Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC) bi-weekly bird sightings report, Saturday, February 8, 2020 EASTERN PHOEBE WILSON'S WARBLER Cackling Goose American Wigeon Northern Pintail Redhead x Greater Scaup hybrid Ring-necked Duck Ruffed Grouse Horned Grebe Iceland Gull "Thayer's" Gull Lesser Black-backed Gull Glaucous Gull Common Loon Turkey Vulture Red-shouldered Hawk Snowy Owl Northern Shrike Tufted Titmouse Hermit Thrush Gray Catbird Pine Siskin Chipping Sparrow Field Sparrow Rusty Blackbird Common Grackle With the onset of real winter weather the past week or so sightings of interesting birds have been fewer, with a few hardy lingerers trying to successfully overwinter. Hamilton Harbour remains largely ice-free and is a good place to look for waterfowl and gulls. The only geese of note locally include a few sightings of Cackling Geese with 1 over 10th Rd E in Saltfleet on Feb 2, 1 at the Oak Park Rd industrial area in Brantford on Feb 3, and 2 at the Scotch Block Reservoir north of Milton on Feb 4. The female American Wigeon remains at the Desjardins canal in Dundas and another was seen in the Red Hill Creek at Windermere Basin on Jan 26. Two male Northern Pintail were at Christie C.A. on Jan 27. A presumed hybrid male Redhead x Greater Scaup was found off LaSalle Marina on Jan 24. Up to 59 Ring-necked Ducks were also off the west side of LaSalle Marina on Jan 30. A Horned Grebe was on the Harbour off Bayshore Park on Feb 4, and 2 Common Loons were along the north shore of the Harbour between Willow Point and LaSalle Marina Feb 4. The west end of the Harbour off Pier 4 Park has been productive for gulls either first thing in the morning or later in the afternoon. Two first year Iceland Gulls and up to 3 Glaucous Gulls were reported this past week, and an adult Lesser Black-backed Gull was there Feb 4. A first year Lesser Black-backed Gull was at Tollgate Pond on Feb 6. A first year "Thayer's" Iceland Gull continues to be seen at the Brantford landfill. Nine Turkey Vultures were found at Jerseyville on Feb 3, likely the site of a winter roosting area. Ten Turkey Vultures seen the next day along Hwy 403 between Sunnyridge Rd and Alberton Rd were likely the same birds. A Red-shouldered Hawk was seen near Puslinch Lake on Wellington Rd 32 next to Little Lake on Feb 3-5. Two Snowy Owls have taken up residence at Bronte Harbour seen either in the outer marina or at the end of the Suncor Pier at South Shell Park. Ruffed Grouse tracks were seen in the Beverly Swamp along the closed Westover Rd allowance south of Conc Rd 8 on Jan 29. An interesting find was an EASTERN PHOEBE in the Dundas Valley C.A. along the Spring Creek Trail where it meets the Bridlewood Dr entrance in Dundas on Jan 28. The Northern Shrike remains at the gate of Heaven Cemetery in NW Aldershot. Two Tufted Titmouse were in the Dundas Valley C.A. along the Murray Ferguson Trail on Jan 26, while one was a Caledonia yard bird on Feb 2, and another one was in a yard on York Rd in the town of Dundas on Feb 5. Hermit Thrushes in the Dundas Valley C.A. include 1 along the Sawmill Trail on Jan 29 and 2 along the Hilltop Trail near Martins Field on Feb 3. The two Gray Catbirds wintering at the east end of Confederation Park next to Grays Rd were seen again Feb 8. Two Pine Siskins at an Ancaster feeder on Jan 23 were the only ones so far this year. A Chipping Sparrow again visited a feeder on Old Waterdown Rd in Aldershot on Feb 6. Field Sparrows were found at the Harrisburg Rail Trail in West Flamborough on Feb 5 and in the "Little Creek" valley in Brantford on Feb 6. A Rusty Blackbird at Valens C.A. on Jan 23 was noteworthy. A Common Grackle was at a feeder on Roseville Ct in Burlington next to Bronte Creek Provincial Park on Feb 6. Finally, the male WILSON'S WARBLER has been hanging on at Sedgewick Forest Park in Oakville seen again earlier this week. That's the news for the past two weeks, Rob Dobos, Hamilton Naturalists' Club.