Hamilton RBA
July 19, 2001
Date: Thu, 19 Jul 2001 20:08:47 -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, July 19, 2001
Comments: To: ontbirds@hwcn.org
To: BIRDCNTR@listserv.arizona.edu
At 7:45PM Thursday, July 19, 2001 this is the Hamilton Naturalists' Club
Birding Hotline report. The Hotline is revised every Thursday, and updated
during the week if an important bird shows up in the area. The telephone
number is 905-381-0329.
The Hamilton area's bird of the summer, if not the year, was a BOREAL
CHICKADEE found last week in the Beverly Swamp, on Concession 8 about
halfway between the Spencer Creek parking area and the old Westover Road.
Unfortunately, there have been no confirmed reports of this bird since
July 11. The chickadee was found during the update work for the Hamilton
Natural Areas Inventory. Although it seems very strange to have a Boreal
Chickadee around here in the summer, another was found in mid-July in the
same area twenty-five years ago.
It seems awfully early but a migrant RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH touched down at
your reporter's place in Ancaster on Tuesday morning. Other reports
include a GRASSHOPPER SPARROW at the 4th Concession and Brock Road, a
territorial NORTHERN HARRIER off Onondaga Town Line Road near the Hydro
lines, and a COOPER'S HAWK being harassed by starlings over the
Meadowlands in Ancaster.
Only the original two RED-NECKED GREBE nests could be found in Bronte
Harbour this week. A fully grown juvenile, which still has a striped face,
and a brand new chick can be seen. Other birds of interest at Bronte
include a male LESSER SCAUP and two COMMON LOONS east of the harbour.
On the shorebird front, seen at Lake Congestion, the storm water pond west
of Guelph Line off Hwy. 403, were many SPOTTED SANDPIPERS, 2 GREATER
YELLOWLEGS and 10 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, KILLDEER, and a LEAST SANDPIPER.
Found at the Grimsby Sewage Ponds were LEAST SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS
and a SHORT BILLED DOWITCHER, plus one pair each of GREEN HERON AND BELTED
KINGFISHER.
The fall bird banding season is well under way at Selkirk and Rock Point
Provincial Parks. Species banded this week include BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO,
WOOD THRUSH, BROWN THRASHER, CEDAR WAXWING, a very early OVENBIRD,
WARBLING VIREO, RED-EYED VIREO, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, ROSE-BREASTED
GROSBEAK, HAIRY WOODPECKER, WILLOW FLYCATCHER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, BALTIMORE
ORIOLE and INDIGO BUNTING. At Rock Point more than 80 YELLOW WARBLERS have
been banded each day for three days in a row! RED-BREASTED NUTHACHES were
also heard in the pines at Selkirk. Also on Lake Erie, a dozen LITTLE
GULLS were seen today off Port Burwell.
Juvenile birds seen in the Hamilton area this week include GREEN HERON,
GRAY CATBIRD, WOOD DUCK, KILLDEER, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, BALTIMORE ORIOLE,
ORCHARD ORIOLE, GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, SWAMP SPARROW and DOWNY
WOODPECKER. A few birds were still singing, including WOOD THRUSH and
INDIGO BUNTING.
Please be sure to report your sightings. Sightings may also be submitted
by email.
Good Birding.
Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org