October 10 2009 Hamilton, Burlington and Vicinity
Leader: Tom Thomas.
First of all I would like to thank the many participants of today’s trip, for a very enjoyable and memorable outing.
Approximately 40 birders were at Hutches at Van Wagners Beach for the 8:am start. A couple of lucky birders who where early arrivals had the chance to see a Parasitic Jaeger harass a Double‐crested Cormorant before most of us had arrived. With fairly benign winds, the action at the beach was fairly slow, but we managed to spot groups of White‐winged Scoters, Bonaparte’s Gulls, three Common Loons, a juvenile Bald Eagle, and a lake bound Merlin.
We then walked down the beach and at Baranger’s, we crossed over to the fields and ponds to the west of Van Wagners Beach Road. There were many birds to be found here, not all of them very co‐operative for long looks however. Some of the highlights were Cooper’s Hawk, Greater Yellowlegs, Yellow‐bellied Sapsucker (many), Eastern Phoebe (many), Tree Swallow, Northern Rough‐winged Swallow, Barn Swallow, Winter Wren, Eastern Bluebird, Hermit Thrush, Swainson’s Thrush, a late Veery, Palm Warbler, Ovenbird, Wilson’s Warbler, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping, Lincoln’s, Field, White‐crowned, White‐throated and Swamp Sparrows, Winter Wren, Black‐crowned Night‐Heron, and Great Egret.
After lunch we headed for Windermere Basin, where Red‐tailed Hawks and American Kestrels were hunting. In the pond were Gadwall, American Wigeon, Northern Shoveler, Northern Pintail, Green‐winged Teal, Canvasback, Redhead, Lesser Scaup, Bufflehead, Canvasback, Hooded Merganser and Pied‐billed Grebe. The highlight though was the Short‐eared Owl that flushed from the side of the path and then circled high above some obviously delighted birders.
Our last stop was to the grounds of Confederation Park A (the north side). Some of the highlights here were a close encounter with a hunting juvenile Redtail, Orange‐crowned, Tennessee, Blackpoll, Nashville and Palm Warblers, Eastern Phoebe, Eastern Wood‐Pewee, and many more Hermit Thrushes and Yellow‐bellied Sapsuckers.
Our final Tally was 86 species, not too bad, considering we saw virtually no shorebirds.
11 October 2008 Hamilton, Burlington vicinity
Leader: Tom Thomas.
The OFO’s annual field trip to the Hamilton/Burlington area was enjoyed by a small but enthusiastic group of birders. With the OFO convention held in Hamilton barely a week ago, and the fact that was a Thanksgiving weekend, I did not expect the usual number of participants. That being said, the eleven birders who made the trip were some of the most eager and enthusiastic people you could wish to lead. In fact there were still some who wanted to keep birding well into the afternoon and early evening.
We met at Hutch’s on Van Wagners Beach, and spent the first hour there, always hoping to see Jaeger or two, but although the wind direction was good it was far too light for any action. One of the first birds we saw here was a Red‐throated Loon flying overhead, and the only birds close enough to identify were a Red‐necked Grebe, and some White‐winged Scoters. The fields and ponds behind Hutch’s were good for Hermit Thrushes, Eastern Towhee’s, warblers(Black‐throated Blue, Nashville, Palm and Yellow‐rumped), Green Heron, Pied‐billed Grebe, Lincoln Sparrow, and flyover Rusty Blackbirds, American Pipits, and a late Osprey.
After lunch we then proceeded to the Windermere Basin, where we had a good tally of ducks, but the highlight here was the discovery of a recently arrived Brant Goose. Shorebirds at Windermere this year was restricted to a couple of Greater Yellowlegs and a lone Dunlin. Our next stop was the Dundas Marsh, or the Willows to be more specific. Here most of the group had good looks at one of two Nelson’s Sharp‐tailed Sparrows we encountered in a patch of Manna Grass just off of the main trail. These birds were in a very accessible area that was discovered just days ago by a local birder.
After saying goodbye to most of the group, a few of us headed to Tim Horton’s, and on to Valley Inn, where we added a few more species to our list. So a very good day, with lots of birds to look at, and our total species count was 80, not too bad for Hamilton in October
Reported by Tom Thomas
7 October 2007 Hamilton, Burlington and vicinity
Leader: Tom Thomas.
Once again this field trip proved very popular, with 48 participants at the start. Despite moments of fierce thunder and close lightning strikes during the morning stretch, we still had 25 semi‐wet people for the latter part of the day. We found 73 species, which was pretty good considering the warm weather lately and the fact that the only warblers we found were Yellow‐rumped Warblers. The winds at Van Wagners were not good for Jaeger watching and anything at a distance was lost in the haze. Nevertheless we did get some close looks at Common Loons flying overhead, and a flock of Bonaparte’s Gulls.
We spent the first hour at Van Wagners Beach and then we headed for the adjacent wet land area across the road from Hutches restaurant. As we entered this area, a young Peregrine Falcon was spotted on the hydro tower and it flew by us several times. As we approached the ponds we could see that a storm was coming in fast, which was disappointing as we were starting to see some good birds, including a Red‐necked Phalarope, but those carrying telescopes were getting worried at seeing all the lightning, so we made a hasty return to Hutches. After an early lunch we then headed to the Windermere Basin. This newly restored wildlife area will soon be open to the public, but they are awaiting the results of soil testing before they make this decision. I was lucky enough to be checking it out on Friday, and the workers were kind enough to give me a key to open the gates so that we could drive into the car park. At the Windermere basin the duck species and numbers were really impressive, we also managed a few sparrow species here along with some shorebirds in the creek near the bridge on Eastport Drive. The best surprise however was to see the variety of shorebirds in the small pond near the railroad track at Pier 25. Here we found a Long‐billed Dowitcher, Wilson’s Snipe, Baird’s Sandpiper, Semipalmated Plover, Solitary Sandpiper, Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral and Least Sandpipers.
The group then headed to LaSalle Park, where we added a few more species to the list, and then headed out to Valley Inn for our final stop. We had only just arrived at Valley Inn, when again the skies looked ominous, and in a matter of minutes we went from looking at the beautiful white reflected image of a Great Egret in the late afternoon sun, to looking at a pair of Rusty Blackbirds foraging in the mud in a torrential rainstorm. With all the interruptions from the frequent thunderstorms, I think a good days birding was had by all, and several of our group managed a couple of lifers, and that’s what it’s all about.
Reported by Tom Thomas.
7 October 2006 Hamilton, Burlington and Vicinity
It was a glorious early fall day, and as it usually seems to happen, the better the weather, the fewer the birds. We spent the first hour or so, at Van Wagners Beach, where we spotted a single Bonaparte’s Gull among the Ring‐billed Gulls on the shore‐line. Further out there were White‐winged Scoters, Surf Scoters, and as Dave Milsom scoped a raft of scaup, a Pomarine Jaeger chasing a gull.
The trails and marshes behind Hutches yielded less than the expected species, but we were rewarded with great close up looks at Hermit Thrushes, the only birds along with White‐throated Sparrows, Ruby‐crowned Kinglets and Yellow‐bellied Sapsuckers seen in good numbers. After lunch we moved along the lakeshore to Shoreacres Park. Birds there proved to be just as elusive, but this was more than made up with the sight of over sixty Red‐necked Grebes just off shore.
The last stop of the day was at Shell Park, where again the summer‐like conditions were not ideal for finding fall birds, but we did add a few more species.
At the end of the day we totaled just over fifty species, not great, but it was wonderful to be out on such a perfect day, testing our bird finding skills to the limit.
Reported and led by Tom Thomas.
8 October 2005 Hamilton, Burlington and Vicinity
Leader: Tom Thomas.
This was again a most successful field trip to the Hamilton/ Burlington area, with birders from as far away as Presqu‘ile and one visitor from Arizona.
The group was primarily based at Van Wagners, where the early surprises were a fly past of four, then 18 Brant. Other birders picked out Forster's Tern, and Common Tern as well as distant sightings of Parasitic Jaegers. An Osprey appeared over Hutch's Restaurant, and then a Peregrine Falcon flew out over the lake and returned, only to hang motionless in the wind for a while. We then checked out the old Rail Trail opposite Hutch's, where we were rewarded with a good variety of birds, the highlights being Eastern Meadowlark (7), a flight of 14 Black-crowned Night-Herons, a Green Heron, and Lincoln, Field and Fox Sparrows. It was then back to Hutch's for lunch, where birders were treated to the sight of 6 jaegers, later a Red Phalarope flew in. The tour continued on to Shoreacres and Shell Park, where the birding continued to be good-- Tennessee, Black-throated Green and Nashville Warblers gave us close up looks. Hermit Thrushes were the bird of the day, seemingly popping up everywhere. It was then back to Van Wagners Beach, via Windermere Basin, for a final effort to find more Jaegers, but only a couple appeared on the far distant horizon.
In all we tallied eighty one species, not bad for October in Hamilton/Burlington.
Reported by Tom Thomas
11 October 2003 Hamilton, Burlington, Stoney Creek and Vicinity
Leader: Kevin McLaughlin.
An enthusiastic group of approximately 21 OFO menbers came for a car/walking trip to several sites in the Hamilton-Burlington area. About 50 species were seen and the outing lasted from 8 a.m. until around 3 p.m. Areas visited were Van Wagners Beach and ponds, Burlington Beach Canal woods, Shoreacres Creek woods and trail on the Burlington lakeshore and the Valley Inn area at the west end of Hamilton Harbour. A dense fog shrouded the lake and harbour, reducing the number of species that could be seen. Regardless, there was a good mix of passerines, waterfowl and shorebirds available. Sparrows were in good numbers, particularly at Van Wagners and included numerous White-throats and White-crowns along with two each of Field Sparrow and Eastern Towhee. Valley Inn provided a late juvenile Green Heron and five Stilt Sandpipers. It was at this location that the afternoon sun broke through the fog and allowed excellent 'scope viewing of the birds on the pond and mudflats. This brought the day to a happy conclusion for all present.
Reported by Kevin McLaughlin
12 October 2002 Hamilton, Burlington, Stoney Creek and Vicinity
Leader: Kevin McLaughlin.
On our trip to Hamilton's Van Wagners Beach and surrounding area, the group saw 67 species. The highlight was a very close view of a Red Phalarope molting from juvenal to first basic plumage at Pier 24 in Hamilton Harbour. The other seven species of shorebirds included Greater and Lesser Yellowlegs, Pectoral Sandpiper, Dunlin, Semipalmated Plover, Least Sandpiper and Killdeer.
A Red-necked Grebe was seen well in Hamilton Harbour off the Canada Centre for Inland Waters.
We saw 18 species of ducks on Lake Ontario and in Windermere Basin where there were lots of Ruddy Ducks. White-winged Scoters, Long-tailed Ducks and a large raft of scaup were on Lake Ontario. Several Common Loons and Common Terns flew by.
A Peregrine Falcon with a satellite transmitter was eating a bird on one of the hydro towers just east of the Van Wagners ponds.
Two jaegers flying beyond the wave tower were seen by a few of the group.
Reported by Jean Iron