 minutes but then 
it disappeared as it moved south into the south portion of the marsh. People 
have been looking for the past 1 1/2 hrs but have not been able to refind 
although it’s could still there.
Dave Worthington 


Sent from my iPhone

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[Ontbirds] The April issue of Ontario Birds....posted with permission.

[Weseloh, Chip (EC) via ONTBIRDS]

For members of OFO, you have or will be receiving in the next day or 
two the April issue of Ontario Birds; it has 56 pages comprised of five 
articles. The cover painting of Barn Swallows at a nest by Barry Kent MacKay is 
an artistic nod-into an article by Al Sandilands and Derek Morningstar on a new 
DNA technique (next generation sampling) to identify diet items in avian 
insectivore nestlings. The lead article is a very timely account on the 2017 
influx of Dickcissels into Ontario by Allen Woodliffe. This is followed by a 
rarely observed instance of a female Brown-headed Cowbird exploring the nest 
entrance of a Black-capped Chickadee at Rondeau Provincial Park by Warren 
Dunlop and five others. Harry Lumsden and two co-authors next present an 
account of territorial displays (one of which was previously unknown) by Mute 
Swans. The final article in this issue is a description of the interspecific 
pairing of a Tree Swallow and a Violet-green Swallow in Thunder Bay by Ted 
Armstrong and Christine Johnson.
We are happy to announce that we have almost a full slate of articles for the 
August issue (deadline 1 July) and are taking submissions for our December 
issue (deadline 15 October).
Chip, Chris and Ken
Co-editors, Ontario Birds

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[Ontbirds] Lincoln’s Sparrow Wet Woods

[Rick Eckley via ONTBIRDS]

Lincoln’s Sparrow at Leslie Spit. Skulking in  brush between wet woods and 
Unwin Bridge, near bike path.

Leslie Spit is in Toronto at the foot of Leslie Street.

Rick and Felix
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[Ontbirds] Toronto Islands - Loons, Grebes,Swallows, etc., etc.

[Norm Murr via ONTBIRDS]

Yesterday (April 20th)Bob Tyler and I again birder the Islands and this tie 
only from Ward’s Island to Gibralter Point and though it was still Sprinter it 
looks like Spring may be on it’s way.

Following are some of the birds we found 7 Common Loons, 2 Pied Billed and 32 
Horned Grebes, Great Blue Heron, Ring-necked Ducks, White-winged Scoters, 164 
Bufflehead, al 3 Mergansers, the resident Cooper’s and Red-tailed Hawks, 
Killdeer, 13 Downy Woodpeckers, 10 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Northern Flicker, 
all 6 species of Swallows migrating eastward with some of the Tree Swallows 
taking up residence, Golden-crowned Kinglet, 6 Hermit Thrushes, Yellow-rumped 
Warbler, Tree Sparrows still, 47 Song Sparrows, White-throated Sparrow, and an 
increase of Dark-eyed Juncos. 

The next few days if we can believe the fake Weather Forecast should bring a 
good numbers of backed up migrants, hopefully they won’t just fly over with out 
many of them stopping.

PS – Again for those that care Bob found 2 Little orange Skipper Butterflies on 
the south end of Snake Island,

Norm Murr
Richmond Hill
Ontario, Canada

You can't see birds if you don't go out but sit and wait for others to find 
them.
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