EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE FISH CROW Blue-winged Teal Green-winged Teal Redhead Canvasback Red-necked Grebe Common Nighthawk Virginia Rail Sora Common Gallinule Semipalmated Plover Stilt Sandpiper Sanderling Least Sandpiper Pectoral Sandpiper Semipalmated Sandpiper Short-billed Dowitcher Solitary Sandpiper Lesser Yellowlegs Greater Yellowlegs Bonaparte's Gull Great Egret Black-crowned Night Heron Eastern Meadowlark Rusty Blackbird
The summer continues hot and steamy with little movement of birds but there has been some start to fall migration here in the Hamilton Study area so thought I would give an update. The birds at the top of the list have been hanging around for some time and have bred in the area. Sightings of EURASIAN COLLARED DOVE with a juvenile came from Wentworth Street North and FISH CROWS have been seen near Fiesta Mall in Stoney Creek and around Bronte Harbour this week. Shorebirds are the main group in the movers and shakers this week. Windermere Basin has become good for shorebirds once again. Two days ago our first adult Stilt Sandpiper arrived back, bang on time. Other birds seen here include Semipalmated Plover, Least, Pectoral and Semipalmated Sandpiper, Short-billed Dowitcher and Lesser Yellowlegs. Another spot that looks like it's going to be productive is Ellacott Landing in Hespeler where this week dropping water levels produced Least and Solitary Sandpiper and both Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs. Five Solitary Sandpipers were present along Spencer Creek downstream from Cootes Drive on July 13th. Continuing with shorebirds a single Sanderling was seen at VanWagners Beach two days ago. I expect more action after this heat passes along with a beginning movement of passerines. In the odds and sods, Blue-winged and Green-winged Teal and the family of Redheads continue at Windermere Basin. A lone Canvasback was seen July 5th offshore east of Appleby Line. Red-necked Grebes have successfully nested at Bronte Marsh, another set are potentially on eggs down at Bronte Harbour. Virginia Rail, Sora and Common Gallinule have all been seen at Grimsby Wetlands in the past couple of weeks. A family group of Common Gallinules were seen at Safari Road Wetland as well. A Common Nighthawk has been seen on and off this summer near Gage Park being reported on ebird yesterday at Edgemont St and Justine. On east winds a couple of days ago, two adult Bonaparte's Gulls and a Red-necked Grebe were seen. A single Great Egret was seen at Congestion Pond (stormwater pond between Guelph line and Brant on the North Service Road in Burlington). Up to nine were seen at Ellacott Landing in Hespeler. A good sized colony of Black-crowned Night Herons have successfully bred at Tollgate Pond. Up on the Dofasco Trail on 10th Road East, it is nice to see that Eastern Meadowlarks have successfully bred here in these grasslands. An unusual for this year sighting of a female Rusty Blackbird occurred yesterday at Windermere Basin. That's the news for this week. Let's see what this next bout of cooler air brings in. Southern waifs are also possible with these warm and sticky bouts so it's not time to let your guard down. Stay cool and hydrated 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
