BARROW'S GOLDENEYE
EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVE
EASTERN PHOEBE
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET
GRAY CATBIRD
LINCOLN'S SPARROW
PINE GROSBEAK
EVENING GROSBEAK
ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER
NASHVILLE WARBLER
PALM WARBLER
COMMON YELLOWTHROAT
HOODED WARBLER
King Eider
Barrows x Common Goldeneye
Wild Turkey
Red-necked Grebe
Black-crowned Night Heron
Turkey Vulture
Red-shouldered Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Iceland Gull
Glaucous Gull
Snowy Owl
Barred Owl
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Common Raven
Winter Wren
Golden-crowned Kinglet
Hermit Thrush
Eastern Towhee
Chipping Sparrow
Fox Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Red-winged Blackbird
Common Grackle
Brown-headed Cowbird
Purple Finch
Pine Siskin
Yellow-rumped Warbler
We are still finding some great birds here in the Hamilton Study area
despite the changing conditions and cold weather setting in. It will be
interesting to see what transpires the next week or so as the deep freeze
hits us.
As always let's start at the top. A female BARROW'S GOLDENEYE was a great
find on the Peach Tree Christmas count on January 5th. A trained eye picked
up the bird fairly close to shore with some other Common Goldeneye and many
in the HSA were able to come out and see a bird not easy to identify. Also
along the Stoney Creek shoreline during that count 2 Common x Barrow's
Goldeneye Hybrids, an adult King Eider at Fifty Point and a Red-necked
Grebe.
The EURASIAN COLLARED-DOVES located on Ferguson Ave in Hamilton were last
reported Tuesday, any further updates would be appreciated.
An EASTERN PHOEBE was found on Thursday at the hydro cut at the Credit River
just north of the 403. Access is from west side (Leslie Log House) or east
(Hewick Meadows). The bird was not located later that day but likely has a
wide range here and with the cold keeps low where insects might be.
A GRAY CATBIRD was seen at the Merrick Orchard parking lot in the Dundas
Valley today.
A LINCOLN'S SPARROW was a new find this week first seen Friday and then
yesterday. It is along the Hamilton to Brantford rail trail about 150 m
east of Papple Rd. adjacent to a large Pond north of the trail, Two female
Brown-headed Cowbirds were seen there today but no Lincoln's Sparrow.
PINE GROSBEAKS have finally made it to the Hamilton Study area where the
most reliable sightings were on the South Ring Road at the University of
Guelph. A half dozen birds were seen yesterday in Puslinch at Deer View
Ridge and Fox Run Drive.
An EVENING GROSBEAK was somewhat reliable for a few days this past week at
the Riverwood Conservancy on Burnamthorpe Drive in Mississauga. There have
been no reports in the last few days so perhaps it moved on. Five birds were
seen briefly at a feeder in Flamborough but did not return. This is just a
reminder to keep those feeders filled!
Other new finds this week were from Bronte East Campground accessed off of
Upper Middle Road in Oakville. This week within the campground a PALM
WARBLER was seen near Campsite 411 and a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT was heard in
the marshy cattails near the south end of the park.
Lastly the Fab Five winter warriors are still holding on at Sedgewick Park.
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET (2), ORANGE-CROWNED (2), NASHVILLE, HOODED and
Yellow-rumped Warbler continue to be seen up until today. Upcoming
temperatures will be hard on these little creatures, would be nice to get an
air drop of meal worms in and around the tanks. Other birds seen there
include Winter Wren, Golden-Crowned Kinglet and Hermit Thrush.
In the odds and sods this week, a King Eider is fairly reliable at the
Suncor Pier in Oakville. Wild Turkeys were seen on Binkley Road today and
have been reported frequently on York Road. An adult and an immature
Black-crowned Night Heron seem to have taken up residence at the Red Hill
Creek outlet. Turkey Vultures have popped up (better in warm weather)
around Dundas and out toward Copetown. There is likely a roost somewhere
along this stretch. A Red-shouldered Hawk was a nice surprise on Hwy 6
north (Gordon Street) just near Aberfoyle. A Rough-legged Hawk was seen
near Garden Ave in Brantford, not too many of these around this winter.
Iceland and Glaucous Gulls were seen on Mowhawk Lake in Brantford yesterday.
Snowy Owls are still around with one at Bronte Harbour yesterday. Barred
Owls seem to have moved into the area with a bird in South Burlington as a
one day wonder and others seen in the Dundas Valley. A Yellow-bellied
Sapsucker made a brief appearance at a yard bordering the Dundas Valley
today in Ancaster. Common Ravens were reported by Fenwood Farms west of
Ancaster, two doing a courtship display just north of Woodland Cemetery last
weekend. An Eastern Towhee was found on the Peachtree count last weekend.
It's in the drainage ditch that borders the north side of the North Service
Rd east of Green Rd - park at the east end of Frances Ave and walk across
the weedy field to the ditch. A White-crowned Sparrow was also found along
with the Towhee. A Chipping Sparrow is hanging with a
