Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At 7:45PM on December 30, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

This Saturday, January 1, start the New Year off on the right foot(path) with a walk in the Red Hill Valley. Meet John Struger at 10 a.m. at the Red Hill Valley Bowl parking area, where King St. East and Lawrence Ave. meet.

With 7 or 8 parties still to report, it appears that the Hamilton Christmas Count will reach its average of 88 or 89 species. Early indications are that the numbers of small passerines and owls are down significantly, possibly due to the very high winds prevalent for most of Boxing Day. Highlights reported so far include WOOD DUCK, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, PEREGRINE FALCON, ICELAND GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL, GRAY CATBIRD, TUFTED TITMOUSE, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, FOX SPARROW, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, CAROLINA WREN and WINTER WREN.

The WESTERN TANAGER was still present in the woods at Shell Park in Oakville yesterday. Take the trail from the parking lot over the bridge and past the garden plots. The Tanager is most often in the woodlot which starts where the trail reaches a T- intersection, both on the west side at the edge of the soccer field and on the east side near the houses.

The WHOOPER SWAN and TRUMPETER SWANS were at LaSalle Marina yesterday.

Other local area reports include WILD TURKEYS at Green Mountain Rd. and 1st Rd. West in Stoney Creek, an immature BALD EAGLE over Dundurn Park on Christmas Day, and RING-NECKED PHEASANTS in Stoney Creek and Mount Hope.

Among sightings further afield are an EARED GREBE at Humber Park East at the foot of Park Lawn Rd. in west Toronto, the HEERMANN'S GULL still in the vicinity of Cherry and Unwin Sts. at the Toronto waterfront, a SPOTTED TOWHEE still at Lynde Shores CA in Ajax, dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS at Fergus, Guelph and St. Catharines, a late TURKEY VULTURE at Welland, and PURPLE SANDPIPER on Sunday but not today at Rock Point Provincial Park.

On the weekend a LITTLE GULL was at Niagara Falls, and both an adult and a third basic CALIFORNIA GULL plus an ICELAND GULL were seen at the Adam Beck overlook. On Sunday a female BARROWS GOLDENEYE was reported above Niagara Falls opposite the Dufferin Islands.

Good Birding and a Happy New Year.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Greetings Ontbirders

Today Wed.,Dec.29,1999 Stan Bajurney once again headed to Oakville to try and find the tanager for me (he found it on Mon. the 20th) and by 11 am we were just about to leave as we had already spent 9 hours looking for it without success on monday.

As we came out onto the pipeline to head back to the parking lot we looked along same at a group of 4 birders talking and pointing (a good sign). When Peter Rea spotted us he signaled and came to tell us that he had seen the bird well at 10 am which of coarse wiped out all thoughts of giving up right out of my tired mind.

While we stood talking with Peter about his sighting I heard a whistle from the woods and headed towards us and there pointing and looking were the other 3 birders and they had the bird in sight and soon so did I. We had good looks before it flew off to our left. This was at 11:25am.

So take heart all you who have missed it so far and those who would love to have it on this and next years list (only 3 days away, if the world doesn't end as we have been warned).

A big thank you goes out to Peter Rea for finding this bird again and for kindly hanging around to tell us about it (he knew we were still in the wrong woods somewhere).

Good luck to you all and a Happy New Year.

Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON
NORMURR@SYMPATICO.CA

P.S. - For directions see the many previous postings about this bird or contact me. Norm

At 2:45PM on Christmas Eve 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

For the third time in a month a very rare bird from the west coast has been found in our area. On Saturday birders on the Halton Christmas Count found a WESTERN TANAGER in the woods at Shell Park in Oakville. The Tanager was still present at noon today. Take the trail from the parking lot over the bridge and past the garden plots. The Tanager has been seen most often in the woodlot which starts where the trail reaches a T- intersection. This morning it was on the west side of the woods, on the edge of the soccer field. Yesterday it was near the back yard of a house on the east side of the woods. The ANCIENT MURRELET found last week at the Travelodge Inn in Burlington has not been seen again.

There have been a good number of interesting raptor reports this week. On the weekend a SNOWY OWL was on a light standard at the Queen Elizabeth Way and Guelph Line in Burlington, on Monday a SHORT-EARED OWL was in a tree on 10th road East in Stoney Creek, between the rail tracks and Ridge Road, and several SHORT-EARED OWLS and NORTHERN HARRIERS were at the Raptor Reserve on the 6th Concession northwest of Fisherville. Both Hamilton PEREGRINE FALCONS were perched together on a ledge at the Stelco Tower late last week, and on Friday your reporter saw a RED-TAILED HAWK dive bombing pigeons in the peregrines' territory, just a block west of the Sheraton Hotel. Yesterday a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen near Hwy. 407 and Highway 10, and a large falcon, either a Peregrine of a dark morph Gyrfalcon, picked off a Rock Dove from a perch of the top of the Ford Motor Company office at Hwy. 403 in Oakville.

Single HERMIT THRUSH were reported in Burlington and St. Catharines. RED CROSSBILLS and COMMON REDPOLLS visited a feeder in Kilbride, and WHITE-WINGEED CROSSBILLS turned up in a yard in Burlington.

Seen at LaSalle Marina this week were CANVASBACK, HOODED MERGANSER, AMERICAN COOT, TRUMPETER SWAN, and the WHOOPER SWAN, which has returned for another winter.

On the Long Point Christmas Count last weekend record numbers of TUNDRA SWAN, MALLARD, GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, REDHEAD, GREATER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCK, SANDHILL CRANE and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCH were tallied. The bird of the day was a TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE which unfortunately has not been seen since.

Lot of good gulls remain on the Niagara River, with BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE, THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL and CALIFORNIA GULL all reported again this week.

Out of town, a GREAT GRAY Owl was reported near Orillia on the weekend, the HEERMANN'S GULL was in the vicinity of Cherry and Unwin Sts. in the Toronto waterfront yesterday, 30 WILD TURKEYS were in a field south of Hwy. 24 near Fisher's Glen on Tuesday morning, the MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was seen on Tuesday afternoon at Fisher's Glen and a pair of DUNLIN were at Rock Point PP.

Good Birding and a Merry Christmas.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Between 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. this afternoon, the female Western Tanager was easily seen as it sat in the sun feeding on buckthorn berries and gleaning insects from tree trunks. It was associating with House Finches and American Goldfinches. The exact location where it was seen was as follows:

Walk north along the path through the garden plots, when the path turns right (east) follow it until you reach the south end of the north/south pipeline clearing. The south-east edge of the woodlot will be on your left, with houses backing onto vine tangles and clumps of trees on your right (south) and ahead of you (east). The bird was seen both along the south-east edge of the woodlot and on the east side of the pipeline cut close to the edge of the cut. Watch for it feeding at eye level or lower in vine tangles or up higher along the tree trunks. The bright lemon yellow undertail coverts is quite striking as well as its bill which is presumably stained red from the berry juice.

To get to Shell Park take Bronte Road south from the QEW to Lakeshore Road. Proceed west across Bronte Creek until you leave the built-up area and look for the gardens and sign for Shell Park on your right. Park, then walk NE along the paved path over a bridge across the creek and north along the dirt path through some garden plots, until the path turns right when it reaches the woodlot. Follow this path east until you reach the north/south pipleline cut.

Alfred Adamo
E-mail: aadamo@purolator.com
(906) 238 5166

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

A Western Tanager (female) was well seen by many observers this morning (Sunday, Dec. 19) in Shell Park in the west end of Oakville. I originally saw the bird very briefly yesterday on the South Peel Xmas count. Since I was unable to relocate the bird in spite of much effort and could not rule out hallucination I was selective about reporting the bird at that time.

To reach Shell Park exit the QEW at Burloak then go south to Lakeshore Rd., turn left. Shell Park is on the left. Proceed to the yellow barrier and park. Walk by the garden plots to the wood lot in the northeast section of the park. The wood lot is bounded by a soccer field on the west and a fence on the north. The bird was feeding on berries at the south end today. Yesterday it was near the north end.

Gavin Edmondstone
Oakville, Ontario
sue-gavin@sympatico.ca

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At 5:45PM Thursday, December 16, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

For the second time in a few weeks a very rare bird from the west coast has turned up in our area. Just before the storm arrived on Tuesday afternoon an ANCIENT MURRELET was found in Lake Ontario off the Travelodge Hotel at the foot of Brant Street in Burlington. It has not been seen since but could still be in the region.

Last Thursday, a female HARLEQUIN DUCK and a female KING EIDER were found at the foot of Gray's Road in Stoney Creek in a flock which included BLACK SCOTERS and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, REDHEADS and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. Also there was a partial albino COMMON GOLDENEYE.

Immature BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKES were seen at Van Wagner's Beach on both Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday 3 PARASITIC JAEGERS flew by close to the beach and a probable dark morph POMARINE JAEGER was spotted on the horizon.

On Monday an immature SNOWY OWL was sitting on the breakwater at the Canada Centre for Inland Waters. Bronte Woods has a resident pair of GREAT HORNED OWLS and also a resident COOPER'S HAWK. McMaster University continues to be a good place to hawkwatch, with an adult NORTHERN GOSHAWK and a COOPER'S HAWK both seen there in the past few days.

Other area sightings include 3 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS in the trails behind the hockey arena off Olympic Drive in Dundas, and a very active PILEATED WOODPECKER at Bronte Woods.

On the home front, COMMON REDPOLLS were the common highlight at feeders in Ancaster on Monday, Kilbride on Tuesday and in the east end of Hamilton at noon today. Our listeners in Kilbride also report a GREAT BLUE HERON overhead this morning, as well as several dozen HOUSE FINCHES and 15 PINE SISKINS at their feeder.

The colder weather has resulted in more gulls being seen on the Niagara River, with LITTLE GULL, THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL and CALIFORNIA GULL all reported this week.

After an absense of a few days the HEERMANN'S GULL has returned to the vicinity of Cherry and Unwin Sts. in the Toronto waterfront. The MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was last reported at Fisher's Glen on Tuesday afternoon.

In addition to COMMON REDPOLLS, single HOARY REDPOLLS have been found in Owen Sound and Algonquin Park, so be sure to watch for them too.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Ont birders

Early last evening I posted a message in haste re the Ancient Murrelet I found at the foot of Brant Street in Burlington yesterday afternoon (14 Dec). Didn't discover until now that it bounced back presumably because I got part of the e-mail address incorrect.

To paraphrase what it said, I watched it from 1:40 until 1:55 pm went to phone others and upon returning at 2:20pm I and a few others who looked until conditions became impossible (sleet, snow, gale etc.) could not find it

Guess it's academic since it was not refound today by those who looked. I suppose more eyes might have helped though.

Now to see if this message gets through

Bob Curry Burlington, ON

I arrived at Van Wagners Beach today with the storm raging out of the East perfect for some good birds. At 12:45 I had a Black L Kittiwake juv. flying south east, at 1:10 a another B-L-Kittiwake and what I am 80% sheer was a Pomarine Jaeger in Dark Morph this was on the horizon. All most best of all was at 1:20, 3 Parasitic Jaeger flue by vary closes to land , we watched this come from the south and right past us allowing for great looks .

I understand there wear other B-L-Kittiwake's seen earlier in the day also.

Craig McLauchlan
csam@sympatico.ca

Please Excuse my spelling ,I am Dyslexic
thank you for your understanding.
Craig

At 6:30PM Thursday, December 9, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The extremely rare HEERMANN'S GULL found in Toronto last week has not been seen for the last couple of days but may still be around.

On Saturday 44 SURF SCOTERS were just off Van Wagner's beach, and more than a dozen RED-NECKED GREBES were in Bronte Harbour. As many as 100 CANVASBACKS were at LaSalle Park, while 30 RUDDY DUCKS, a few NORTHERN PINTAIL and 2 late DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were at Tollgate Ponds. There have been no reports of eiders off Stoney Creek since Friday.

Other good birds in our area include a PILEATED WOODPECKER flying across Main St. W. near University Plaza on Thursday, WHITE- WINGED CROSSBILLS and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS at or over Bronte Woods on Saturday, a MERLIN in a Haddon Ave. yard near McMaster on Sunday, and yesterday SHARP-SHINNED HAWK near Locke and Charlton and the NORTHERN SHRIKE at Shoreacres.

On Saturday visitors to the Raptor Reserve near Fisherville saw NORTHERN HARRIERS and a COOPER'S HAWK, and then an adult GOLDEN EAGLE showed up. They waited for dusk and were further rewarded by 4 SHORT-EARED OWLS.

In the Turkey Point/Long Point area the MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was reported as late as Sunday, a MERLIN, two SANDHILL CRANES and an adult BALD EAGLE were at the Turkey Point Marsh, about 40 SANDHILL CRANES were west of Hwy. 59 before the causeway, 3 LITTLE GULLS were at the end of Rodgers Lane near Old Cut Blvd., and 5 white phase SNOW GEESE were at Big Creek Marsh.

THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL, GLAUCOUS GULL and CALIFORNIA GULL are still being found on the Niagara River. A PEREGRINE FALCON continues to be reported in the area, there was one report of 2 PURPLE SANDPIPERS above the falls, and 2 RED-THROATED LOONS were at the river mouth at Niagara-on-the- Lake. While the Snowy Owl was not seen at Port Weller East last weekend, at least 50 SNOW BUNTINGS landed on the beach there.

The stragglers of the week are three TREE SWALLOWS found today at Howe Island in the St. Lawrence River between Kingston and Gananoque.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

At 8:00PM Thursday, December 2, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The bird of the fall is an extremely rare HEERMANN'S GULL found in Toronto earlier this week and still there today. The gull is at or near the Cargill Salt property, 220 Unwin Ave., at the east end of the Gardiner Expressway close to the RL Hearn Generating Station. Birders are reminded to ask permission at the trailer- office at the entrance before proceeding.

Closer to home, in a very uncommon occurrence, a female COMMON EIDER and a female KING EIDER were both found today in Lake Ontario off Lawrence Sayers Park just east of Grays Road, and off Green Rd., in Stoney Creek. They could be among a huge flock of COMMON GOLDENEYE and/or Scaup, so patience may be necessary.

A pair of immature BALD EAGLES were seen from McMaster over the Marsh last Friday. Spotted yesterday near University Plaza in Dundas were a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, 3 PURPLE FINCHES, and several PINE SISKINS.

The MOUNTAIN BLUEBIRD was still present with EASTERN BLUEBIRDS today at or near 1681 Front Road in Fisher's Glen. Take Hwy. 24 south from Simcoe and then go south from Hwy 24 on the Fisher's Glen Rd.

Over the weekend more than 50 SANDHILL CRANES were counted in the Long Point area. One group of 40+ was in a field west of Hwy. 59 north of the causeway.

The SNOWY OWL was seen at Port Weller East on Saturday afternoon, as were several RED-THROATED LOONS and a NORTHERN SHRIKE. During the week THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS and LITTLE GULL were seen on the Niagara River or near the Falls.

In what we hope may be a sign of things to come around here this winter, both BLACK-BACKED WOODPECKER and NORTHERN THREE-TOED WOODPECKER, as well as a BARROW'S GOLDENEYE, were found near Ottawa last weekend.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

At 7:00PM Thursday, November 18, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Highlights of the Hamilton fall count on Nov. 7 were a very late NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, SANDHILL CRANES, BALD EAGLE and GOLDEN EAGLE, a RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, more than a dozen RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS and many NORTHERN SHRIKES. On the count morning a birder accidentally flushed a GREAT-HORNED OWL near Charlton and Wellington. Crows quickly came in to harass the owl, but when a RED-TAILED HAWK turned up the Crows went for him and left the owl alone to find a new roost.

EVENING GROSBEAKS turned up at Rock Chapel, in Burlington and near Chedoke Golf Course, COMMON REDPOLLS flew over University Plaza in Dundas, and a WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL was seen over Aberdeen. CEDAR WAXWINGS and a TUFTED TITMOUSE have returned to the RBG's Arboretum, NORTHERN SHRIKES were at Rock Chapel, near Governor's Rd. in Dundas and at Griffin House, and a BROWN CREEPER was at the marsh. NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS have been active in several locations.

Several hundred LESSER SCAUP and GREATER SCAUP, RUDDY DUCKS, NORTHERN PINTAILS and GREEN-WINGED TEAL were at WIndermere Basin. The ROSS' GOOSE was still at Humber Bay Park East in Etobicoke as late as last Saturday but we have had no reports since.

Reported on the the Niagara River this week were THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL and LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL at the Adam Beck Overlook, a THAYER'S GULL and 8 LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULLS above the falls, and a LITTLE GULL in the gorge along with 2 adult PEREGRINE FALCONS.

An immature BALD EAGLE flew over the Dundas Valley Tuesday, a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen Sunday at Van Wagner's Beach hunting on the water over a raft of OLDSQUAW, and another PEREGRINE FALCON was at Selkirk PP. A SNOWY OWL was present on the east side of the Welland Canal at Port Weller yesterday, and two PURPLE SANDPIPERS were found there Sunday. Birders are warned that there have been car break-ins at Port Weller.

On the home front, for the second winter a CAROLINA WREN has returned to the same Dundas yard, and another CAROLINA WREN has been coming to a feeder near the bottom of the Jolly Cut in the city.

Birders are asked to look for colour-banded GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, with an aluminum band on one leg and a coloured plastic band with a number and a letter on the other. If you see one, please report the location, date and time of the sighting as well as the colour of the band and the number-letter combination to the hotline.

The cold weather will definitely get winter gulls moving along the lakeshore and the Niagara River, and should bring in more ducks. An adult male HARLEQUIN DUCK was at Sarnia Bay last weekend, so it's time to look for them here.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

At 7:00PM Thursday, November 11, 1999 this is the first report for the eleventh year of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club Birding Hotline.

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 905-648-9537.)

It is not possible to acknowledge individually the many people who contribute sightings to these reports, but three people deserve special recognition. The hotline would not be possible without the regular reports and help of Rob Dobos and John Olmsted, and the backup of George Naylor. My sincere thanks to them and everyone else who helps.

The Bird Study Group will meet next Monday, November 15, at the Canada Centre For Inland Waters on Eastport Drive just beside the Skyway Bridge. This month's meeting will feature a talk by Ron Scovell on the Birds of Peru, and an ID session on Winter Finches by Matt Mills. The meeting starts at 7:30PM. Visitors are always welcome.

The last ten days has probably been the most unusual in the Hamilton hotline's ten years. While we often get avian influxes of one type or another, your reporter cannot remember an occasion when we had simultaneous invasions of birds from both the south and the north. This week, just as reports of CAVE SWALLOWS at Long Point and elsewhere were starting to dwindle, an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON and a CATTLE EGRET were found in the Long Point area, and an immature SNOWY EGRET turned up in Niagara-on-the- Lake! Meanwhile, EVENING GROSBEAKS were seen in Woodstock, BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS in Guelph, PINE SISKINS in Stoney Creek and at Dundas Marsh, WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS and RED-WINGED CROSSBILLS at Selkirk PP and COMMON REDPOLLS near Dunnville.

The 1999 flight of GOLDEN EAGLES is not over - an adult and 10 juveniles, including one which was banded, were seen at Hawk Cliff on Saturday, while 24 were counted at Holiday Beach on Sunday. The Hawk Cliff totals to date this year are more than twice the season totals of just two years ago. A GYRFALCON put Cranberry Marsh hawk counters in raptures on the weeknd, and a Swainson's Hawk like bird was reported there today. NORTHERN GOSHAWK and BALD EAGLE were both spotted over McMaster, and a dark-phased ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was hunting near Sawmill Road south of the city.

The first SNOWY OWL of the season was spotted at Presqu'ile PP today, and a SHORT-EARED OWL flew by Hutch's Restaurant this morning. On Sunday your reporter's fall count area produced 11 EASTERN SCREECH OWLS and one NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL.

For several weeks we've been telling listeners to head for Van Wagner's Beach if the winds were out of the east. A birder who spent 3 hours in this morning's strong NE winds was rewarded with a flight of 13 juvenile POMARINE JAEGERS, as well as a PARASITIC JAEGER and a rare adult BLACK-LEGGED KITTIWAKE.

Other reports include a late KILLDEER at Mount Hope, a NORTHERN SHRIKE at Shoreacres and six SANDHILL CRANES on First Rd East South of Mud in Stoney Creek.

The Niagara River season has begun, with CALIFORNIA GULL, THAYER'S GULL, ICELAND GULL, LESSER BLACK-BACKED GULL and LITTLE GULL all reported this week.

Waterfowl reports include a ROSS' GOOSE at Humber Bay Park in Etobicoke, TUNDRA SWANS over Coote's Paradise, a SNOW GOOSE flying with CANADA GEESE over Oakville and a blue phase SNOW GOOSE at Green Mountain Quarry off 10th Rd. E. in Stoney Creek. The Black Swan is still around, moving between the Dundas Hydro Pond and Desjardins Canal.

PURPLE SANDPIPERS were reported at Presqu'ile and Long Point, and HUDSONIAN GODWITS at Corner Marsh in Ajax.

On the home front, for the third straight year a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD has returned to the same Dundas yard for the winter.

While there are still a few more Golden Eagles and lots of Red- tailed Hawks to come, the cold weather and various reports suggest that it is time to start thinking about looking for winter gulls along the Niagara River, but keep an eye on Van Wagner's Beach for Jaegers and winter gulls on east winds.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

At 7:00PM Thursday, November 4, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The annual Fall bird count takes place this Sunday, November 7. If you notice a rare or unusual bird in the Hamilton region on Sunday please be sure to report it to the hotline so we can make sure it is included in the count.

The November Hamilton Naturalist's Club meeting will take place next Monday evening, the 8th. Dr. Christine Bishop will tell us about her "Adventures in South Africa" Meetings are held at 8:00 p.m. at the Royal Botanical Gardens Centre, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington. Visitors are always welcome.

CAVE SWALLOWS, birds whose normal range is extreme southern Texas, northern Mexico and the Caribbean, are the find of the fall. At least 25 were found yesterday at Point Pelee by Kevin McLaughlin. Today as many as 21 CAVE SWALLOWS were counted at Old Cut Blvd. in Long Point, and a few were seen at Pelee. Birders anywhere in southern Ontario should pay close attention to any swallow they see.

At 1:30PM yesterday a BLACK VULTURE was spotted over the Dundas Valley travelling quickly in a strong NW wind. An immature GOLDEN EAGLE and a juvenile ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew over Parkside High School in Dundas this morning. Both RED-SHOULDERED HAWK and COOPER'S HAWK were seen over Berry CA. A SHORT-EARED OWL being harrassed by Crows over Pier 24 got away by flying higher than its tormentors wanted to go. It looks as though both adult PEREGRINE FALCONS are are going to stay around downtown for the winter.

A dark-phased juvenile POMARINE JAEGER and an immature PARASITIC JAEGER were seen at different times right over Hutch's restaurant on Van Wagner's Beach. The BRANT on the grass at Spencer Smith Park in Burlington was last reported Sunday. A BRANT was also reported at Bronte Harbour but we don't know if this is the same bird. Large numbers of OLDSQUAW and Scaup are gathering on the lake.

Eight PINE SISKINS dropped in for breakfast at feeders in Kilbride yesterday.

A spectacular but almost certainly escaped Black Swan was flying at the Dundas Hydro Pond on Saturday. On Sunday Cootes Paradise also hosted likely escapees when the two male Northern Shelducks were again seen. Rounding out this section of the report was a definitely escaped Budgie spotted in the Scenic Woods area of Ancaster.

In addition to CAVE SWALLOWS, birds banded or seen at the tip of Long Point this week included YELLOW-THROATED WARBLER, 2 BREWER'S BLACKBIRDS, BOHEMIAN WAXWING, and a SHORT-EARED OWL. WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL and EVENING GROSBEAK flew over the Old Cut field station.

Interesting birds banded recently at Selkirk PP include a LINCOLN'S SPARROW, a "Yellow" PALM WARBLER, an OREGON JUNCO, RED- EYED VIREO, and 4 TUFTED TITMICE. Two BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES banded at Braddock Bay near Rochester this fall have been recaptured at Selkirk, and in a reverse from last week's item, a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL banded at Selkirk was recovered this week at Long Point!

Although very few shorebirds have been reported in our area, PURPLE SANDPIPERS, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, DUNLIN, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and SANDERLING were seen at Presqu'ile PP today.

The second peak in GOLDEN EAGLE migration, if there is a second, should occur in the next week or so, possibly even tomorrow or Saturday. Large numbers of Red-tailed Hawks will also be seen. Continue to check Van Wagner's Beach for Jaegers and winter gulls on east winds.

Please don't forget reports for the Fall Bird Count on Sunday.

Good Birding.

At 7:00PM Thursday, October 28, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

This Saturday, October 30, join Dean Gugler for a Fall Wildflower Walk. Meet at 1 p.m. at Sanctuary Park in Dundas. Use the park entrance from Sanctuary Drive. Follow Pleasant Ave. off Old Ancaster Rd.

The annual Fall bird count takes place a week Sunday, on November 7. Contact Bill Lamond at (519) 756-9546 to participate.

The birding story of the week has been the incredible number of GOLDEN EAGLES which arrived in the south in the wake of last weekend's cold front. More than 40 were seen at Hawk Cliff, south of London, on Sunday and Monday. Yesterday, at Holiday Beach near Amherstburg, a one-day record of 34 GOLDEN EAGLES was set. Also counted at Holiday Beach yesterday were 61 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, 723 RED-TAILED HAWKS and 16 ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS.

Unforunately, the environmental story of the week is not as pleasant. Large numbers of waterfowl, including COMMON LOON, RED-THROATED LOON, RED-NECKED GREBE, HORNED GREBE and RED- BREASTED MERGANSER are being found dead on the shores of Lake Huron and Lake Erie. At present Government agencies believe that the cause is a form of botulism.

Locally, a BRANT is spending time with the CANADA GEESE at Spencer Smith Park at Brant street and Lakeshore Rd. in Burlington. Flocks of COMMON LOON and RED-THROATED LOON were seen over Dundas. Lots of RUDDY DUCKS and NORTHERN SHOVELER were reported in the two Tollgate Ponds. Large numbers of ducks were at Windermere Basin, among them LESSER SCAUP, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER and AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS.

Birds seen at Princess Point on Sunday morning included TUNDRA SWAN, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, GREEN WINGED TEAL, GADWALL, NORTHERN PINTAIL, NORTHERN SHOVELER, LESSER SCAUP, GREATER SCAUP, HOODED MERGANSER, COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEAD, OLDSQUAW, RUDDY DUCK, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD.

The straggler of the month was a COMMON NIGHTHAWK flying over the city last Saturday. On Tuesday a flock of about 20 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were feeding on the ground and on seed heads in a field near Alberton. WILD TURKEYS were seen near 1st Road West and Green Mountain Road in Stoney Creek.

Northern species reported in or south of our area this week include COMMON REDPOLL, PINE SISKIN, SNOW BUNTING, PURPLE FINCH, NORTHERN SHRIKE, EVENING GROSBEAK, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW and LONG-EARED OWL.

Large numbers of NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS are continuing to head south. Bird Studies Canada reports that between its observatories near Thunder Bay and at Long Point close to 1000 Saw-whets have been banded so far this fall. An impressive 65 SAW-WHET OWLS were banded at Old Cut Blvd. in Long Point on Tuesday night. One Saw- whet banded at the Tip of Long Point was recaptured 10 days later at Selkirk PP.

Birders scoping a PEREGRINE FALCON roosting on the wave tower off Van Wagner's Beach on Sunday were surprised to see four more PEREGRINE FALCONS fly by in a group. A GOLDEN EAGLE was spotted from a central mountain home and another over Dundas Marsh, while an immature BALD EAGLE was spotted over the Stelco plant. Good numbers of NORTHERN HARRIERS have moverd into the area.

At least a dozen LITTLE GULLS were found at Turkey Point, and larger flocks of TUNDRA SWANS are starting to arrive at Long Point.

The second peak in GOLDEN EAGLE migration - if there are any left in the north - occurs in a week or so. Look for them behind a sharp cold front. Large numbers of Red-tailed Hawks can also be seen. Continue to check Van Wagner's Beach for Jaegers and winter gulls on east winds.

Good Birding.

Mike Street
Ancaster, Ontario, Canada
mikestreet@hwcn.org

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

as of 12.05 pm on wednesday, oct 27th, the brant was still at spencer creek. has moved a bit and one should park at hotel, on east side, where the wall says "dakotas". walk straight down across the grass to the shoreline where all the boulders are. right there, h/she, was drifting along all alone, about two feet from the rocks. didnt need binoculars let alone a scope to have a glorious view.

directions are on several other e mails.

Hi Gord,

Waterfowl were plentiful all around Hamilton Harbour today. While there were no great rarities, the relative abundance of species was quite interesting. Not surprisingly, Scaup sp. were the most abundant (~900 in total, most of these at Windermere Basin). However, I was amazed that the next most abundant species was Shoveler - 220 in the Tollgate Ponds alone, and another 15 at Windermere Basin. Also very numerous here were Ruddy Ducks - 65 at Tollgate, and 40 more at Windermere. Surprisingly, Gadwalls (total of 10), Mallards (~50), Black Ducks (~40), and even Canada Geese (~60) were all relatively scarce.

At LaSalle Park, Coots (62) and Mute Swans (36) were the most common species. However, there were also at least two Trumpeter Swans (wing tags 119 and 404), and at least two Tundra Swans. There were a further 21 non-Mute Swans further to the east, but I couldn't make out for certain whether they were Trumpeter or Tundra (although I suspect the latter).

Other species of interest in the Hamilton Harbour area included 1 male Canvasback at the Tollgate Ponds, 8 Pintails in Windermere Basin, and several small flocks of Buffleheads along the north shore.

Over at Shoreacres, there were 23 Red-necked Grebes incredibly close to shore. To make the visit all the more memorable, a flock of 7 Pine Siskins flew west overhead, followed a minute later by a Merlin battling a Crow. Not bad for a quick 5-minute stop on the way home...

Good birding,

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Ontbirders

There is a Brant with the Canada Geese at Spencer Smith Park at Brant street and the Lakeshore in Burlington. Apparently, it has been there for more than a few days and looks settled so it may stay a while. Spencer Smith Park is at the site of the former Brant Inn (named after Chief Joseph Brant).. Perhaps the bird knows something!

Take the QEW Brant St. Exit south to Lakeshore Road. Park behind the Comfort Inn and walk west to the area of lawn and playgrounds. The bird and its congeners are grazing on the grass and avoiding rambunctious children.

At 7:30PM Thursday, October 21, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The Bird Study Group will meeting this Monday, October 25 at the Canada Centre For Inland Waters on Eastport Drive just beside the Skyway Bridge. This month's meeting will feature a talk by Valerie Wyatt on the Reproductive Success of Wood Thrushes and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on the Niagara Escarpment, and a video on the Hamilton Peregrines. Birders who have recently bought new field guides are asked to donate unneeded older bird guides to the HNC's Junior Naturalists Club. Books can be brought to the Study Group meeting. The meeting starts at 7:30PM. Visitors are always welcome.

More signs of winter include SHORT-EARED OWLS and BRANT migrating across Lake Ontario or along its shore; LAPLAND LONGSPUR, SNOW BUNTING, AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, AMERICAN PIPIT and NORTHERN SHRIKE north and south of us, and large numbers of PINE SISKINS reported moving south. An early PURPLE SANDPIPER turned up at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

Also reported on Lake Ontario were OLDSQUAW, SURF SCOTER, WHITE- WINGED SCOTER and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. On Sunday three PARASITIC JAEGERS were off Van Wagner's Beach. RED-NECKED GREBES and HORNED GREBES were off Shoreacres.

Other sightings this week include a very late RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD still at a feeder in the city; an equally late MOURNING WARBLER at Shoreacres; FOX SPARROW, EASTERN PHOEBE, HERMIT THRUSH, WINTER WREN and PALM WARBLER at Dundas Marsh; plus WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW, GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, CEDAR WAXWING, and RUSTY BLACKBIRD in several places.

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and DUNLIN were off the Willows in the Marsh. STILT SANDPIPER, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER and SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER and LESSER YELLOWLEGS were found at Princess Point, and PECTORAL SANDPIPERS were at Valley Inn.

There was lots of activity on the raptor front. A NORTHERN SAW- WHET OWL was being mobbed by Chickadees in an Ancaster yard this morning. A juvenile PEREGRINE FALCON was at Pier 24, two PEREGRINE FALCONS were reported in the vicinity of the hamilton Sheraton Hotel yesterday, while an immature and an adult PEREGRINE FALCON and a COOPER'S HAWK were all seen hunting over Dundas Marsh. An interesting home sighting came from Caistor Centre, where birders who happened to be listening to the hotline saw a NORTHERN HARRIER swoop past the window and through their yard. Three GOLDEN EAGLES, two adults and an immature, were migrating along the shore of Lake Erie near Port Burwell yesterday.

Small flocks of Tundra Swans have been seen in the Long Point area. Shorebirds are still plentiful on the causeway, including many WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPERS and a WESTERN SANDPIPER. At Old Cut Blvd. 58 new NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were banded and a couple of birds banded at the Tip earlier this fall were recaptured. Seen in Long Point Bay were several hundred AMERICAN COOTS and two dozen PIED-BILLED GREBES.

Found at Tollgate Ponds along Eastport Drive yesterday afternoon were large numbers of RUDDY DUCK and NORTHERN SHOVELER, thousands of Scaup, many REDHEADS, RING-NECKED DUCK and GREEN-WINGED TEAL, as well as a few CANVASBACKS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK and HOODED MERGANSERS.

The first peak in GOLDEN EAGLE migration occurs in the next week. Continue to look for Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks. On east winds head for Van Wagner's Beach and hope for Jaegers and winter gulls.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

There were three Parasitic Jaegers off of Van Wagner's Beach in Hamilton this afternoon at around 14:30. They were spotted several times over about a half hour period, either chasing gulls or each other or flying back and forth over the large rafts of ducks out past the 'wave tower'. One bird was quite light underneath and had a darker cap, and so may have been an adult.

Other birds in the area at the time included a Peregrine Falcon which flew off and returned to the offshore 'wave tower' several times; thousands of bay ducks including Scaup sp., Red-breasted Merganser and Surf Scoter (seen flying), two Horned Grebes in winter plumage and a few Bonaparte's Gulls.

Two Jaegers had also been seen in the morning by Kevin McLaughlin (I hope I spelled that right!), who was still there when the three reappeared. I deeply apologize to the other observer present, but as I said my memory for names is pathetic! Please e-mail me and tell me off!

To reach Van Wagner's Beach exit the Niagara-bound QEW at Woodward avenue, turn right and then right again at the lights to head under the bridge, and turn right again onto Van Wagner's Beach Road.

Good Birding!

At 5:30PM Thursday, October 14, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Due to a prior commitment the Bird Study Group meeting will not be held until Monday, October 25. Features will be a talk by Valerie Wyatt on the Reproductive Success of Wood Thrushes and Rose-breasted Grosbeaks on the Niagara Escarpment, and a video on the Hamilton Peregrines. Birders who have recently bought new field guides are asked to donate unneeded older bird guides to the HNC's Junior Naturalists Club. Books can be brought to the Study Group meeting.

We now have confirmation that the Piping Plover which visited our area in September was banded this summer at Whitefish Point in Michigan.

The pair of GLOSSY IBIS found Sunday near Cayuga have not been seen since.

Despite lots of effort, only one SHARP-TAILED SPARROW was found this week at Cootes Paradise and the Dundas Marsh. A SEDGE WREN was again reported there, as were at least 4 GREAT EGRETS, BLACK- BELLIED PLOVER, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, WOOD DUCK, PECTORAL SANDPIPER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. A nice surprise for one birder was the view of two SHORT-EARED OWLS over the marsh.

Lots of ducks are arriving in the Hamilton area. Seen at Tollgate Ponds, Windermere Basin and the Pier 24 pond were RUDDY DUCK, LESSER SCAUP, GREATER SCAUP and NORTHERN PINTAIL. GREEN-WINGED TEAL and GREAT EGRETS can also be seen at Princess Point. Birders are again reminded that the large birds at Princess Point which are often mistaken for Greater White-Fronted Geese are in fact domestic hybrids.

A juvenile POMARINE JAEGER flew in to Van Wagner's Beach Monday afternoon.

What may be an indicator of an interesting winter was the flight of PINE SISKINS which arrived in the city on Monday. Siskins were seen at feeders in Aldershot, the east end of the city and on the central mountain. More DARK-EYED JUNCOS moved into the area this week, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES seem to have taken up residence in several places.

Raptors are still being seen over the area, with a MERLIN and an AMERICAN KESTREL on the Central Mountain, and SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and RED-TAILED HAWK at Princess Point.

Banders at Selkirk PP got a real surprise last week when a RED-TAILED HAWK was found in one of the warbler nets. Birds banded besides the Red-tail included 8 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 2 ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLERS and a CAPE MAY WARBLER.

There's been a lot of activity at Long Point. On Monday Bird Studies Canada staff banded 96 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS at Old Cut and the Tip. BSC reports many Robins, Blackbirds, Kinglets, HERMIT THRUSHES, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS going through, along with a few AMERICAN PIPITS and LAPLAND LONGSPURS. Large numbers of COMMON SNIPE, PIED-BILLED GREBES and AMERICAN COOTS are gathering in the bay, while as many as a dozen SANDHILL CRANES are in the Big Creek Marsh. Shorebirds seen along the Long Point Causeway included RUFF, RED PHALAROPE, RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, MARBLED GODWIT, BUFF- BREASTED SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, WESTERN SANDPIPER, BLACK- BELLIED PLOVER, SANDERLING and LONG-BILLED DOWITCHER. An AMERICAN BITTERN and SNOW GEESE were also reported.

Continue to look for TURKEY VULTURES heading west or south, and watch also for Red-shouldered and Red-tailed Hawks who are beginning their migration. If the wind goes into the east, head for Van Wagner's Beach and hope for Jaegers and winter gulls.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Today I visited Cootes' Paradise to try for the elusive Sharp-tailed Sparrow with no luck after trying for several hours. Among the birds seen in the tall grassed area were a SEDGE WREN (possibly 2) and several SWAMP sparrows.

On the mudflats were several GREAT BLUE HERONS, 4 GREAT EGRETS, 2 BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS, several GREEN-WINGED TEAL, about 10 PECTORAL Sandpipers and 2 GREATER YELLOWLEGS. I also heard and saw 2 KILLDEER flying over.

Gina Turone
gturone@sprint.ca

Directions copied from Norm Murr's 10/2/99 message:

To get to Cootes

From Toronto drive west on the QEW until you come to the Y intersection in Burlington of the QEW and Hwy 403. Take Hwy 403 to the Main Street exit in Hamilton and drive right to Main Street West. Turn left on Main Street and drive past the McMaster University Medical Centre to Cootes Drive on the right. Drive down Cootes drive to the bottom of the hill where the road crosses a small bridge, park just beyond the bridge at the entrance to the marsh trail which is immediately off the end of the bridge. To get to the Sharp-tail area walk down this trail until you come to a footbridge over the creek, cross the bridge, turn left, walk a little and you will see a tower, walk straight past this tower out into the marsh grasses and you're in the sparrow neighborhood.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello again Ontbirders (Yep I'm still around)

Today Stan Bajurny and I didn't stray too far and I am home before 9:30pm this time and that is early for me.

We tried our luck at Cootes Paradise and were rewarded (thanks to Peter Raye) with the sighting of 2 Sharp-tailed Sparrows out by the willows. Peter had seen them before we got to him and his may be the first sightings at this location this year.

After awhile we did some other birding at this location and at the north shore trails. Not far from the Sharp-tails we heard and then found a Sedge Wren with 10 ft away views of an agitated little bird. We also found Downy, Hairy and Pileated Woodpeckers as well as N.Flicker and Y-b Sapsucker and many blackbirds overhead, including Rusties and 6 Turkey Vultures were roosting in plain view near Paradise Tower.

At the north shore trails we again saw many blackbirds, 3 E. Bluebirds, 2 B. Thrashers a Hermit Thrush and 7 Sparrow species and overhead at low level passed 3 Cooper's, a N. Goshawk, a Red-shouldered Hawk and an Osprey. After a while we headed to Van Wagners Pond but all that was there were 3 Greater and 7 Lesser Yellowlegs.

On the way home we made a quick stop at Shoreacres Park and found 1 Eared, 1 Horned and 22 Red-necked Grebes.

There are still at least 3 Great Egrets at Cootes and many waterfowl that we didn't check out and at the North Shore Trails we heard a calling Great Horned Owl and there are N. Mockingbirds at this location.

To get to Cootes

From Toronto drive west on the QEW until you come to the Y intersection in Burlington of the QEW and Hwy 403. Take Hwy 403 to the Main Street exit in Hamilton and drive right to Main Street West. Turn left on Main Street and drive past the McMaster University Medical Centre to Cootes Drive on the right. Drive down Cootes drive to the bottom of the hill where the road crosses a small bridge, park just beyond the bridge at the entrance to the marsh trail which is immediately off the end of the bridge. To get to the Sharp-tail area walk down this trail until you come to a footbridge over the creek, cross the bridge, turn left, walk a little and you will see a tower, walk straight past this tower out into the marsh grasses and your in the sparrow neiborhood.

To get to Shoreacres park

From Toronto drive west on the QEW to Burlington and exit at Appleby Line (Exit 107), drive south on Appleby Line to Lakeshore Road. Turn right, west on Lakeshore road and drive to Shoreacres Road. The park is on the left, south side of Lakeshore Road at the west end of a small bridge and has a small parking area. Don't let the appearance fool you (there is a boarded up house and a gate house here, but they are the reason for the park). Walk to the lake and you are almost guaranteed to find Horned and Red-necked Grebes here as well as other waterfowl.

To get to the North Shore Trails

To get to the North Shore Trails from Cootes Paradise first you have to return to your automobile and continue along Cootes Drive to the first set of lights, turn right onto York Road, drive past the greenhouses and up the hill and you will find a small parking area on your right, it is marked.

At 6:00PM Thursday, September 30, 1999 this is an update to 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 905-648-9537.)

A technical glitch which could not be fixed from the other side of the country caused some difficulties on the hotline last week. Any messages left on the line since around Sept. 16 were lost. Anyone who left a message relating to the Naturalists's Club in that period is asked to leave it again.

Due to the Thanksgiving Day Holiday, the Hamilton Naturalists' Club October meeting will be held next Monday, October 4, a week earlier than normal. This meeting will be the Annual General Meeting and Member's Night, when members make short presentations on interesting nature activities. Meetings are held at 8:00 p.m. at the Royal Botanical Gardens Centre, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington. Visitors are always welcome.

Late Sunday afternoon an adult light phase POMARINE JAEGER flew close enough to Van Wagner's Beach that the distinctive tail feathers were visible. On Sunday the WILSON'S PHALAROPE was still at Van Wagner's Ponds, along with PECTORAL SANDPIPER, unidentified Dowitchers, and both LESSER YELLOWLEGS and GREATER YELLOWLEGS.

An estimated flock of 550 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS at CCIW last weekend indicates that they are preparing to head south. Further along the water area, a SANDERLING was at the Burlington Beach Canal. At Tollgate Ponds were AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVERS, BLACK- BELLIED PLOVER, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER and SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, plus many ducks including GADWALL, REDHEAD, RUDDY DUCK, NORTHERN SHOVELLER, LESSER SCAUP and CANVASBACK. GREEN-WINGED TEAL and a female NORTHERN PINTAIL were at Windermere Basin.

Found at the Willows in Dundas Marsh were 27 WOOD DUCKS in 5 family groups, LESSER YELLOWLEGS and a PIED-BILLED GREBE, as well as NORTHERN SHOVELERS and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. Further along the North Shore of Cootes, below the RBG Nature Centre, were 6 GREAT EGRETS. On the opposite side, at Princess Point, an adult PEREGRINE FALCON spooked several LESSER YELLOWLEGS.

A pair of tagged TRUMPETER SWANS were at the pit pond closest to Twiss Rd. north of Kilbride.

After a mostly quiet September things picked up late last week at Selkirk Provincial Park. Among 14 species of warbler seen Friday were ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER plus AMERICAN REDSTART and OVENBIRD. A couple of RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS were still at Selkirk. Also seen there were EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE, a few RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, GRAY- CHEEKED THRUSH, SWAINSON'S THRUSH and a late SCARLET TANAGER, as well as LINCOLN'S SPARROW, WHITE-THROATED SPARROW and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW.

Birders are reminded that the large birds at Princess Point which are often mistaken for Greater White-Fronted Geese are in fact domestic hybrids, but that real Greater White-Fronted Geese do sometimes show up in our area in the fall.

Birders are asked to look for colour-banded GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS, with an aluminum band on one leg and a coloured plastic band with a number and a letter on the other. If you see one, please report the location, date and time of the sighting as well as the colour of the band and the number-letter combination to the hotline.

The next four days are normally the peak of the Peregrine Falcon fall migration. If you can, head for Hawk Cliff or Point Pelee or Holiday Beach and watch for these beautiful birds. If you can't travel quite that far, Peregrines may also be seen from Woodland Cemetary and/or the High Level Bridge lookout on York Blvd.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello,

Last night my husband and I decided to check out the Hamilton area since there have been so many posts. While driving along we passed what turned out to be Cootes Paradise and the large number of birds we could see from the 403 encouraged us to find a way down there.

We saw:

• 2 Greater White-Fronted Geese
• 1 Blue-winged Teal (1 identified, could have been more)
• 1 Green-winged Teal (1 identified, could have been more)
• 1 Greater Yellowlegs
• several Lesser Yellowlegs
• 1 Yellow-rumped Warbler
• 1 Great Blue Heron
• 2 Mute Swans
• As well, we saw many Canada Geese, Mallards and Ring-billed Gulls.

To note, I tried to call the hotline number that I found in a previous message. A voice told me that the line was updated on Thursdays, etc. and then it cut out. A couple of seconds later it beeped. I waited 2 seconds, started talking and then it cut out again and I got a busy signal. Anyway, I didn't try again since it was long-distance and I was going to be reporting it here within the hour.

Sincerely,
Karla Everard
keverard@hotmail.com

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hi everybody. This evening we went to the North shores of Cootes just where the trail comes off the lilac dell and faces Rat Island ( the one with all the cormorants ). There were 6 great egrets feeding in the shallows near the north shore, I guess where the sun no longer was shining, along with about 6 mute swans, and some ducks (gadwalls, N pintails, mallards) (my duck ID is weak,but we're pretty sure, sorry) The egrets fed until about 7:15 when they went over to the dead trees on Rat Is to roost along with the cormorants. they were on the west end of the island. By chance were we at Princess Point last evening and did not see the egrets there. I don't know if they spend all the day at this exact spot.

To get to the north shores, it is quickest to go to the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) Arbortetum on Old Guelph Rd, then park at the parking circle and walk thru the lilac dell (very steep hill and long uneven grass) where the trail begins (should be obvious by the path in the grass at the bottom of the hill), then a short walk to the waters edge. The Old Guelph Rd is reached either from Plains Rd in Burlington (and there's a sign for the arboretum) or from the other direction via Hwy 6 and York Rd (in Dundas). If you're coming from either direction on the 403, get off at Hwy 6 and follow the signs for Plains Rd West(you turn right and double back across the 403 almost immediately) then turn right (West) at the T-intersection onto York Blvd (towardsHamilton), across one bridge, thru one traffic light and right onto Old Guelph Rd. Follow this road under the 403 then turn left after about 500 ft. The Arboretum belongs to the RBG so expect to pay $7 to enter. I don't know if they waive the fee for people using the trails only. I hope my directions aren't too confusing, perhaps someone else could give clearer ones.

happy birding,

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Around 3 pm this afternoon the Wilson's Phalarope was still at the Van Wagner Ponds, in the company of a Pectoral Sandpiper. There were also 9 Lesser Yellowlegs and 2 Killdeer nearby.

At the Tollgate Ponds the highlights were at least 22 Ruddy Ducks in the north cell, and 6 Redheads in the south cell. Other species present included Gadwall, Shoveler, Lesser Scaup, and Green-winged Teal, but with the mid-afternoon sun coming from across the ponds, it was impossible to identify many of the more distant ducks - try to come in the morning if you are planning a visit.

The Windermere basin was quieter than I have ever seen it - only 2 Pintails, a handful of Green-winged Teal, and a dozen Cormorants were present. There were no shorebirds in sight either here or at the Tollgate Ponds.

At the Willows in Dundas Marsh, there were 27 Wood Ducks in 5 family groups, plus 2 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Pied-billed Grebe, and several Shovelers and Green-winged Teal. Unfortunately the Great Egrets reported recently were not present this afternoon.

Good birding,

Marcel Gahbauer
Scarborough ON
gsteve6@ibm.net

Directions: Van Wagner's Ponds can be accessed by exiting QEW at Hwy 20 (Centennial), heading toward Lake Ontario, then turning left and continuing on Van Wagner's Road to the parking lot of Hutch's Restaurant. The ponds are across the road. The Tollgate Ponds and Windermere Basin are along Eastport Road (access from QEW or by passing under the QEW where Van Wagner's Road ends north of the restaurant). Dundas Marsh is accessible from Olympic Road (off of Cootes Drive) - park either just north of the canal near Cootes Drive and walk east along the north shore, or park behind the Olympic Arena and walk south to the north shore of the marsh.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

This afternoon I visited the Red-necked Grebes at Bronte Harbour for the first time in over a month, and quickly located one pair of adults, but could not find the other pair, nor any of this year's young.

The pair was in the outer harbour, south of the floating picnic shelter with the striped roof. Interestingly, they were going through courtship displays - "standing" on the water, swimming side by side with necks fully extended, and chattering back and forth to each other. I know that many raptors, as well as some waterfowl, often go through "false courtship" periods around this time of year; perhaps it is the same for grebes.

Marcel Gahbauer
Scarborough ON
gsteve6@ibm.net

Directions: Bronte Harbour is at the south end of Bronte Road. From the QEW, take Bronte Road south across Hwy 2 (Lakeshore) and continue until it curves along the shore of Bronte Harbour; parallel parking is available along the road.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Seen well at 5:30 pm at Van Wagner's Beach an adult light phase Pomarine Jaeger. Even tail feather were visible. Last flying away NE from beach hard.

Earlier had enjoyable day at Selkirk Provincial Park with the South Peel Naturalists' Club visiting the Haldimand Bird Observatory's banding operation and John Miles. Good place to visit.

Regards
Mark Cranford
--

At 9:00PM Friday, September 24, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Fall migration continues, with WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS showing up in the area during the week.

A Sunday walk on the South Shore trail of Dundas Marsh produced a family of 5 or more SORA rails along the margins of the creek closest to Cootes Drive, with several MARSH WRENS and a HOUSE WREN nearby. Further along, on the mud flats at the Willows, were SOLITARY SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 5 GREAT EGRETS, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, GREEN-WINGED TEAL, GADWAL, NORTHERN SHOVELLER and 2 NORTHERN SHELDUCK.

Spotted at Van Wagner's Ponds on Wednesday were WILSON'S PHALAROPE, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER and several BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS. The juvenile MARBLED GODWIT was found at Pier 25 last Saturday. Seen at Tollgate Ponds were a juvenile BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, BLACK- BELLIED PLOVER and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, plus RUDDY DUCK, REDHEADS and a RUSTY BLACKBIRD. At least one EARED GREBE and several SANDERLING were seen at the Burlington ship canal.

Raptors reported in the area included an immature BALD EAGLE being harrassed by a male NORTHERN HARRIER, with a MERLIN flying past a few moments later, all over the marsh behind McMaster, another MERLIN at Van Wagners Ponds, and 200 TURKEY VULTURES gathered in the Hagersville Area.

A total of 15 shorebird species were seen from the Long Point Causeway last weekend. Highlights were MARBLED GODWIT, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, STILT SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, RED KNOT and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER. RUDDY TURNSTONES were present on Long Point Beach.

In the next week keep looking for migrating raptors, especially Peregrine Falcons whose southbound movement will peak late next week.

Be sure to let us know about your sightings. Please wait a full two seconds after the tone before leaving your message, and include your name, phone number, the date of your call, and the time and date of your sighting. Sightings can also be reported by e-mail.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Good Morning,

At Van Wagner's Pond across from Hutch's Restaurant in Hamilton on Wednesday evening I viewed a Wilson's Phalarope and a Stilt Sandpiper. There were other birds present, although not as interesting. They included approx. 10 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Semipalmated Sandpiper, 1 Pectoral, several Black-Crowned Night Herons, several G.B. Herons and two swamp sparrows.

- Mon, 20 Sep 1999 Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

A beautiful morning's birding at the Dundas Marsh which is the extreme west end of Lake Ontario, an area of willows, cattails and mud flats, uncovered some interesting birds yesterday morning (Sunday). A family of 5 or so Soras were nervously feeding along the margins of a small creek. Close by were several Marsh Wrens, a House wren and a White Throated Sparrow.

On the mud flats were Solitary, Pectoral , Semi Palmated Sandpipers & Greater & Lesser Yellowlegs, Blue, & Green Winged Teal, Gadwal, N.Shoveler 2 Shelducks( I assume these are escapes, but if not---!!) 5 Great Egrets, lots of GB Herons.

Access is off Cootes Drive which connects Hamilton & Dundas. Good directions to this area can be found on the Hamilton Naturalists' Clubs web site in the section on birding locations around the city.For this go to http://www.hwcn.org/link/hamnature/index.html.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

To add to Norm's email,I stopped in to the ponds behind Van Wagner's this after noon and the Wilson's Phalarope was still feeding way all thought there wear very fue other birds there.

Craig

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Yesterday Stan Bajurny and I stopped off at the Tollgate/Van Wagner area on our way to somewhere and at Pier 25 we found that the juvenile Marbled Godwit is back and at the tollgate pond with the new dike through the middle we found a juvenile Buff-breasted Sandpiper with 2 Black-bellied and 1 Golden Plover that we were informed about and at Van Wagners Pond Stan spotted a Wilson's Phalarope with the Grt & Les Yellowlegs. A Merlin was reported hunting here and at the ship canal we were told that an Eared Grebe (Grebes) was / were present in the afternoon.

Also seen hunting at Rock Point Provincial park was another Merlin, we observed it catching and eating dragon flies like an American Kestrel that by the way there were 2 of also catching same but we missed the Ruddy Turnstones that came in later with Baird's Sandpipers and Golden Plovers. In the Hagersville Area we also found just under 200 Turkey Vultures and back at Rock Point and Selkirk Prov. parks we saw our first (of the season) Northern Pintail, Golden-crowned Kinglets, and Rusty Blackbirds and on the beach at Rock Point were 5 Forster's terns. On 5th line just north of Hagersville, east of hwy 6 Stan spotted some swallows at a culvert (no not Cave swallows) but 12 Cliff Swallows, including 10 juveniles.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Hello everyone

The Piping Plover was seen again by Al Smith, Maxine Myslowka, two birders from London (who relocated the bird) and myself at 7:30 p.m. on Sunday Sept. 12th. It was in the same general area as before, feeding along the shoreline between two large piles of rocks. A copy of the directions to Van Wagner's Beach follows this message.

The bird has two bands on its right leg - yellow over red. Who can we notify about the bands?

All the best

Marcie

**********************************************************

Marcie Jacklin

Fonthill, Ontario

mjacklin@spartan.ac.brocku.ca

**********************************************************

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

this morning at shoreacres park (thanks to Norm for the great derisions) wear 16 red-neck Grebes,1 horned Grebe and 1 eared Grebe.

Shoreacres Park , Burlington, ON ( West of Toronto )

From Toronto drive west on the QEW to Burlington and exit at Appleby Line (Exit 107), drive south on Appleby Line to Lakeshore Road. Turn right, west on Lakeshore road and drive to Shoreacres Road. The park is on the left, south side of Lakeshore Road at the west end of a small bridge and has a small parking area. Don't let the appearance fool you (there is a boarded up house and a gate house here, but they are the reason for the park). Walk to the lake and you are almost guaranteed to find Horned and Red-necked Grebes here as well as other waterfowl.

then of to pier 25 off Eastport drive in Hamilton wear the Marbled Godwit is still present along with 1 white rumped sandpiper ,4 short billed dowitchers and 1 juv.buff-breasted sandpiper this was the first that I have ever seen feeding in water,quite strange watching this.

Craig McLauchlan

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Today before 8am Stan and I found an Eared Grebe off Shoreacres Park in Burlington. This bird was still in partial breeding plumage. There were also 34 Red-necked and 3 Horned Grebes in the same area.

Norm Murr
Richmond Hill, ON
NORMURR@SYMPATICO.CA

Shoreacres Park , Burlington, ON ( West of Toronto )
From Toronto drive west on the QEW to Burlington and exit at Appleby Line (Exit 107), drive south on Appleby Line to Lakeshore Road. Turn right, west on Lakeshore road and drive to Shoreacres Road. The park is on the left, south side of Lakeshore Road at the west end of a small bridge and has a small parking area. Don't let the appearance fool you (there is a boarded up house and a gate house here, but they are the reason for the park). Walk to the lake and you are almost guaranteed to find Horned and Red-necked Grebes here as well as other waterfowl.

At 6:30PM Thursday, September 9, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The first Hamilton Naturalists' Club meeting of the season will be held next Monday, September 13. Guest Speaker Pud Hunter of the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources will tell us about Bald Eagles and Peregrine Falcons in the Great Lakes. Meetings are held at 8:00 p.m. at the Royal Botanical Gardens Centre, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington. Visitors are always welcome.

The Greater Toronto Raptor Watch is holding its Hawk Open House at High Park in Toronto from 10AM to 4PM this Saturday, September 11.

On Saturdays at 10AM and 1:30PM and on Sundays at 1:30PM, every weekend from now until October 10, the Friends of Point Pelee will provide knowledgeable leaders to conduct nature hikes at Point Pelee to see birds and butterflies. Cost is the park entry fee of around $4 PLUS $5.00/person/hike.

The Pier 24/25 Pond off Eastport Blvd. in Hamilton has been a shorebird hot spot this week. Seen on Monday were singles of MARBLED GODWIT, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER, RED KNOT, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, plus a dozen SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS.

Both GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER and SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER were on the other side of the QEW at Van Wagner's Ponds opposite Hutch's Restaurant on Beach Blvd. A pair of BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS were with other shorebirds on the mudflats at Valley Inn, along with CASPIAN TERNS, GREAT BLUE HERONS and a young BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON. Shorebirds can also be found around the quarry edges at 87 Acre Park. AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, DUNLIN and a WESTERN SANDPIPER were found at the Vanderliek pond near Bismarck.

Among other local sightings, last Saturday close to 100 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and a few CHIMNEY SWIFTS were feeding over the Hillfield Strathallan playing fields, three GREAT EGRETS were seen in Cootes Paradise near the south shore trails behind MacMaster, and a GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was banded at Ruthven on Wednesday.

Birders are asked to look for colour-banded GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS as the species starts to arrive for winter. The birds have an aluminum band on one leg and a coloured plastic band with a number and a letter on the other. Anyone seeing these birds is asked to report the location, date and time of the sighting as well as the colour of the band and the number-letter combination to the hotline.

At Selkirk PP a CONNECTICUT WARBLER was banded, an adult RED- HEADED WOODPECKER flew in and landed, a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER and a WESTERN SANDPIPER were on the sandbar, a MERLIN was banded and another seen, and today a flock of 7 WHIMBREL flew in off the lake.

Good birds on the northern Lake Ontario shore were an adult BLACK-HEADED GULL at Presqu`ile Provincial Park, a RED-THROATED LOON at Darlington PP, and an AMERICAN AVOCET at Corner Marsh in Ajax.

Shorebirding along the north shore of Lake Erie has also been excellent. A WILLET was at Rock Point Provincial Park and another was seen at Turkey Point Marsh. Among 19 species at the Long Point causeway were RED-NECKED PHALAROPE, HUDSONIAN GODWIT, RED KNOT, SANDERLING, BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER and STILT SANDPIPER. Highlighting the 17 species at Blenheim Lagoons were MARBLED GODWIT, WESTERN SANDPIPER and a RUFF.

LITTLE GULLS were seen in several locations.

The cold front arriving tonight will bring more Ruby-throated Hummingbirds and lots of warblers, and may be strong enough to trigger the main movement of Broad-winged Hawks over the weekend. Watch also for Bald Eagles.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

The Godwit, and a group of various shorebirds were still visible at the Pier 25 Pond yesterday evening. The Godwit is easily separated from the group by its larger size, colour and bill.

See previous postings for directions.

Rod Murray                         Dolphin Senior Public School

89 Russell Drive                   18 Brookside Drive

Oakville, Ontario                  Streetsville, Ontario

L6H 1L4                            L5M 1H3 (905)826-4247 826-9931(fax)

rodmurr@total.net                  Rod.Murray@peelsb.com

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At 6:45AM Thursday, September 2, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

On Saturdays at 10AM and 1:30PM and on Sundays at 1:30PM, every weekend from now until October 10, the Friends of Point Pelee will provide knowledgeable leaders to conduct nature hikes at Point Pelee to see birds (especially hawks) and butterflies. Cost is the park entry fee of around $4 PLUS $5.00/person/hike.

An African Grey Parrot has been lost in the city. Birders are asked to report it to the hotline if seen.

Many of the good birds present in Ontario this past week were right here in our own area. Twelve species of warblers were found at Woodland Cemetery on Sunday morning.

As many as three BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS were present as late as Tuesday south of Mount Hope on the sod farm at the corner of Haldibrooke Rd. and Mines Rd, 2km west of Hwy. 6. The MARBLED GODWIT, now identifed as a juvenile, was still at the Pier 24 pond off Eastport Drive yesterday. A WILLET and a RED KNOT were seen Saturday at Tollgate Ponds but have not been reported since. A WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER was the highlight of the shorebirds found at Valley Inn.

Two EARED GREBES, a HORNED GREBE and many RED-NECKED GREBES were off Shoreacres on Saturday evening. BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS have started to move out but can still be found.

A faint beeping sound led your reporter to a single COMMON NIGHTHAWK feeding happily over the Ancaster Power Centre at dusk last evening.

At Selkirk PP a PEREGRINE FALCON buzzed shorebirds and a MERLIN and an AMERICAN KESTREL took turns making dives on each other, while overhead both immature and adult BALD EAGLES, OSPREY, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, COOPER'S HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER, RED-TAILED HAWK and TURKEY VULTURES have been seen. A WHIP-POOR-WILL was banded at Selkirk, and among passerines seen there were YELLOW- BELLIED FLYCATCHER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER, VEERY, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, NASHVILLE WARBLER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, OVENBIRD, and WILSON'S WARBLER.

A total of 22 species of warblers were found Sunday at Rock Point PP, including a NORTHERN PARULA WARBLER, BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, and ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. PHILADELPHIA VIREOS and a MERLIN were also spotted. Elsewhere on Lake Erie, BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS and a WHIMBREL were at Windmill Point, and RED KNOT, RUDDY TURNSTONE and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER were found off Jaeger Rocks at Fort Erie on Monday. A BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPER was seen there on Sunday.

A six year old camping near Simcoe woke his parents Saturday night because of a strange sound outside their tent. A flashlight gave the youngster his first ever look at an EASTERN SCREECH OWL. Another EASTERN SCREECH OWL returned to the same North Oakville yard for a second visit.

The next ten days will see the peak of the southbound movement of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, so be sure to fill your feeders. Sharp-shinned Hawks and Osprey have started to move, and Bald Eagles and Broad-winged Hawks will be coming through in about two weeks. Look for raptors especially after a sharp cold front. Keep looking in suitable habitat for warblers. If the weather worsens and the wind shifts to the east, watch for Jaegers on the lake. Keep an eye out also for migrating Monarch Butterflies.

Good Birding.

The marbled godwit was still in the same location this a.m. (Wednesday) as yesterday (i.e. far side of near pond just after the bridge on the Pier 25 road and visible with/without a scope) and with the same shorebirds. It even flew a few circles of the pond at one point before settling back to eat, leaving no doubt about the colour of its wing linings.

Wayne and Margie Berridge

St. Catharines, Ontario

wmberridge@bestnet.org

Wayne and Margie Berridge

St. Catharines, Ontario

wmberridge@bestnet.org

At 6:50PM Thurday, August 26, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Shorebirds have been the main news locally. An even dozen species of waders were present at the Tollgate Ponds on Tuesday evening. Among them were an adult female MARBLED GODWIT, a juvenile RED KNOT, two juvenile BAIRD'S SANDPIPERS, a juvenile RUDDY TURNSTONE, SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS and several BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Look for the birds in the far corners of the ponds, away from Eastport Drive. Larger numbers of at least 8 species of shorebirds can be found on the mud at Valley Inn.

About 40 Red-necked Grebes still in breeding plumage were in Lake Ontario off Rattray Marsh. An immature ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER were found off Highland Rd. in Stoney Creek, CAROLINA WRENS were reported at Selkirk PP and several other places, and a large female COOPER'S HAWK was being mobbed by smaller birds over Hwy. 403 in Aldershot. On Monday evening close to 30 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS gathered over the Pottruff and Nash Rd. area, while a half dozen COMMON NIGHTHAWKS and nearly 20 CHIMNEY SWIFTS were feeding near Grange School in Ancaster.

Seen Saturday during a trip along the Lake Erie shore from the head of the Niagara River to Rock Point Provincial Park and then inland through Dunnville to St. Catharines were at least 13 species of shorebirds including WHIMBREL, SANDERLING, WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, along with FORSTER'S TERN, COMMON TERN, BLACK TERN, AND CASPIAN TERN.

In addition to shorebirds, Rock Point produced 13 species of warbler including MAGNOLIA WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, BLACK AND WHITE WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, NASHVILLE WARBLER, WILSON'S WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, CHESTNUT- SIDED WARBLER, CAPE MAY WARBLER, YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER and AMERICAN REDSTART.

Found at Long Point's Big Creek Marsh were 6 GREAT EGRETS and up to 8 species of shorebirds, among them HUDSONIAN GODWIT, WESTERN SANDPIPER, WILSON'S PHALAROPE, WILLET and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER. Seen from the Turkey Point Overlook were AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, PECTORAL SANDPIPER, SANDHILL CRANE and TRUMPETER SWANS. The AVOCET remained at Aylmer WMA through yesterday, along with BAIRD'S SANDPIPER, STILT SANDPIPER, BLACK- BELLIED PLOVER and AMERICAN GOLDEN PLOVER.

On the home front, a North Oakville family was delighted to hear an EASTERN SCREECH OWL calling from a Silver Maple in their front yard, and your reporter was pleased to see a second nesting juvenile NORTHERN CARDINAL in his yard today.

The next two weeks will see the peak of the southbound movement of Ruby-throated Hummingbirds, so it's time to get your feeders going again. If the weather stays warm Common Nighthawks may be seen near Woodland Cemetery and other areas where there are lots of insects. If the weather worsens and the wind shifts to the east, look for Jaegers on the lake. Don't forget to look for warblers too.

Be sure to let us know about your sightings. Please wait a full two seconds after the tone before leaving your message, and include your name, phone number, the date of your call, and the time and date of your sighting. Sightings can also be reported by e-mail.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Marbled godwit and Red knot still present today, Wednesday 11:30 AM. Two Baird's sandpipers possibly, far side of north pond, but distance and poor light made id. uncertain, even with a scope. Individual numbers of waders much greater at Valley Inn flats, 8 species, but nothing unusual.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

John Olmsted et al had some good birds this Sunday morning at Hamilton harbour. Using his directions we found them this afternoon. An adult female Marbled Godwit (humungous bill!) was in the NW corner of the northern Toll gates pond adjacent to the service road next to the Skyway Bridge. A Juv. Red Knot and two juv. Baird's were in the NW corner of the southern Tollgates Pond. At Pier 25 pond a juv. Ruddy Turnstone. The Eared Grebe reported on the Hamilton weekly RBA is not being seen this weekend to my knowledge.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At 8:00PM Thursday, August 19, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

The last Wednesday Night Walk of the summer will take place next Wednesday, August 25. Join Rob Dobos and look for Shore Birds on the Waterfront Trail. Meet at 6:30PM in the lower parking area by the marina at the foot of LaSalle Park Drive, Burlington. LaSalle Park Drive is an extension of Waterdown Road south of Plains Road.

We regret to advise listeners of the passing of Peter Whelan, for many years the Birding Columnist in the Globe and Mail. Peter was among the first people to offer encouragement when this hotline started almost 10 years ago.

North and east of us, a LITTLE BLUE HERON was reported Tuesday in the Old Derry Road area near the Credit River in Meadowvale, a CONNECTICUT WARBLER was at the Leslie St. Spit on the weekend, and GREEN HERONS and shorebirds were at Rattray Marsh.

An adult EARED GREBE was found at LaSalle Marina on Tuesday. COMMON LOONS are now being spotted on the lake.

On Saturday a WHIMBREL was on the beach at the far east end of Confederation Park. Shorebirds at the Pier 24 pond this week, among them GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPERS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SOLITARY SANDPIPER and SHORT- BILLED DOWITCHER, were accompanied by a GREAT BLUE HERON.

Two OSPREY were at Valley Inn on Tuesday and Wednesday, a PEREGRINE FALCON was keeping the birds at Pier 24 hopping, a COOPER'S HAWK was banded at Selkirk PP and an OSPREY was seen overhead there as well.

A MAGNOLIA WARBLER was at Valley Inn on Tuesday. Seen at Ruthven Park near Cayuga were 2 BREWSTER'S WARBLERS, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER and WILSON'S WARBLER plus a PURPLE FINCH.

Listeners who looked for COMMON NIGHTHAWKS this week were rewarded. More than 100 were seen last evening near Fiddler's Green Road and Hwy. 403 in Ancaster, close to 40 were over Aldershot and another dozen fed over Dundas.

An unusual bird found on a Mount Hope sod farm 10 days ago has been identified as an immature SPRAGUE'S PIPIT, a very rare species in this part of Ontario.

Birders are advised that 50 Northern Bobwhite have been released near Lake Niapenco at Binbrook CA.

At Selkirk PP three banded MOURNING WARBLERS headed a list which included BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, TENNESSEE WARBLER, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, YELLOW WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, MAGNOLIA WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER, AMERICAN REDSTART, OVENBIRD and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. Other species seen, heard or banded were BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKCOO, YELLOW- BELLIED FLYCATCHER, OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER AND HERMIT THRUSH. An early AMERICAN WIGEON was seen offshore.

BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER, RUDDY TURNSTONE and SANDERLING were at Rock Point Provincial Park, and a LITTLE GULL was offshore. A total of 12 species of shorebirds including a juvenile WESTERN SANDPIPER were on Long Point causeway. Further west, up to 3 AMERICAN AVOCETS were Pt. Burwell on Tuesday and Wednesday, an immature LITTLE BLUE HERON was at Holiday Beach, and two male RUFOUS HUMMINGBIRDS were reported in Michigan.

A good back yard report this week concerned a pair of possibly melanistic, very light biege HOUSE SPARROWS, described as "looking like they had been bleached".

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

This evening when Ian and I were coming home about 7:45pm we saw flocks of Common Nighthawks, about 100 or more of them in loose bunches going west over Hatton Drive and across Fiddler's Green Road. They were moving through quite fast even though they would circle a bit. We only saw one this spring so this was nice.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At the east side of the pond at Pier 24/25 were the following: 1 each of Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, 2 Least Sandpipers, 1 Spotted Sandpiper moulting into winter plumage, 1 Killdeer, 1 Short-Billed Dowitcher, 1 Solitary Sandpiper, and 1 Great Blue Heron.

Directions to Pier 24/25 (courtesy of Peter Thoem): take QEW to Hamilton, then exit for Eastport Drive (one each side of the Hamilton-Burlington Skyway bridge) and find your way to the road that runs parallel to the QEW on the Hamilton Harbour side. Pier 24 is accessible off Eastport Drive and is a service road running into Hamilton's industrial heart. There is a sign at the entrance to the road that says "Pier 25". The pond is on the left after you pass through the gates and cross the small bridge. Parking is tricky!

Department of Fisheries and Oceans
Fish Habitat Management - Ontario Area
867 Lakeshore Rd., P.O. Box 5050
Burlington, ON, L7R 4A6
phone: (905) 336-6298 fax: (905) 336-6285
e-mail: raglind@dfo-mpo.gc.ca

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At 7:30PM Thursday, August 12, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, August 18, visit the Crooks Hollow Natural Area with John Hannah. Meet at 6:30pm at the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority parking area on the south side of Crooks Hollow Road, about 1km west of Brock Road in Greensville.

Birders are asked to keep an eye out for a large green Parrot last seen flying towards downtown Hamilton from the Victoria Park area. Please leave a message on the line if you spot this bird.

Among shorebirds at Valley Inn this week were SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, STILT SANDPIPER, SOLITARY SANDPIPER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, and both LESSER YELLOWLEGS and GREATER YELLOWLEGS. Many of the same species plus PECTORAL SANDPIPER and SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER were at Binbrook CA's Lake Niapenco, and a COMMON SNIPE was with other shorebirds at Pier 24 near Windermere Basin.

A total of 16 shorebird species were found on the Niagara Peninsula, among them a RED KNOT and BAIRD'S SANDPIPER at Grable Point, a WILSON'S PHALAROPE at the Avondale Ponds on Stewart Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake, BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER at Windmill Point in Fort Erie, RUDDY TURNSTONE and SANDERLING at Rock Point PP, and 7 species at the Vanderliek Pond off Hwy. 20 on the Smithville side of Bismark.

At least 3 GREAT EGRETS were at or near the Hydro Pond at the west end of Cootes Paradise, along with a female WOOD DUCK with two youngsters. Seen at Tollgate Ponds were 6 REDHEADS. At least two GREEN HERONS and a BLACK TERN were at Valley Inn.

A newly fledged and an adult WOOD THRUSH were spotted at Bronte PP, along with WILLOW FLYCATCHER and GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER, EASTERN-WOOD PEWEE, and a late singing FIELD SPARROW.

An OSPREY at Valley Inn on Tuesday and Wednesday confirms that this species has started moving south. A COOPER'S HAWK which collided with a car at Rock Point PP is recovering at a rehabilitation facility.

Both RED-NECKED GREBE families in Bronte Harbour are now mobile. The east nest has disintegrated and the five young grebes were seen in the middle of the outer harbour. The west nest is still intact with one egg visible and the two small chicks seen close to shore with their parents.

Yard reports include an unusual large finch with a white head in Ancaster, a female RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD and a male BALTIMORE ORIOLE at a feeder on the east side of the city, and many warblers heard flying over your reporter's yard during a meteor watch close to midnight last night.

Migrants banded or seen at Selkirk Provincial Park include
BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, BLACKPOLL WARBLER, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER AND CANADA WARBLER, YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, CAROLINA WREN, BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER, SWAINSON'S THRUSH, OLIVE- SIDED FLYCATCHER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, ALDER FLYCATCHER, WILLOW FLYCATCHER AND YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, plus many RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES.

Further west, thousands of TREE SWALLOWS and a few PURPLE MARTINS were feasting on bugs all along the Lake Erie shoreline between Nanticoke and Port Dover on Tuesday evening. Shorebirds can be found at the Long Point Causeway and the Aylmer Wildlife Management Area, and LITTLE GULLS have been reported along the Lake Erie shore near Port Burwell. North of us, an AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN flew into the Grand Bend Sewage Lagoons.

Now is the time to start looking for Buff-breasted Sandpipers on sod farms in the area. Look also for silent Common Nighthawks catching insects over the city, as well as raptors such as Osprey and Sharp-shinned Hawks.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Both Red-necked Grebe families in Bronte Harbour are now mobile. The east nest has now disintegrated. The five young grebes were seen in the middle of the outer harbour. The west nest is still intact with one egg visible. The two small chicks were close to shore with their parents.

Directions: Exit QEW at Bronte Road and go to the lake then go left.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

As of this evening the east nest and 3 eggs were not being attended. Both adults and five young birds were in the middle of the harbour. The west nest has two young birds.

Directions: Exit QEW at Bronte Road and go to the lake then go left. The nests are on either side of the picnic dock.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

This morning there were at least 3 Great Egrets at the west end of Cootes Paradise, south of Olympic Arena. They were all perched in a willow on the south side, and could only be seen by walking a considerable distance east along the north shore of the marsh. Other birds in the area included 5 Great Blue Herons, a female Wood Duck with two half-grown young, 1 Lesser Yellowlegs, 1 Indigo Bunting, 2 House Wrens, and 2 Caspian Terns patrolling the marsh.

I also checked for the Snowy Egret at the Tollgate Ponds, but without success today. However, 6 Redheads (4 males and 2 females) were on the raft in the south pond, mixed in with the molting Mallards. The only shorebird I spotted there was a lone Killdeer.

At Bronte Harbour, there are now 7 young Red-necked Grebes in total. At the east nest, there are 5 young, all of which have already grown considerably since hatching. Despite this, a couple of them still spent most of their time on the back of one of the adults. Incubation continues here, but the adults are off the nest a bit longer now than the last time I visited in late July. It looks like there are still at least two and possibly three eggs in the nest.

At the west nest, two chicks have hatched, and two eggs remain. Throughout the 90 minutes I spent there this afternoon, the adults swam near the nest, each carrying one chick on their back. At no time did I see either adult pay any attention to the nest - have the other eggs perhaps been abandoned? Both of these chicks are of course much younger than those at the east nest, and I wouldn't be surprised if one was only a day or two old, as it hid in its parents back feathers for long periods of time, and seemed very tiny when it did briefly emerge.

Good birding,

Directions: For the Great Egrets, follow Olympic east from Cootes Drive, then park behind Olympic Arena on the right and walk south to the marsh.

Tollgate Ponds are accessible by following the Eastport Drive signs from the QEW.

Bronte Harbour is at the south end of Bronte Road - turn off QEW at exit 111, continue south until road curves west along lakeshore, park and walk across field to marina where there is a covered shelter with a blue and white striped roof.

At 5:30PM Thursday, August 5, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, August 11, you can explore a little bit of the stream that gives Stoney Creek its name with Trip Leader Don McLean. Meet in the Fiesta Mall parking area between Fortinos and Queenston Road in Stoney Creek at 6:30 pm.

Area shorebird reports have picked up. Up to 10 species, including SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, STILT SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SEMI-PALMATED PLOVER and RUDDY TURNSTONE can be found on the mud flats at Valley Inn. SHORT- BILLED DOWITCHERS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER YELLOWLEGS were at the end of the Willows. Up to 10 species, including SEMI- PALMATED PLOVER and PECTORAL SANDPIPER have been found at the Vanderliek pond near Bismarck, while birders at Rock Point Provincial Park saw WILLET, SANDERLING and BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER.

We have had no word of the Snowy Egret at Tollgate Ponds this week, but at least 4 and possibly as many as 6 GREAT EGRETS can be found at the Dundas Hydro Pond off Olympic Blvd. and in the adjacent marsh. An early female HOODED MERGANSER was in the lake off Joseph Brant Hospital in Burlington. At last report the RED- NECKED GREBES in the east nest at Bronte Harbour have at least 5 chicks and the west nest still had four eggs.

A pair of OSPREY were seen over Walker's Line and Hwy. 5 on Sunday. The person who made this report is asked to leave a phone number for follow-up.

Among new fall species stopping over at Selkirk Provincial Park were an adult female YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER, a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and an OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER. At Long Point's Big Creek Marsh as many as 9 SANDHILL CRANES were seen in the air.

BUFF-BREASTED SANDPIPERS found near Thunder Bay last week mean that it is almost time to start watching the sod farms in the area. Look too for silent COMMON NIGHTHAWKS, sometimes in large flocks with gulls, catching insects over the city next week. More shorebirds will arrive, especially after a strong cold front passes through.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

As of this evening, at least five grebes have hatched at the east nest in Bronte Harbour. Twice the female got off the nest (at 5:30 and again at 7:10 pm), and one egg was clearly visible in the middle of the nest; there may have been a second, but it was hard to tell. One person from the marina told me that the sixth had hatched as well and was in the centre of the nest, but I could not confirm this from shore.

The oldest of the chicks is already noticeably larger, but the other four are surprisingly similar in size. They are spending a bit of time alone in the water now, but don't stray more than about one metre from the nest, and still spend much of their time climbing on to the backs of the adults. The adult which I took to be the male spent most of its time fishing and bringing food back to the chicks at the nest; however, after the female left the nest at 7:10 he did take over incubation.

At the west nest, the female got up for a brief swim around 6:45 pm. While she was away from the nest, no eggs were in sight! However, upon her return, she uncovered them - she had piled vegetation from the nest over the eggs to conceal them while off feeding. Four eggs were clearly visible. The male at this nest was tirelessly bringing additional vegetation to the nest and piling on all sides. This nest is now considerably larger than the east nest.

At 7:00PM Thursday, July 29, 1999 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, August 4, join Melanie Golba to learn about organic farming and Community Shared Agriculture at Plan B Organics. Meet at 6:30PM at 1377 5th Concession West (just west of Westover Road) in Flamborough.

On Sunday the SNOWY EGRET was still at Tollgate Ponds and two GREAT EGRETS were at the Dundas Hydro Pond off Olympic Blvd.

In an unusual turn of events, the RED-NECKED GREBE in the east nest at Bronte Harbour stood up on Tuesday night to reveal not only her newly hatched chick but also a freshly laid egg. As of last evening the pair had three chicks and 5 eggs. So far hatching is 26 days after laying for each egg. The west nest still has four eggs, and the third nest appears to be dormant.

Two PEREGRINE FALCONS were making quite a racket over Hamilton's Corktown area last Friday night. A GREAT HORNED OWL was visible in trees on the escarpment near Beamer CA in Grimsby. Further afield, a pair of OSPREY are feeding a chick above the second dam at the Guelph Lake CA off Wellington Rd. 29 north of Hwy. 7. An immature BALD EAGLE was seen at Selkirk PP last Thursday.

Migrating birds have started to move through Selkirk PP east of Nanticoke. Flycatchers top the list, with YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER, LEAST FLYCATCHER, ALDER FLYCATCHER and EASTERN KINGBIRD reported. Other species noted by the Haldimand Bird Observatory include SWAINSON'S THRUSH, OVENBIRD, GRAY CATBIRD, BALTIMORE ORIOLE, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, CAROLINA WREN, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, TENNESSEE WARBLER and NASHVILLE WARBLER, many immature YELLOW WARBLERS, 1000s of BANK SWALLOWS and an early SHARP-SHINNED HAWK.

Found on the mud flats and water at Selkirk were a GREAT EGRET and as many as 19 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. As many as 300 shorebirds are present on mud along the causeway at Long Point. Among the sightings have been an adult WESTERN SANDPIPER and up to 8 adult STILT SANDPIPERS.

A listener living near Shoreacres reports a family of four EASTERN SCREECH OWLS moving about and calling from trees in his yard just after dark earlier this week. Two NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRDS were feeding a youngster near Bay and Barton Sts. Fledglings in your reporter's yard this week include MOURNING DOVE and BLACK- CAPPED CHICKADEE, plus a BROWN COWBIRD which simply dwarfed the poor CHIPPING SPARROW which was feeding it.

A count of 17 COMMON NIGHTHAWKS migrating over Georgian Bay north of Parry Sound last night reminds us that they will soon be over Hamilton. This week look for more shorebirds to arrive, especially behind any strong cold fronts which pass through.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

The east pair of Red-necked Grebes nesting in Bronte Outer Harbour now have four chicks and four eggs. Shift change is the best time to get a count as four chicks can do a remarkable job of hiding under the wings of a parent. The last two shift changes that I have seen involved an adult practically walking up the back of the sitting adult to convince the mate that it is time to switch.

Incubation continues on the west nest. The (so far) non-nesting pair was in the far west side of the marina.

Directions: From the QEW exit at Bronte Road and go to the lake then turn left. The nests are on either side of the striped roofed picnic dock.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

The east pair of Red-necked Grebes in Bronte Harbour now have three chicks and 5 eggs. So far hatching is 26 days after laying for each egg. The sitting adult was kept occupied snatching flys from the air. We were not sure if the flys were annoying or tasty.

Directions: Exit QEW at Bronte Rd. go to the lake and turn left.

At 6:00AM Thursday, July 22, 1999, this is a slightly early 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, July 28, join Joanna Chapman at 6:30PM for a visit to the Urquhart Butterfly Garden, which can be reached from the Air Force Club parking area on King Street East in Dundas, just west of the Ben Veldhuis (cactus) greenhouse.

The SNOWY EGRET was reported at Tollgate Ponds as late as last Friday. A TUNDRA SWAN cygnet was present at LaSalle Marina last Saturday. ALthough it seems awfully late in the season, three pairs of RED-NECKED GREBES are now nesting in Bronte Harbour. At last report the original pair had six eggs, the second had four, and the third were busy with nest building.

A pair of COMMON NIGHTHAWKS was over the Gage and Cannon area in the city on Saturday evening.

The breeding plumaged RED-THROATED LOON is still being seen on the Niagara River between Gilmore and Niagara Streets and the Peace Bridge in Fort Erie.

Shorebird reports include a WHIMBREL at Point Abino last Friday and another WHIMBREL at Cranberry Marsh near Pickering today. Found at the sewage lagoons just south of the Avondale Dairy on Stewart St. in Homer (east of St. Catherines) were SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER, SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER, LEAST SANDPIPER, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, GREATER YELLOWLEGS and LESSER YELLOWLEGS. SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER and SOLITARY SANDPIPER were in a pond with extensive mudflats on Line 8 just west of Concession 5 (east of Homer). All the same species plus SEMIPALMATED PLOVER were found at Turkey Point and Long Point.

A rural Dundas listener was recently pleased to find a mother WOOD DUCK and 9 ducklings on his small, rapidly drying up, farm pond. The ducklings use tall grass for cover when not in the water. After a quiet June and July of common birds our listener in Vanessa was happy to report YELLOW WARBLER, EASTERN PHOEBE, EASTERN KINGBIRD, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK, GRAY CATBIRD, BROWN THRASHER and an OVENBIRD in her yard this week.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Returning from a short northern camping trip today, we detoured by Hamilton to check on the Egret. It was on the dyke between the 2 Tollgate ponds, between 2 trees not far off the road, (Eastport). The first pond is about 2kms. from the lift bridge.

At 8:00PM Thursday, July 15, 1999, 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, July 21, the Evening Walk features a visit to Dave Mitchell's award winning Tall Elms Dairy Farm. Meet at 1308 Guyatt Road, 3km east of Hwy. 56, in Glanbrook at 6:30 pm.

The HOODED WARBLER/ACADIAN FLYCATCHER Recovery Team report more ACADIAN FLYCATCHER sites south and west of London, including the first nest found in Lambton County. HOODED WARBLERS are doing quite in the St. Williams area, and an encouraging number have been found west of London. The PROTHONOTARY WARBLER Recovery Team reports that the species is holding its own in the Long Point area but that wind storm damage last year at Rondeau PP is a source of concern. Three BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, an extremely rare species during the summer in the Carolinian zone, have also been found in the Long Point region.

The SNOWY EGRET was seen as late as Sunday at Tollgate Ponds. Two pairs of RED-NECKED GREBES are now nesting in Bronte Harbour. The second pair is incubating at least two eggs, while the original pair had five at last report.

East of us, a very rare in summer breeding plumaged RED-THROATED LOON has been seen as late as 4:30 this afternoon from the park area on the Niagara River at Gilmore and Niagara Streets in Fort Erie. A HORNED GREBE was also at Fort Erie this week, and four juvenile PEREGRINE FALCONS were discovered near the gorge in Niagara Falls.

An also rare for summer AMERICAN AVOCET seen at Dunkirk Harbor, NY, suggests that people in this area should watch for one as well. Other shorebirds reported include a WHIMBREL at Point Abino, many SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS, a STILT SANDPIPER in breeding plumage and LEAST SANDPIPER at the Avondale Cannery Ponds on Stewart Road in St. Catherines, and 8 species including SEMIPALMATED PLOVER and SANDERLING at Rock Point PP near Dunnville.

To the south, a WILLET has been present at the south end of Turkey Point Beach. An outing to the Townsend Sewage Lagoons yesterday produced PIED-BILLED GREBE, GREEN HERON, REDHEAD, RING- NECKED DUCK AND RUDDY DUCK. An immature BALD EAGLE spent the today cruising around Selkirk PP. Seen in the St. Williams area were INDIGO BUNTINGS, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER, PINE WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, SCARLET TANAGER, OVENBIRDS, WOOD THRUSH and VEERY. BLUE WINGED WARBLERS and GOLDEN WINGED WARBLERS were at Rowanwood, and BLACK TERNS at the Long Point Causeway.

The best home front report in a while comes from an Oakville birder who returned from his evening birding bike ride and was quite surprised to find a pair of PILEATED WOODPECKERS hammering on the telephone pole on his front yard. A Hamilton listener had an AMERICAN KESTREL visit his yard and stay near a feeder for a while. An unusual off-white and cream coloured HOUSE SPARROW was seen in the vicinity of New St. and Shore Acres in Burlington.

Good Birding.

At 8:00PM Thursday, July 8, 1999, 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, July 14, join Hazel Broker and explore Battlefield Park. Meet near Gage House off King Street, just east of Centennial Parkway in Stoney Creek, at 6:30 pm.

The SNOWY EGRET confirmed last Saturday at Tollgate Ponds, at the east end of the Skyway Bridge off Eastport Drive, has been very cooperative and was still there this morning. We are advised that the first recorded successful nesting of Snowy Egret in Ontario occurred in the mid 1980's at Tollgate Ponds. A total of 28 BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERONS were counted at the same location yesterday.

The RED-NECKED GREBES at the east end of Bronte Harbour are now incubating a clutch of 4 eggs. All being well they should hatch in about a month. The pair at the west end have built a somewhat sloppy nest but have been seen mating.

Among shorebirds at Taquanyah CA last evening were LESSER YELLOWLEGS, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, LEAST SANDPIPER, SOLITARY SANDPIPER and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS. LESSER YELLOWLEGS and SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were at the Willows in Cootes Paradise.

Also seen at Cootes were the first GREAT EGRET since the spring, 2 VIRGINA RAILS, an OSPREY and a LEAST BITTERN, plus GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, WOOD DUCK, CASPIAN TERN, COMMON TERN.

Highlights of a walk at Borer's Falls were INDIGO BUNTING, ROSE- BREASTED GROSBEAK, CEDAR WAXWING, PILEATED WOODPECKER, SCARLET TANAGER and WOOD THRUSH.

All four PEREGRINE FALCONS were seen on the north side of the Fairclough Building downtown on Monday. An EASTERN SCREECH OWL was again found at Twiss Rd. near Kilbride. BARRED OWLS were reported at Conestogo Dam in Kitchener.

A trip to the Long Point area last Friday produced RUFFED GROUSE, PINE WARBLER, MOURNING WARBLER, HOODED WARBLER and OVENBIRD at the St. Williams Forest; WILD TURKEY, BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, LOUISIANA WATERTHRUSH, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW and VESPER SPARROW at the Wilson Tract; and TUNDRA SWAN, GREEN HERON, SANDHILL CRANE, BLACK TERN and MARSH WREN at the Big Creek Marsh.

Backyard sightings include a pair of YELLOW-SHAFTED FLICKERS having a wash together in a bird bath at a home on Old Hwy. 99, and a GREAT BLUE HERON being shadowed by a crow over an Ancaster residential area.

Good Birding.

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Thursday's Hamilton Birding Hotline reported that banders had seen 2 small egrets flying with gulls at Hamilton's Tollgate Ponds, and asked birders to keep an eye out for them.

Yesterday, Satruday July 3, Barry and Linda Cherriere went to Tollgates and found a SNOWY EGRET on the west side of the centre dike between the two ponds.

PLEASE NOTE: Viewing is from Eastport Drive ONLY - the area is posted due to gull and tern breeding studies. To get to the ponds, take the QEW to the area of the Skyway Bridge and follow the Eastport Drive exit. People coming from the west (Toronto) can drive east towards the Harbour, past CCIW and the lift Bridge to the ponds. People coming from the east (Niagara) will have to make a 'U' turn to get to the harbour side of Eastport. The ponds are at the eastern (Niagara) end of the bridge - where the toll gates used to be, naturally!

Mike

At 5:30PM Thursday July 1, 1999, on a somewhat damp and muggy Canada Day, 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 905-648-9537.)

Next Wednesday, July 7, join John Hannah for an evening walk along the North Shore Trails. Meet in the Hopkins Tract parking area on the south side of York Road, just west of the CNR overpass, at 6:30 pm.

In true Canada Day spirit our first report is of a parade. At 8:30 this morning a female MALLARD proudly led 11 ducklings from somewhere on West 4th St., right down the middle of South Bend St. and across West 5th - a heavily travelled 4 lane street - into the friendlier grounds of Mohawk College.

We hate to start off a report during the first long weekend of the summer by bringing up the subject, but several sightings this week confirm that fall migration is under way. Right on schedule, more or less, shorebirds were found Sunday in good numbers at the end of the Willows in Cootes Paradise. The group included 15 LESSER YELLOWLEGS, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, a SEMI-PALMATED SANDPIPER and a PECTORAL SANDPIPER. A few days later LEAST SANDPIPER, LESSER YELLOWLEGS and GREATER YELLOWLEGS were seen in the Sandusk Creek near Cheapside. Other signs of fall include Swallows collecting on phone wires near Lake Erie, flocks of COMMON GRACKLES over Ancaster and Winona on Monday evening, and UPLAND SANDPIPERS becoming more common in cut hay fields as they too begin to move south.

The birders who reported the shorebirds at Cootes also saw LEAST BITTERN, GREEN HERON, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, WOOD DUCK, CASPIAN TERN, COMMON TERN and, surprisingly, five BONAPARTE'S GULLS including one in full breeding plumage.

Banders working with young DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS and BLACK- CROWNED NIGHT HERONS at Tollgate Ponds reported 2 small white egrets flying with the Ring-billed Gulls. As this is the same area where a Cattle Egret spent the summer two years ago, birders are asked to keep an eye out for these birds.

Species heard or seen yesterday along the Km. 7 section of the Rail Trail between Sulphur Springs Rd. and Mineral Springs Rd. in Ancaster included 6 HOUSE WRENS, 3 INDIGO BUNTINGS and 2 GREAT- CRESTED FLYCATCHERS, plus ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK and WOOD THRUSH. Not far away a CAROLINA WREN was singing along Mineral Springs Road.

In recent years the only time to look for BALD EAGLES in our area was during migration and over the winter, but something has changed. In addition to the three sightings made by the Peregrine Falcon Watch earlier in June, one local birder saw a BALD EAGLE over the harbour last Saturday, and then the next day, while swimming at Christie CA, he looked up to see another BALD EAGLE overhead. An OSPREY flying west over the Nanticoke Generating Station Monday might have been one of the Cayuga birds, or it could have been the same OSPREY observed over Wheatley, 240km away, on Tuesday evening.

A birder doing a little fishing this morning at Twiss Rd. near Kilbride was pleasantly surprised when an EASTERN SCREECH OWL flew up and perched in clear sight for a minute or so before flying off. An EASTERN KINGBIRD is zealously guarding its nest at Christie CA by chasing off any gull which happens to pass by. Thanks to the nest box efforts of Don Wills there are lots of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS in the Mulligan Rd. area south of Ancaster, and now a listener reports a pair of Bluebirds using a natural hollow in a tree on Mulligan Rd.

A report of a possible Brown Pelican at Valens CA last Saturday followed a similar report from Nanticoke the previous week. Unfortunately neither sighting has been confirmed.

Local homefront reports include a BARRED OWL calling for a week across the road from a Caledonia listener's home, and a RED- BREASTED NUTHATCH visiting your reporter's yard today.

Many of us have favorite summer birding spots. Please pass on news of yours so others may enjoy it too.

Good Birding.