Birding Hotline Report

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On Friday, April 8th, 2011, this is the HNC Birding Report:

BLACK VULTURE
BOHEMIAN WAXWING

Blue-winged Teal
Green-winged Teal
King Eider
Common Loon
Great Egret
Black-crowned Night Heron
Turkey Vulture
Osprey
Bald Eagle
Red-shouldered Hawk
Red-tailed Hawk
Rough-legged Hawk
Golden Eagle
Virginia Rail
Greater Yellowlegs
Lesser Yellowlegs
Dunlin
Wilson's Snipe
Bonaparte's Gull
Iceland Gull
Caspian Tern
Common Tern
Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
Northern Flicker
Eastern Phoebe
Northern Shrike
Purple Martin
Tree Swallow
Northern Rough-winged Swallow
Bank Swallow
Barn Swallow
Winter Wren
Eastern Bluebird
Eastern Towhee
Savannah Sparrow
Fox Sparrow

Its been a good week for migration here in the Hamilton Study Area with migrants filtering in although in small numbers. Warmer weather the next few days will result in more migrants in a greater variety to be sure.

Yesterday a probable BLACK VULTURE was seen again over Dundas with a group of Turkey Vultures. Later attempts to locate the bird near the large roost near the University Plaza came up short but weather conditions were not ideal. Keep your eyes to the sky for this bird floating around. The other good rarity of the week were lingering BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS which were seen yesterday along Middletown Road between 4th and 5th Concession West. This is getting late for this species.

The Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch was weather dependent as always this week. A couple of good days brought more Turkey Vultures, Bald Eagles, Red-shouldered, Red-tailed, Rough-legged and Sharp-shinned Hawks. Other migrants seen here at Beamer this week include Common Loons, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Northern Flicker, Eastern Phoebe and Tree Swallows. Up here in the area of Saltfleet, a small group of Lesser Yellowlegs were seen in a flooded field on 8th Road East. At the back of a flooded field seen south of Ridge east of 8th Road East, Blue and Green-winged Teal, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Dunlin and Wilson's Snipe were noted today. Four Wilson's Snipe were alighted and winnowing on 5th Road east last weekend. A Northern Shrike was seen on 10th Road East today between Ridge and Green Mountain Road.

A hardy observer down at the end of Fifty Road several times this week noted King Eider in a flyby last Sunday, an early Common Tern and Purple Martin last Tuesday and a flight of Bonaparte's Gulls with a Little Gull as a bonus in a flyby today. Many Common Loons and Tree Swallows were also seen down there at this time. Caspian Terns are also on the rise with more being seen here, on the bay and sitting in the Dundas Marsh.

Other migrants seen this week include a Great Egret at the VanWagner's Ponds last weekend and seen again today. Black-crowned Night Herons are coming in in numbers at Bronte Creek in Oakville, VanWagners Ponds and Desjardins Canal in Dundas. A Dunlin was seen yesterday at Valley Inn for a short time and earlier in the week two Golden Eagles were seen here, our first of the season. Virginia Rail was heard calling in the Dundas Marsh yesterday. The Bald Eagle seems to be happy on nest in Cootes Paradise. An Osprey was seen down at LaSalle Marina, their numbers should increase soon! At Bronte a good selection of swallows were seen this week, some very early dates for some. These include Purple Martin, Tree, Northern Rough-winged, Bank and Barn Swallow within the last two days. Edgelake Park at the bottom of Teal Road in Stoney Creek had Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, Eastern Phoebe, Winter Wren and Eastern Towhee on the migrant list this week. Savannah Sparrows were seen at Bronte Creek Provincial Park.

In the odds and sods, a Fox Sparrow was a welcome guest at a feeder in Dundas. A Snow Goose was seen last at LaSalle Marina on Tuesday. Eastern Bluebirds were seen migrating along the west end of the lake last Sunday with sightings at Lakeland Tower and VanWagner's Ponds.

Tomorrow should be productive before the weather moves in on Sunday. Please report your sightings!

Cheers!
Cheryl Edgecombe
905-381-0329
HNC Hotline

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