Hamilton RBA
October 19, 2000
Date: Thu, 19 Oct 2000 20:06:41 -0400
Reply-To: Mike Street <mikestreet@HWCN.ORG>
Sender: "National Birding Hotline Cooperative (Central)"
<BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU>
From: Mike Street <mikestreet@HWCN.ORG>
Subject: Hamilton ON Birding Hotline Report for Thursday, October 19, 2000
Comments: To: ontbirds@hwcn.org
To: BIRDCNTR@LISTSERV.ARIZONA.EDU
At 7:30PM Thursday, October 19, 2000 this is the Hamilton
Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline report.
The Hotline is normally revised on Thursday nights and is updated
if an unusual bird turns up in the Hamilton area. (The phone
number is 905-381-0329.)
Birders who would like to help out with the annual Hamilton Fall
Bird Count on Sunday, Nov. 5 are asked to contact Compiler Bill
Lamond at 519-756-9546.
After a long drought, virtually all of this week's report
originates right here in our own area.
Sunday afternoon and Monday morning saw great birding at Van
Wagner's Beach. Seen there were up to 10 PARASITIC JAEGERS,
including at least 4 adults, a POMARINE JAEGER, over 300 BRANT,
1000 OLDSQUAW, an ICELAND GULL, COMMON LOON, RED-THROATED LOON,
WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, SURF SCOTER, BLACK SCOTER, not to mention
DUNLIN, SANDERLING, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and WILSON'S PHALAROPE.
Wednesday was grebe day at and off LaSalle Marina. In addition to
a basic or winter plumaged EARED GREBE, there were HORNED GREBE,
RED-NECKED GREBE and PIED-BILLED GREBE. Also at LaSalle were 50
AMERICAN COOTS. Numbers of diving ducks are starting to build
along the north shore of Hamilton Harbour, among them REDHEAD,
CANVASBACK, RING-NECKED DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREATER SCAUP and
BUFFLEHEAD. A probable immature Brant was reported at Bayfront
Park this morning.
Last Friday a birder visiting Shell Park was very pleased to hear
a chorus of 3 EASTERN SCREECH OWLS. On Saturday an early NORTHERN
SHRIKE and a pair of EASTERN PHOEBES were found at the park.
Species reported along the Chedoke Rail Trail were NASHVILLE
WARBLER, SWAMP SPARROW, a loudly singing CAROLINA WREN, 4 HERMIT
THRUSHES and an adult COOPER'S HAWK. Five RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were
at Borer's Falls.
A listener in Burlington was quite startled to find an AMERICAN
WOODCOCK patrolling his lawn on Monday morning. A female RUBY-
THROATED HUMMINGBIRD was still coming to a feeder on the
escarpment above Burlington on Monday.
SHARP-TAILED SPARROWS were found at Cootes Paradise last
Saturday. They weren't seen Tuesday, but a first year BALD EAGLE
was watching over the marsh, and DUNLIN and GREATER YELLOWLEGS
were on the mudflats.
Going east to west along Lake Erie, LITTLE GULLS were seen near
the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie/Buffalo, Selkirk PP, Turkey Point
and Port Ryerse.
It's been another good week at Selkirk Provincial Park. An adult
male COOPER'S HAWK caught in the banding nets was identified as a
bird probably banded at Braddock Bay, NY last year. Today a LONG-
EARED OWL and a pair of NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were banded, and
the NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL banded Oct. 11 was retrapped Tuesday.
Other birds seen at Selkirk included an adult GOLDEN EAGLE,
MERLIN, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER and AMERICAN REDSTART.
Birds banded at Rock Point Provincial Park included WINTER WREN,
NASHVILLE WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER and INDIGO
BUNTING.
Highlights of birds seen or banded at Long Point were ORANGE-
CROWNED WARBLER, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, HOODED WARBLER, LAPLAND
LONGSPUR, SANDHILL CRANES, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON,
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, unidentified
Dowitchers TUNDRA SWANS and GREAT EGRETS.
The Hudsonian Godwit was not reported at Amherst Island near
Kingston this week, but a EURASIAN WIGEON was seen on nearby
Wolfe Island. Both species could show up in our aera and should
be watched for. Look also for flocks of American Pipits in fields
and overhead.
Good birding.
Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org