JOURNAL OF THE HAMILTON NATURALISTS’ CLUB Protecting Nature Since 1919 Volume 73 Number 7 March 2020

Western Kingbird at Desjardins Canal - 5 November 2019 - photo Phil Waggett. This species was unprecedented in the Hamilton Area in November. It was a real treat for birders who came from far and away to see it. This record is just one of the hundreds detailed in the Fall Noteworthy Bird Records beginning on page 151. In This Issue: HNC Member Profile - Judy Eberspaecher 2020 Duck Counts Results Birding the "Wild West" of Cuba 2019 Fall Noteworthy Bird Records Table of Contents Pumas, Penguins and Whales Bronwen Tregunno 148 Noteworthy Bird Records – September - November (Fall) 2019 Bill Lamond 151 HNC Urges Council to take Lead on Multi-government Rescue of Cootes Tevish Moro - The Spectator 155 Dates to Remember - March/April 2020 Rob Porter 156 Ontario Mid-Winter Waterfowl Census (aka: Duck Count) 2020 Report Chris Motherwell 158 HNC Member Profile - Judy Eberspaecher Glenda Slessor 162 Birding in the Wild West of Cuba Mike Rowlands 165

Short-tailed Shrew at LaSalle Park, Aldershot - 1 January 2020 - photo Joanne Redwood. Note how tiny the eyes are! Shrews must rely so much on their sense of smell with eyes this small. From Joanne: "It was especially fun watching the shrew (my first sighting for LaSalle Park) scurry out for a seed and then scurry for cover, over and over." In mammal books shrews are listed as being essentially strict carnivores. In the books that I consulted there is no mention of eating seeds (vegetable matter). However, this guy was eating bird seed. Is it surprising that a carnivore would eat some seeds, especially if the seeds are rich in fat and proteins? Shrews have a remarkably high metabolism and must eat an incredible amount of food each day. Taken in this light, perhaps it is not surprising that seeds would be eaten in a shrew's quest to stay alive.

Page 146 The Wood Duck - March, 2020

Volume 73 Number 7 March 2020 CN ISSN 0049-7886 - Publications Mail Contract No. 40048074 http://www.hamiltonnature.org [email protected]

Publications Committee: Christine Bishop, Martin Daly, Rob Dobos, Judy Eberspaecher, Andrea MacLeod, Kevin McLaughlin, Don McLean, Herman van Barneveld, Glenda Slessor, Jean Stollard, Jim Stollard and John Struger. The Wood Duck is the official publication of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club and produced by members of the Club. It is published nine times a year from September to May, inclusive. Deadline for receipt of material is the 5th of the month preceding publication date. As long as credit lines are included, articles may be reprinted without permission, unless otherwise specified. Opinions expressed in the Wood Duck are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Editor or of the Hamilton Naturalists’ Club. The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club promotes public interest in the study, conservation and appreciation of our natural heritage. Meetings are held monthly September to May inclusive and field events are scheduled throughout the year. Visitors are welcome. The HNC is a registered charity and all donations as well as membership fees are tax deductible. HNC BOARD 2019 - 2020 Executive Past President Bronwen Tregunno 905 637 7136 [email protected] President: Chris Motherwell *** *** **** [email protected] Vice-President: Bill Lamond 519 756 9546 [email protected] Secretary: Joyce Litster 905 627 1203 [email protected] Treasurer: Jim Stollard 905 634 3538 [email protected] Directors Bird Study Group: Bruce Mackenzie 905 973 4869 [email protected] Conservation & Education: Gord McNulty 905 525 9927 [email protected] Field Events: Rob Porter 905 920 3148 [email protected] Director-at-Large: Jackson Hudecki 905 516 4253 [email protected] Membership: Jill Baldwin 905 679 6447 [email protected] Programs: Lou Mitton *** *** **** [email protected] Publicity: Andrea MacLeod *** *** **** [email protected] Sanctuary: Brian Wylie 905 627 4601 [email protected] Volunteer: Mike MacLeod *** *** **** [email protected] Wood Duck Editor: Bill Lamond 519 756 9546 [email protected]

Coordinators

Website Coordinator: Andrea MacLeod *** *** **** [email protected] Social Coordinator: Catharine Flatt 905 628 2030 [email protected] Junior Naturalists: Brian Wylie 905 627 4601 [email protected] Mailing: Jean Stollard 905 634 3538 [email protected] Land Trust Program: Jen Baker 905 524 3339 [email protected]

Report rare bird sightings to: Cheryl Edgecombe 905-637-5923 Send Noteworthy Bird Records to: Bill Lamond, 238 St. George St, Brantford, N3R 1W7 email: [email protected] MEMBERSHIP FEES – Please remit to The Membership Director, HNC PUBLICATIONS - To order, contact Bill Lamond Hamilton Naturalists’ Club P.O.Box 89052, Hamilton, ON, L8S 4R5 519 756 9546 or [email protected] Life Membership $900.00 Hamilton Nature Counts 2003 $75.00 Single Membership $45.00 Hamilton Area Bird Checklist 2019 $2.00 Senior Single Membership $40.00 Head of the Lake Nature Guide $8.00 Date Guide to the Birds of the Hamilton Study Area $5.00 Student Single Membership (on-line-only free access to Wood Duck; for those 25 or under) Checklist of Ontario Butterflies $1.50 Senior Joint Membership $45.00 Birds of Hamilton and Surrounding Areas $25.00 Family Membership $50.00 (order from Glenn Barrett at [email protected]) Junior Naturalists - 1st child $80.00 Hamilton Mammal Atlas $15.00 Junior Naturalists - additional children $70.00 HNC - A Centennial Celebration in Stories and Pictures $25.00

The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 147 Editor's Notes.....

There was no room in this issue to include several weekend talks at the RBG in March and April that are part of the current winter exhibit there: "Wildlife Rescue". Thus, I want to bring them to your attention in this space. There are so many of these talks that I can only touch on a couple of them. However, all of them can be viewed on the 'Calendar' on the HNC website. These talks are not free (except for RBG members) but you may indeed want to pay the entry fee to hear the talks, all of them starting at 12 noon. There is one talk on the ecology of the endangered Eastern Prairie Fringed-Orchid on 1 March, a talk on the endangered Wood Poppy on 8 March and a talk entitled "The Life of a Whooping Crane in Wood Buffalo National Park" on 19 March. There are a few talks by Club members such as Peter Thoem and Rob Porter and a couple of talks by HNC Stewardship and Education Coordinator Carolyn Zanchetta. Check it out! I want to highlight that the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch at Beamer Memorial C.A. begins on 1 March. The hawkwatch is still looking for some volunteers to help out with hawk counting. If you are not into counting hawks, it is still a great place to go in the late winter to observe the first signs of the coming spring.

Report on the Monthly Meeting on 13 January 2020 Pumas, Penguins and Whales by Bronwen Tregunno

fter an update from Carolyn Zanchetta, including our new number of birds including the Astory map highlighting HNC accomplishments over our Imperial Cormorant, Crested first 100 years now on our webpage, we were treated to hearing Duck and Dolphin Gull, which from dear friend and Past President Maggie Sims. Maggie and is normally uncommon, but was husband Dave shared their adventures in Patagonia in April 2019. nesting. Then the three-part Maggie took the podium to discuss the trip while highlighting trip started by first visiting the Dave's excellent photographs on the screen. Patagonia Puma. Patagonia is a sparsely populated area of over one million square If you know Maggie, you know miles, shared by southern Chile and Argentina. The first flight she loves all things cats. She would like to see all the world’s wild cats from Toronto was over ten hours to Santiago where it was sunny Author Bronwen Tregunno. and 28oC. After an overnight stay in the country’s capital, there in their native setting and Torres was another 3.5 hours flight to the region’s ‘centre’ Punta Arenas, del Paine National Park is the place to see Patagonia’s pumas. The which was very cool indeed! all-day drive was cool, wet and very windy but like all great trips the journey was as interesting as the destination. Maggie and Punta Arenas is the jumping off spot for many eco-trips. It started Dave spotted several groups of Rhea along the road. The Rhea off as a penal colony in 1848. The area was first discovered by looks rather like a small ostrich. It is a very old, flightless bird Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1520. Since the trip species and is seriously threatened, chiefly by hunting and egg to find a shorter route to rich trade in the Far East was financed collecting, as well as by habitat loss mostly due to overgrazing by by Spain, he became a Spanish citizen and sailed under their flag. sheep. Considered one of the oldest bird species on the earth, it He started with five ships and 240 professional sailors, but ended can be traced back to the age of the dinosaur. The male is totally up with only one ship. He eventually found the ‘Spice Islands’ responsible for caring for the eggs and chicks. or Indonesia but died in battle. The original ship returned with They were also treated to Andean Condors either feasting on treasure but with only 18 crew. Today, Punta Arenas represents freshly-killed sheep close to the road, or flying above waiting for Chile’s sovereignty over the economically important shipping a turn. Rarely seen on a trip, Maggie & Dave saw twenty-five of route through the Magellan Straits. While exploring this small, this endangered species which have a wing-span of about twelve ‘underwhelming’ town, Maggie and Dave found a surprising feet. Andean Condors are endangered. Estimates indicate only Page 148 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 people and agricultural land developments; and habitat loss and fragmentation. They soon came across a mother puma with two cubs feeding on a guanaco and another young female taking a nap in the bushes. Maggie got within ten feet of her but the puma just calmly ignored them. Rains came and drove them back to the hotel over water-soaked, gravel roads that quickly turned into rivers! The following day was followed by more wonderful sightings including a mother trying to teach her half-grown cub to hunt, which mostly takes place at dawn or dusk. Pumas in Patagonia don’t follow the set breeding schedule of their North American counterparts. The northern cats always breed Andean Condor in Patagonia - 4 April 2019 - photo Dave Sims. in the spring and always send about 6,500 of them left in the world. The greatest threat is farmers their cubs away at 18 months of shooting them as they mistakenly believe the condors hunt and age to find their own territory. kill their sheep. This is not true as condors are scavengers, like In Chile, the females may give vultures. Pesticide poisoning through the food chain is also a birth at any time of the year, and serious threat like DDT once was to our raptors. Condors look the cubs stay with their mother like a very large vulture and until recently were considered to be from anywhere between 14 to 19 Blinka the Puma - 7 April 2019 - part of the same family. Now, however, DNA testing suggests they months. Scientists speculate on photo Dave Sims. are most closely related to storks. They saw Gray Foxes which the reasons for these differences are common and eat a range of foods, preferring small animals, but have no answers. It’s a mystery, particularly considering that reptiles, insects, eggs and fruit. There are not a lot of small ALL pumas belong to a single species, a rather rare phenomenon mammals in South American. Guanaco is a smallish member of while most animal types have several species within that family. the camel family and closely related to llama, alpaca, vicuna and Farmers used to shoot pumas on sight as they feed on sheep, cattle dromedary. They are well adapted to the tough vegetation. Found and young horses. However, conservation efforts over the last 10 everywhere, they are the main source of food for the puma, their to 15 years have focussed on persuading ranchers to convert their primary natural predator. ranches, known locally as “stations”, into puma reserves. This brings them tourist dollars and they are making more money from this venture than from farming, so it is a win-win situation which is helping the puma population to expand away from the endangered status. The third day was sunny with a brilliant blue sky as Maggie & Dave took the trip to see the sunrise over the three massive peaks of Torres del Paine which translates to “Towers of Blue” (back page). Later they went to see the famous Blue Lagoon set against the -enormous, snow-covered Andes. Space ship or lens-shaped lenticular clouds occur in this region but are rare in the Northern Hemisphere and they don’t get thunderstorms or lightning. A call from their excellent tracker sent Maggie and Dave back hiking up into the hills where they spent an hour following Blinka, a Guanaco in the Andes - 7 April 2019 - photo Dave Sims. one-eyed female puma. Like the other pumas that have become habituated to humans, she wasn’t at all concerned with the The lodge at Torres Del Paine National Park is nestled in the company. Maggie and Dave ended up having fifteen sightings of beautiful, windy Andes foothills. After an especially windy seven different pumas which was a record! night, Maggie and Dave set off early to see the pumas. Pumas have several names including cougars, mountain lions, panthers After heading back to Punta Arenas for the night, they set off on and catamounts but are all the same species. They have the the 2 ½ hour ferry ride across the Magellan Straits to the island of largest range of any mammal in the Western Hemisphere Tierra del Fuego. This island has the only King Penguin colony spanning 28 countries from Alaska to Chile. They are ten to on the continent which started about seven years ago and is twelve feet in length with females weighing about 110 pounds slowing growing. The first year they had only one chick and this and males averaging 175 pounds. The species is threatened by year they have 23 and there are 120 adults! While the Emperor legal and illegal killing, including bounty hunting and poaching; Penguins are larger, the King Penguins are the most flamboyant human–puma conflict, which is exacerbated by old mythology with their bright orange marking that intensify with age. They perpetuating fear of pumas; loss of prey due to overhunting by hatch chicks two times over three years, so a colony is always The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 149 active with chicks of varying ages all the time. This is unique in very poor weather which was mostly windy and very rainy. It also the penguin world. made taking pictures difficult. Whales breathe through blowholes and the Humpback is unique in that it has two blowholes, one for each lung. Each lung is about the size of a small car! Whales have to think about breathing, unlike humans who breathe automatically. In order to sleep and continue breathing, whales can shut off half of their brain at a time. Although most countries still abide by the moratorium on whaling, Japan, Iceland and Norway have continued whaling op- erations, under the guise of “scientific research”. Although none of them claim to hunt Humpbacks, their operations are still put- ting the survival of other whale species at risk. They kill over 1000 whales each year. On the sail back to Punta Arenas, Maggie & Dave passed Cape King Penguins at Tierra del Feugo - 9 April 2019 - photo Dave Sims. Froward, the southern-most point on the mainland part of South America with a huge cross resting on the top. Understandably, As Maggie says they were great to watch. The chicks are all fluffy the cross has blown down several times, as it is very close to Cape and brown. They don’t even look as if they belong to the same species. The main land predators are Grey Foxes and Mink, an Horn and its legendary fierce winds. The current version of this introduced species. They take the eggs and occasionally smaller monument has been built as a structure with lots of gaps in it, in chicks. King Penguins can travel over 100 kilometers from the the hopes that this will allow the wind to blow through it rather nest site to water to find food and the parents take turns to care than knock it over! The trip was a very successful wildlife viewing for the eggs or chick. King Penguins remain faithful to their mate experience with lots of great views of Pumas, King Penguins and for the season, but they usually find new mates for the following Humpback Whales. The bonus was the 63 species of birds includ- breeding season. Because 80% of their food exists in the cold ing 45 ‘lifers’ and some spectacular scenery. waters near Antarctica, scientists predict they will disappear in less than a century as the oceans warm. Maggie and Dave also stopped at a world heritage site to view a colony of Stromatolites. These are tiny, single-celled organisms, somewhat akin to algae. They live on rocks at the shoreline where they are in contact with the water and survive only when the water has a very specific level of acidity and warmth. These ancient organisms are considered to be one of the harbingers of life on earth as they create oxygen. They are very rare; found in only a few places on earth, all in the southern hemisphere. Later in the journey back, on a bare scrubby hill, they saw a pair of Magellanic Horned Owls snoozing away. This is the largest owl in Chile, about 18” tall. Then they came across a field with a group of Two-banded Plovers hanging out with Rufous-chested Humpback Whale off Carlos III Island - 12 April 2019 - photo Dave Sims. Dotterel. Although not particularly rare overall, these plovers are most unusual to find near the coast. On the southernmost part of Maggie famously started HNC meetings with wonderful seasonal Patagonia, you can drive from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific quotes. Not to disappoint, she started her January talk about eco- Ocean in less than 10 minutes! travel with two great ones: “Better to see something once than hear about it a thousand times" (Traditional Asian Proverb); and The third leg included three days on a small boat which held “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only a four crew and four passengers with camping at night in a remote page”, Saint Augustine. Thank you, Maggie & Dave, for sharing research station on Carlos III Island. The eight-hour trip up the your journey with an evening of beautiful photography filled Straits was extremely windy and cold! The camp was very cold with fun stories and facts. Many thanks from me for pretty much due to being heated only during the supper hour and shut off being the co-author of this article for the Wood Duck since Maggie overnight. It was freezing overnight! The accommodations were provided me excellent detailed notes! For more information on a real challenge to Maggie. However, Dave and Maggie got to see the trip, you can go to website https://farsouthexp.com/portfolio/ a lot of whales, sea lions, penguins, sea birds and an impressive ultimate-patagonia-wildlife-trip/, glacier. The chief scientist at the station, Dr Juan Capella, who has been on this island in the middle of a marine reserve for 25 years, is dedicated to preserving whales. Juan has documented and can recognize over 200 whales mostly using the unique markings on the flukes and dorsal fin. The big drawback to the location is the Page 150 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Noteworthy Bird Records — September - November (Fall) 2019 by Bill Lamond nderlined species or dates require documentation to be submitted to the Hamilton Bird Records Committee [HBRC] (Barb UCharlton, Bob Curry, Rob Dobos, Bill Lamond, Ross Wood). Those records where documentation has been received are marked with a double asterisk “**”. Records where documentation has not been received are marked with a double pound “##”. The new Date Guide to the Birds of the Hamilton Study Area gives documentation dates for all species. It can be obtained at HNC Monthly Meetings or Bird Study Group meetings for $5.00. They can also be ordered from me at [email protected]. I will mail you a copy. It can also be downloaded for free from the Club website. Underlined species below are geographic rarities in the Hamilton area. These rarities are listed in the new Date Guide but also in the Hamilton Area Bird Checklist 2019, which is available at Club meetings for $2.00 each. The Checklist can also be downloaded from the website for free. Capitalized species require documentation by the Ontario Bird Records Committee. For species marked with “#”, all reported records for the period are listed. For all other species, only highlights are listed. Note that the species order follows the most recent American Ornithological Society's (AOS) checklist and supplements.

Legend: Plumages, etc.: * - first occurrence for the year County/Region/City: F - first migration occurrence m. - male Brant [BR] L - last migration occurrence f. - female Haldimand [HD] {photo} - photographed ad. - adult Halton [HL] SM - singing male ba. - basic Hamilton [HM] terr. - territorial bird alt. - alternate Niagara [NG] SWP - storm water pond imm. - immature Peel [PL] Conc - Concession juv. - juvenile Waterloo [WT] 1st yr. - first year ** - documentation received Wellington [WL] ## - documentation not received yg. - young

Observers: Brenda Aburto (BA), Alfred Adamo (AA), John Adams (JAd), Jenny Andrews (JA), Isabel Apkarian (IA), Andrew Bailey (ABa), Ken Ball (KBa), Farqd Barghash (FBa), Gerten Basom (GB), Terry Basom (TB), Cody Bassindale (CB), Mary Ann Bastien (MAB), Ross Beatson (RBea), Robert Bell (RBe), Patrick Berens (PBe), Luke Berg (LB), Myriam Berube (MBe), Donna Boyle (DB), Paul Brooks (PBr), Duane Brown (DBr), Rob Buchanan (RB), Francis Bullett (FB), Cindy Burley (CBu), Ken Burrell (KB), Mike Burrell (MB), Mike Cadman (MC), Bruce Campbell (BCa), Ezra Campanelli (EC), Barb Canney (BCan), John Carley (JCa), Gray Carlin (GC), Simon Carter (SCa), MaryAnn Cervin-Lawry (MCL), Jerry Chapple (JCh), Nina Chapple (NC), Janice Chard (JC), Barb Charlton (BCha), Chris Cheatle (CC), Barry Cherriere (BCh), Abby Ciona (ACi), James Coldwell (JCo), Helen Colvin (HC), Curtis Combdon (CCo), Barry Coombs (BCo), Meghan Copeland (MCo), Mike Cowlard (MCow), Alyssa Couroux (ACo), Tony Crasto (TC), Rob Crawford (RC), Kathryn Crevier (KC), Bill Crins (BCr), Carol Croke (CaC), Bob Curry (BC), Ken Dance (KD), Sandy Darling (SD), Bill Davis (BD), Joe DeJong (JDe), Keith Dieroff (KDi), Dennis Dirigal (DDi), Rob Dobos (RD), Andrew Don (AD), Dave Don (DD), Nancy Douglas (ND), Ted Down (TD), Marsha Duggan (MD), Cheryl Edgecombe (CE), Gavin Edmondstone (GE), Sue Edmondstone (SE), Brandon P.M. Edwards (BPME), Kevin Empey (KE), Deena Errampelli (DE), Chris Escott (CEs), Neil Faulkenham (NFa), Luc Fazio (LF), Mark Field (MF), Sian Ford (SF), Lev Frid (LFr), Brett Fried (BF), Ella Fu (EF), Nancy Furber (NF), Denys Gardiner (DG), Sharon Gardiner (SG), Dan Galvin (DGa), David Gascoigne (DGas), Fraser Gibson (FG), David Goodyear (DGo), Regan Goodyear (RGo), Ethan Gosnell (EG), Gwyneth Govers (GG), Elora Grahame (EGr), Alex Gray (AGr), Amanda Guercio (AG), Todd Hagedorn (TH), Jillian Haight (JHai), Dominik Halas (DH), Mike Hallett (MH), Jean Hampson (JHa), Lyn Hanna-Folkes (LHF), Kevin Hannah (KHa), Pat Hare (PH), Bill Harris (BH), Marlene Hart (MHa), Jeremy Hatt (JHat), Karl Heide (KH), Eric Heisey (EHe), Erika Hentsch (EHen), Bob Highcock (BHi), Nathan Hood (NH), Jerry Horak (JH), Ellen Horak (EH), Kyle Horner (KHo), Frank Horvath (FH), Sandra Horvath (SH), Jackson Hudecki (JHu), Peter Humele (PH), Randy Husson (RH), Jean Iron (JI), Brenda Irvine (BI), Mourad Jabra (MJa), Marcie Jacklin (MJac), Doug Jagger (DJa), Rob Jantos (RJ), Mark Jennings (MJ), Marc Johnson (MJo), Carol Jones (CJ), Braden Judson (BJu), Andrea Kauppinen (AK), Andrew Keaveney (AKe), Margaret Kelch (MKe), Rowan Keunen (RK), Mike King (MKi), Michael Kirchin (MK), William Konze (WK), Christina Kovacs (CK), James Kroeker (JK), Billi Krochuk (BKr), Bill Lamond (BL), Eric Lamond EL), Sarah Lamond (SL), Peter Landry (PL), Ryan Larson (RLa), James Lees (JL), Mike Lepage (MLe), Debbie Lindeman (DL), Rick Lindhorst (RLi), Joyce Litster (JLi), Rick Ludkin (RL), Bruce Mackenzie (BMac), Paul Mackenzie (PMac), Stuart Mackenzie (SMac), Andrew Mactavish (AMa), Mike MacLeod (MMac), Dan MacNeal (DMac), Desmond MacNeal (DMa), Len Manning (LM), Leo Manning (LeM), Michelle Martin (MMa), Reuven Martin (RM), Vicki Mason-Espin (VME), Kitt McCann (KMc), Mhairi McFarlane (MMc), Sheldon McGregor (SMc), Kevin McLaughlin (KM), Nancy McPherson (NMc), Janet Medelko (JMe), Marvin Medelko (MMe), Glenn Mockford (GMo), Philip Menecola (PM), Gary Milks (GMi), Sue Milks (SMi), Jason Miller (JM), Nathan Miller (NM), Tom Miller (TM), Matt Mills (MM), Kai Millyard (KMi), Brian Mishell (BMi), David Moffatt (DMo),Alan Morris (AM), Gerald Morris (GM), Ryk Naves (RN), George Naylor (GN), Deryl Nethercott (DN), Sharon Nethercott (SN), Mike Norton (MN), Owen Novoselac (ON), Ben Oldfield (BO), William Olenek (WO), Eila ONeil (EO), Rob Palin (RPa), Martin Parker (MPa), Mark Patry (MP), Robert Paul (RPa), Mike Peleschuk (MPe), Rose Petersen (RPe), Karen Petrie (KP), Ron Pittaway (RPi), Jon Pleizier (JP), Richard Poort (RPo), Ed Poropat (EP), Anna Porter (APo), Rob Porter (RP), Dean Post (DPo), Dennis Price (DP), George Prieksaitis (GPr), David Pryor (DPr), Brian Puttock (BPu), Patricia Quackenbush (PQ), Pete Read (PRe), Joanne Redwood (JR), Colleen Reilly CR), Sarah Richer (SR), Garth Riley (GRi), Paul Riss (PR), Judy Robins (JRo), Christine Roarke (CRo), Yves Scholten (YS), Caleb Scholtens (CSc), Bev Scott (BSc), Gis Segler (GS), Max Segler (MSe) Elaine Serena (ES), Kevin Seymour (KSe), Dawn Sherman (DS), George Sims (GSi) Joan Sims (JSi), Glenda Slessor (GS), Ian Smith (IS), Ken Smith (KS), Nancy Smith (NS), Paul Smith (PS), Jay Solanki (JS), Bob Stamp (BS), Sonya Strynatka (SS), Greg Stuart (GSt), Nina Szpakowski (NSz), Paul Tavares (PTa), Peter Thoem (PT), Tom Thomas (TT), David Trumbell (DT), James Turland (JT), Rohan van Twest (RvT), Tristan Uchida (TU), Fred Urie (FU), Jeroen Vanheuverswyn (JVa), Will Van Hemessen (WVH), John Vieira (JVi), Phil Waggett (PW), Mike Waldhuber (MW), Rob Waldhuber (RW), Doug Ward (DWa), Jim Watt (JWa), Gord Watts (GW), Janine Weaver (JWe), Carl-adam Wegenschimmel (CaW), Doug Welch (DW), Dale Wenger (DWe), Quinten Wiegersma (QW), Allesandra Wilcox (AWil), Angie Williams (AWi), Don Wills (DWi), Bill Wilson (BWi), Dave Wood (DWo), Karen Wood (KWo), Ross Wood (RWo), Barb Wright (BW), Debbie Wright (DWr), Brian Wyatt (BWy), Brian Wylie (BWyl), Dan Wylie (DWy), Anthony Zammit (AZ), many observers (m.obs.). The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 151 Snow Goose#: One white morph at 2392 Powerline Rd, Ancaster [HM] 3 20 at Windermere Basin 17 Sep (RD,BCh); 18 at Carroll’s Bay, Harbour 17 Oct F {photo} (RN/JR). Oct (RD); 14 at Valens C.A. [HM] 1 Nov (JL) and seven there 28 Nov (JL). Brant#: One at Bronte Harbour Canvasback: Two at Tollgate Pond 15 Oct F (RD), 30 there 24-26 Oct 29-30 Oct (GE,SE,m,obs.); two at (BCa/JR), 38 there 3 Nov (BC) and 60 there 28 Nov (RD); 82 at NE Harbour Burloak Park [HL] 2 Nov (GPr); 3 Nov (RWo); 60 at LaSalle Marina 11 Nov (MKi) and 85 there 29 Nov (AG). one at South Shell Park [HL] 2 Nov Redhead: Seven at Dundas Marsh 5 Oct (RLa); 10 off Sayers Park[HM] 2 (GPr); one at Van Wagners Beach 4 Nov (GPr); 20 at Valens C.A. [HM] 3 Nov (DG,SG); 31 at NE Harbour 3 Nov (RD/JP); two at Spencer Smith Nov (RWo) and 35 there 25 Nov (RD); 25 at LaSalle Park 9 Nov (WVH,GG); Park [HL] 8 Nov (JS,AK). 15 at Tollgate Pond 17 Nov (BPME). Snow Goose at Powerline Rd W, Cackling Goose: Three at Van Ancaster - 3 October 2019 - photo Ring-necked Duck: Two at Tollgate Pond 15 Oct F (RD); four at Wagners Beach 29 Sep F ** (JI,RD, Joanne Redwood. Hagersville quarries [HD] 24 Oct (MN,LF,GW); 80 at Mountsberg C.A. 27 et al.); 10 over Dundas Valley 7 Oct Oct (EHe,SL) and 13 there 2 Nov (WK); one above Wilkes Dam, Brantford (JL); four at 8th Road E [HM] 7 Oct (RPo); five at Mohawk Lake, Brantford 11-18 Nov (EL,SL,BL); nine at Valens C.A. [HM] 28 Nov (JL). 23 Oct (BL,SL,EL); 29 at 276 Hwy 8 [HM] 3 Nov (BF,EHen); two at LaSalle Greater Scaup: Six at Windermere Basin 8 Sep F (QW); two at Van Park 12 Nov (JP). Wagners Beach 8 Sep F (DPr); 30 at LaSalle Park 10 Oct (MJa), 200 there Tundra Swan: Eight past Woodland Cemetery 18 Oct F (RD); four at 28 Oct (MN) and 200 there 28 Nov (EP); four at Mountsberg C.A. 27 Oct Valens C.A. [HM] 1 Nov (JL); 20 at Franklin Pond [WT] 3 Nov (AZ,NH); (SL,EHe); 180 at NE Harbour 3 Nov (RWo); four at Puslinch Lake [WL] six at LaSalle Park 4 Nov (EC); two over Ruthven Park [HD] 5 Nov (LT,BL); 3 Nov (CCo,MC,DMac); 120 on Lake off Ben Machree Park[PL] 16 Nov 10 at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 8 Nov (RB). (LF,PH,GW); 300 on Lake off Rhododendron Gardens [PL] 25 Nov (RM); Wood Duck: 24 at Hendrie Valley [HL] 4 Sep (SCa); 25 at pond on Glen 200 at Bayfront Park 26 Nov (RM); 300 at Burlington Ship Canal 30 Nov Morris Rd, E of Camp Onondaga [BR] 10 Sep (MH); 20 at Grimsby (DW); 200 at Tollgate Pond 30 Nov (KB,MB). Wetlands [NG] 14 Sep (DD) and 15 there 28 Sep (RC); 19 at Brant C.A., Lesser Scaup: One at Tollgate Pond 2 Sep F (EC,CSc) and 50 there 17 Nov Brantford 15 Sep (AZ) and 10 there 3 Nov (SL,BL); 52 at Scotch Block (MC,MHa); five at Van Wagners Beach 12 Sep (BCha) and 30 there 29 Sep Reservoir [HL] 18 Sep (YS); 30 at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 19 Sep (TH); (JI,RPi); 40 at LaSalle Park 31 Oct (JP); 12 NE Harbour 15 Oct (RD) and 18 25 at Franklin Pond [WT] 26 Sep (NH); 17 at Ruthven Park [HD] 26 Sep there 3 Nov (RWo); 75 at Windermere Basin 28 Nov (EP). (RL); 15 at 28 Sep (CR); 19 at Spottiswood Lakes [BR] 12 King Eider#: One imm. m. at Burloak Waterfront Park [HL] 7 Nov F Nov (SL,BL); two at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 14-30 Nov (RD). {photo} (MJ) and possibly same bird at Burlington Ship Canal 9-30 Nov Blue-winged Teal: 27 at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RW); 10 at Tollgate {photo} (MCo,m.obs.); one on Lake at Grays Rd [HM] 16 Nov {photo} Pond 5 Sep (RD) and 10 there 30 Sep (BMi); seven at Grimsby Wetlands (RPo) – possibly same bird as previous. [NG] 11 Sep (RD); 15 at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 19 Sep (TH) and four Surf Scoter: Nine at Van Wagners Beach 29 Sep F (BF,EHen); one at Waters there 3 Oct (TH); 12 at Windermere Basin 30 Sep (BMi); two at Scotch Edge Park [PL] 29 Sep F (RM) and three there 17 Nov (DDi); 75 on Lake at Block Reservoir [HL] 5 Oct (DMac); four at /Rebecca SWP Green Rd [HM] 24 Oct (RB) and 250 there 3 Nov (BHi,JHa); 100 on Lake [HL] 23 Oct (MJ). at Sayers Park [HM] 24 Oct (JP,BCa), 150 there 25 Oct (MN) and 250 there Northern Shoveler: 40 at Tollgate Pond 17 Sep (RD), 40 there 4 Oct (JR) 9 Nov (CSc); 10 off Burloak Waterfront Park[HL] 2 Nov (GPr); 230 off and 63 there 19 Nov (RD); 15 at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 27 Sep (MB,KB); Confederation Park [HM] 3 Nov (BCr); 400 on Lake off Millen Rd[HM] seven at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] (EHe,SL) and six there 2 Nov (WK); 13 at 10 Nov (TD) and 75 there 25 Nov (RW); 35 off Spencer Smith[HL] 10 Nov Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 8 Nov (AZ) and 12 there 28 Nov (PBe); seven (BC); 18 at Burlington Ship Canal 26 Nov (JDe). at Guelph Line/QEW SWP [HL] 8 Nov (MCL); 12 at Redhill Creek at White-winged Scoter: Six at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (MPa), 47 there Woodward Ave [HM] 24 Nov (DGa); 65 at Windermere Basin 28 Nov (EP); 19 Sep (GC), 50 there 30 Oct (RD) and 150 there 9 Nov (MMc); 60 on 11 at Valens C.A. [HM] 28 Nov (JL). Lake off Waters Edge Park [PL] 2 Nov (RM); 45 at Burloak Waterfront Park Gadwall: 30 at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 20 Oct (BPME,EHe), 60 there 27 [HL] 2 Nov (GPr); 75 on Lake off Grays Rd [HM] 9 Nov (DMac); 150 off Oct (EHe,SL), 100 there 9 Nov (TH) and 70 there [HM] 10 Nov (CCo); Sayers Park [HM] 9 Nov (DMac); 50 off Green Rd[HM] 9 Nov (MMc); 270 six at Hagersville quarries [HD] 23 Oct (MJa); 42 at NE Harbour 1 Nov on Lake off Millen Rd [HM] 10 Nov (TD); 53 off South Shell Park [HL] (RD); 33 at LaSalle Park 3 Nov (RWo); 25 at Lakeside Park [PL] 4 Nov 16 Nov (KMi); 64 at Burlington Ship Canal 14 Nov (FU); 104 on Lake off (RM); eight at Valens C.A. [HM] 14 Nov (JL) and two there 28 Nov (JL); 15 5194 Lakeshore Rd, Oakville 16 Nov (WELO); 55 on Bay off CCIW 29 Nov at Ben Machree Park [PL] 16 Nov (PH,GW); 22 at Edgemere Promenade (RWo). [PL] 16 Nov (JMe,MMe); 15 at Rattray Marsh [PL] 20 Nov (PH); 20 at Black Scoter: Six at Van Wagners Rhododendron Gardens [PL] 25 Nov (RM); 30 at Holcim Lakefront Beach 29 Sep F (BCha,GC et al.); Mansion [PL] 30 Nov (RM). 20 on Lake off Sayers Park[HM] 24 American Wigeon: Seven at Tollgate Pond 12 Sep (DPr); 46 at Mountsberg Oct (BCa), 25 there 2 Nov (GPr), C.A. [WL] 28 Sep (TH) and 400 there 9 Nov (TH) and 40 there [HM] 18 and 30 there 15 Nov (RPo); 10 off Oct (DS), 200 there 26 Oct (IA) and 460 there 10 Nov (CCo); eight at Van Burloak Waterfront Park [HL] 2 Wagners Beach 3 Oct (m.obs.); two at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] 5 Oct Nov (GPr); 16 on Lake off Grays Rd (DMac); 10 at LaSalle Park 31 Oct (JP); five at Valens C.A.[HM] 14 Nov [HM] 3 Nov (BCr) and 20 there 16 (JL). Black Scoter at Burlington Ship Nov (BPME); 40 on Lake off Green Northern Pintail: Birds at Van Wagners Beach: 10 – 6 Sep (RD et al.), Canal - 23 November 2019 - photo Rd [HM] 3 Nov (MH) and 50 there Gary Sadler. seven – 29 Sep (EG), 35 – 5 Oct (RD), and 45 – 8 Oct (BCh,RD,BCha); two 5 Nov (KMc); 80 on Lake off Millen at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] 18 Sep (YS); 45 at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] Rd [HM] 10 Nov (TD) and 22 there 23 Nov (MMc); 12 off Spencer Smith 27 Oct (SL,EHe) and 15 there 29 Oct (EHe); five over St George[BR] 2 Nov Park [HL] 10 Nov {photo} (BC); 25 at Burlington Ship Canal 24 Nov (DGa). (JL); 10 at Desjardins Canal 5 Nov (MP); one at Spottiswood Lakes [BR] 12 Long-tailed Duck: One past Van Wagners Beach 12 Sep F (RD,BCha) and Nov (BL,SL). 500 there 30 Oct (RD); 150 on Lake off Sayers Park [HM] 24 Oct (JP) and Green-winged Teal: 38 at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RD et al.), 40 there 8 1500 there 9 Nov (DMac); 15 off J.C. Saddington Park [PL] 27 Oct (RM); Sep (RD et al.) and 27 there 30 Sep (RD); Birds at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT]: 650 off Burloak Waterfront Park[HL] 2 Nov (GPr); 200 at Bronte Harbour 30 – 3 Sep (TH), 60 – 17 Sep (LB), 70 – 23 Sep (TH), 74 - 7 Oct (MMa); 146 5 Nov (MJ); 2500 off Spencer Smith Park 10 Nov (BC); 3200 on Lake off – 23 Oct (TH), 100 – 30 Oct (TH), 123 – 3 Nov (RC) and 22 – 27 Nov (PBe); Green Rd [HM] 15 Nov (KHa); 2700 off Dewitt Rd [HM] 15 Nov (KHa); Page 152 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 2009 off Fruitland Rd[HM] 16 Nov (WELO); 4315 on Lake from Spencer Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby 5 Nov (BD); two off Green Rd[HM] 13 Nov Smith Park to Fruitland Ave [HL] 16 Nov (CK); 2000 on Lake of Millen Rd (MM,RD); one on Harbour near Tollgate Pond 28 Nov (RD); one off Grays [HM] 23 Nov (MMc). Rd [HM] 30 Nov (MB,KB). Bufflehead: One off Confederation Park[HM] 16 Sep (TU); six at LaSalle Red-necked Grebe: 109 off Rattray Marsh[PL] 10 Sep (FB), 25 there 26 Park 24 Oct (DT) and 50 there 29 Oct (BPu); six off J.C. Saddington Park Sep (CEs,PBr) and 14 there 28 Oct (JMe,MMe); seven at Spencer Smith [PL] 27 Oct (RM); 20 off Woodland Cemetery 1 Nov (RD); 55 at Fifty Point Park [HL] 15 Sep (APo); 20 off Waters Edge Park[PL] 29 Sep (RM); two 1 Nov (BD); 250 at Windermere Basin 16 Nov (RM) and 130 there 30 Nov at Van Wagners Beach 30 Sep (RD), three there 9 Oct (RD) and one there (JT et al.); 28 at Valens C.A. [HM] 28 Nov (JL). 19 Nov (RD); one off Green Rd[HM] 2 Nov (MN); three off Bronte Bluffs Common Goldeneye: One at J.C. Saddington Park [PL] 27 Oct F (RM); Park [HL] 8 Nov (RPo); two at Burlington Ship Canal 10 Nov (RD); one off four on Lake off Grays Rd [HM] 28 Oct (DT) and 375 there 16 Nov (JM); South Shell Park [HL] 23 Nov (DD,CE,RD); one at Bayshore Park 28 Nov 14 at LaSalle Park 29 Oct (BPu); 113 at NE Harbour 3 Nov (RWo); 325 (BKr); two off LaSalle Park 29 Nov (AG). on Lake off Millen Rd[HM] 10 Nov (TD); 310 off Bayfront Park 13 Nov Yellow-billed Cuckoo: One at Franklin (KHa) and 400 there 26 Nov (RM); 300 off Confederation Park [HM] 14 Grobb Memorial Forest, Brantford 7 Oct L Nov (RPo); 250 off Sayers Park[HM] 15 Nov (RPo); 250 off Green Rd[HM] (ACi). 15 Nov (KHa); 162 on Lake off Cliffcrest Ave, Burlington 16 Nov (CK); 43 Black-billed Cuckoo: Two at Dundas on Grand River at Powerline Rd, Brantford 18 Nov (NFa). Valley 27 Sep (BMi,MN) and one there 29 Barrow’s Goldeneye#: One male off Green Rd 1-30 Nov ** {photo} Sep L (EH,JH). (RD,m.obs); one f. off Sayers Park[HM] 15 Nov ** (RPo). Common Nighthawk: 137 over Hendrie Common x Barrow’s Goldeneye#: Valley 2 Sep (EC,CSc) and 45 there 3 Sep Common Nighthawk at One m. (presumed same bird for last (SD); six at Ridgeside Lane, Oakville 3 Sep Cherry Beach, Stoney Creek several years) at Grays Rd [HM] 24-30 (GPr); four at Guelph Line at Lake 4 Sep - 4 November 2019 - photo Nov {photo} (CEs/DMac). (MBe); 13 over Rattray Marsh [PL] 5 Sep Bob Curry. Hooded Merganser: 45 at Desjardins (LF) and four there 9 Sep (JHai); seven over Canal, Dundas 6 Nov (JHu), 80 there 10 Dundas Marsh 7 Sep (GM); 12 over Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 9 Sep (PBe) Nov (RD) and 155 there 14 Nov (RD); 27 and eight there 11 Sep (RC); six over 11 Sep (JHu); 10 at Confederation Park [HM] 6 Nov (TU); at Caledonia [HD] 11 Sep (KP); 14 over Brant C.A., Brantford 15 Sep (AZ), 40 at Mountsberg C.A. 9 Nov (TH); 38 at 11 there 23 Sep (BL), five there 24 Sep (BL,EL), two there 30 Sep (BL) and Barrow's Goldeneye at Grays Rd one there 2 Oct (BL); 40 at Hwy 403 at Hwy 2, Brantford 15 Sep (SL); five Valens C.A. [HM] 3 Nov (DG,SG) and with Common Goldeneye and 78 there 14 Nov (JL); 21 above Wilkes female Black Scoter - 17 November over St George [BR] 15 Sep (JL); one calling over Glen Morris [BR] 21 Oct Dam, Brantford 18 Nov (SL,BL). 2019 - photo Barry Cherriere. (EH,JH); one at Cherry Beach, Winona 4 Nov L ** {photo} (DH,m.obs.). Common Merganser: One at Van Chimney Swift: Eight at Woodland Cemetery 2 Sep (MJa) and one there Wagners Beach 1 Sep F (RD et al.); seven at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 4 17 Oct L (RD); seven at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 4 Sep (PBe); two at Sep (TH); seven on Grand River at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL); 10 Brantford landfill 11 Sep (JL); one at Princess Point, RBG 23 Sep (RP). at Waters Edge Park [PL] 29 Sep (RM); 11 on Grand River at footbridge, Ruby-throated Hummingbird: One at Regent Park, Brantford 7 Oct (BL); Brantford 13 Oct (GSi,JSi); 42 at Grand River above Wilkes Dam, Brantford one at Elgin St, Grimsby 8 Oct L (DE); one at Samuel Rd, Grimsby 8 Oct L 18 Nov (EL,BL); 90 over Dundas Valley 20 Nov (JL); 139 at Valens C.A. {photo} (RB). [HM] 28 Nov (JL). Virginia Rail#: One at Kerncliff Park, Burlington 20 Sep (YS); one at north Red-breasted Merganser: Three at Van Wagners Beach 6 Sep F (RD et al.) shore Cootes Paradise 24 Sep (JHat,MF). and 600 there 4 Nov (JP); 20 off Rattray Marsh[PL] 28 Sep (DDi); 1500 off Sora#: One at Kerncliff Park, Burlington 14 Sep (MD); one at Rattray Oakville Harbour 2 Nov (LF,GW); 1200 off Bronte Harbour 5 Nov (MJ); Marsh [PL] 21 Sep {photo} (PH); one at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 22 Sep 1500 off Burloak Waterfront Park[HL] 7 Nov (MJ); 1200 of Fifty Point 24 (MC et al.); one at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 28 Sep (AWi); one at Van Nov (SMac); 1000 off Grimsby Harbour[NG] 25 Nov (BD). Wagners Ponds 11 Oct L (DGo,RGo). Ruddy Duck: One at Tollgate Pond 8 Sep F (QW), nine there 27 Sep Common Moorhen#: One at Green Lane Wetland [BR] 24 Sep L (MH). (DMac), 145 there 24 Oct (BCa) and 154 there 3 Nov (BC); seven at American Coot: One at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 28 Sep F (AWi), seven Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 25 Oct (BD); 38 at Mountsberg C.A. [HM] 26 Oct there 28 Oct (RB) and one there 10 Nov (JCo); seven at Bayfront Park 4 (IA); five at Valens C.A. [HM] 28 Oct (RK) and one there 24 Nov (JL); 68 Oct (RLa), 12 there 30 Oct (JR), 24 there 3 Nov (AKe), and 33 there 15 at Windermere Basin 3 Nov (BC); 25 on Lake at Green Rd [HM] 5 Nov Nov (RD); six at Mountsberg 19 Oct (RvT), 70 there 29 Oct (EHe,JA), 108 (KMc); 200 at LaSalle Park 9 Nov (WVH,GG), 178 there 17 Nov (KE) and there 3 Nov (JS,AK) and 12 there 10 Nov (CCo); three at Rattray Marsh 86 there 29 Nov (JH,EH). [PL] 19 Oct (JMe,MMe); three at Puslinch Sideroad 10 N pond & pit [WL] Ring-necked Pheasant#: One at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Aldershot 15 20 Oct (EHe,BPME); 23 at Valens C.A. [HM] 28 Oct (RK), 14 there 3 Nov Oct {photo} (GM); one m. at 4552 Green Meadow Blvd., Lincoln [NG] 18 (DG,SG) and three there 14 Nov Oct (BW); two f. at 725 York Rd, Dundas 31 Oct (SR) – none of these birds (JL); 15 at Puslinch Lake [WL] may be wild birds; it is impossible to know. 3 Nov (DMac,MC,CCo); 20 at Wild Turkey: 25 at 1st Road E at Trail [HM] 4 Oct (NM); 29 near LaSalle Park 23 Nov (ACo); one Spottiswood Lakes [BR] 12 Nov (SL,BL). at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] Pied-billed Grebe: 10 at Mountsberg C.A. [HM] 1 Oct (TH) and seven 24 Nov (YS); four at Windermere there 20 Oct [WL] (BPME,HHe); four at Green Lane Wetland [BR] 9 Oct Basin 26 Nov (MCL). (BL); five at Puslinch Sideroad 10 N pond & pit [WL] 14 Oct (DMac); eight Sandhill Crane: 15 at Grass [WL] [WT] at Niebaur’s Pond 14 Oct (DMac); four at Barrie’s Lake 3 Nov Lake [WT] 1 Sep (EC); four over Sandhill Crane at Millgove Loam Pits - (FG); one at Spottiswood Lakes [BR] 12 Nov (BL,SL); two at West Harbour Shoreacres Park [HL] 29 Sep (CC 10 October 2019 - photo Tom Thomas. Waterfront Trail 15-29 Nov {photo} (RD/PTa). et al.); two over Mountainview Horned Grebe: One at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep F (RD), one there 28 Park [HM] 4 Oct (SCa); four feeding at Kirkwall Rd, N of 8th Conc [HM] 31 Sep (m.obs.) and three there 3 Nov (BF,EHen); six off Bayshore Park 15 Oct (NSz); seven at Hanlon Creek-Laird Rd area, Guelph 3 Nov (RH); 225 Oct (RD), four there 3 Nov (RWo), two there 10 Nov (BC) and two there over Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail [BR] 8 Nov (BL); 15 over Britannia Rd 28 Nov (BKr); one at Windermere Basin 29 Sep (JI,RPi); seven on Lake off and Trafalgar Rd [HL] 8 Nov (HC); nine over Middletown Marsh [HM] 8 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 153 Nov (BCha); 13 over Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 8 Nov (MH); 835 Windermere Basin 4-5 Sep (RPo/EHe); one at 407 wetland at Britannia Rd over Aldershot area 12 Nov (RD); 110 over Erindale College [PL] 12 Nov [HL] 24 Sep (GPr); one at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 30 Sep (AZ); two at (PL); 130 over Streetsville [PL] 12 Nov (AA); eight over Grand River at Shade’s Mills C.A. [WT] 21 Oct L (AZ). Lorne Bridge, Brantford 12 Nov (BL); nine at Paris Plains Church Rd [BR] Least Sandpiper: 35 at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (DMac/BCha) and 20 there 4-6 12 Nov (EL,SL,BL); 51 over Fern Hill School, Oakville 12 Nov (JC); five at Sep (CEs/RD); four at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (DD); four at Windermere Beke Rd N of Grass Lake [WT] 14 Nov (DG); four along Hwy 6 at Puslinch Basin 3 Sep (PBe); four at CCIW 5 Sep (MJa); five at 407 wetland at Britannia [WL] 16 Nov (BPME,FBa); 80 over St George [BR] 26 Nov (BI); 41 over Rd [HL] 10 Sep (BCha); three at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 11 Sep (TH); two Memorial Park, Oakville 28 Nov {photo} (DH); 15 over Paddy Greene trails, at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 20 Oct L (CCo). Ancaster 28 Nov (SMc). White-rumped Sandpiper#: One at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (MP,CEs,PBr), American Avocet#: One ad. m. at Princess Point, RBG 3 Nov ## (MM,RD). one there 4 Sep (CEs,PBr) and two there 13 Sep (SCa); one at Van Wagners Black-bellied Plover#: Two at Windermere Basin 1 Sep (RW/KE), four Beach 1 Sep (DD); one at there 3 Sep (BC,GS/RD), three there 7 Sep (MSe,GS), five there 14 Sep Hendrie Valley 18 Sep (SCa); (RPo), and one there 30 Sep (BMi); two at Tollgate Pond 4 Sep (MW,RW), two at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] four there 10 Sep (JR), three there 15 Sep (RW), and one there 17 Oct L (JP); 19 Oct (RvT) and one there 26 five at Princess Pt, RBG 28 Sep (GC et al.); one at Burlington Ship Canal 9 Oct L (EHe). Oct (MC); one at Van Wagners Beach 9 Oct (RD); one past LaSalle Park 17 Buff-breasted Sandpiper#: Oct L (RD). One at Tollgate Pond 3-4 Sep* American Golden-Plover#: One at Windermere Basin 1-14 Sep (m.obs) {photo} (RD/m.obs.). and two there 28 Sep (TH); one at Tollgate Pond 2 Sep (RPo), one there Pectoral Sandpiper#: Six 8 Sep (BC), three there 9 Sep (MP) and one there 28 Sep (m.obs.); one at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] Buff-breasted Sandpiper at Tollgate Pond - at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 27 Sep (NH); one past Van Wagners Beach 3 1 Sep (NH), 14 there 2 Sep 4 September 2019 - photo Paul Brooks. Oct (BH,JP); one at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 19-20 Oct L (MC,MHa,MLe/ (NH), 10 there 12 Sep (CCo), BPME,EHe). four there 1 Oct (LB/TH) and three there 21 Oct (TH); two at Tollgate Pond Semipalmated Plover#: 10 at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (MPa), 22 there 3 Sep 2 Sep (KE); two at Windermere Basin 3 Sep (GPr); two at 407 wetland at (MMac), four there 12 Sep (NMc,GRi) and one there 3 Oct L (RD); two at Britannia Rd [HL] 11 Sep (GPr); three at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] 5 Van Wagners Beach 3 Sep (BPME); two at Windermere Basin 3 Sep (PBe); Oct (DMac); six at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 16-27 Oct (MC,m.obs.), four one at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 5 Sep (LB) and one there 1 Oct (LB); one at there 2 Nov (WK) and one there 4 Nov L (CCo). 407 wetland at Britannia Rd 10 Sep (BC,BCha) and six there 11 Sep (GPr). Semipalmated Sandpiper: 20 at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (DPr,DMac,BCha), Killdeer: 30 at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 5 Sep (TH); 55 at 407 wetland at 25 there 6 Sep (KHo), 10 there 12 Sep (DPr) and one there 17 Sep (RD); Britannia Rd [HL] 10 Sep (BC); 38 at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] 5 Oct one at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 2 Sep (NH) and two there 13 Sep (RPa); six (DMac); 72 at Mountsberg C.A.[WL] 16 Oct (MC), 65 there 19 Oct (RvT), at Windermere Basin 3 Sep (PBe); and 75 there 30 Oct (MC); 25 at Fallsview Rd, Dundas 16 Oct (RD); 49 at three at Ruthven Park [HD] 8 Sep Yonge St and Cosby Rd, Beamsville [NG] 3 Nov (NS); 22 in wet field, N side (CB); six at 407 wetland at Britannia th of 4 Conc, just E of Valens Rd [HM] 3 Nov (KDi); one at Grand River at Rd [HL] 24 Sep L (GPr). Powerline Rd [BR] 20 Nov L (MH). WESTERN SANDPIPER#: One Upland Sandpiper#: One overhead (call note) at Stoney Creek backyard juv. at Tollgate Pond 3-5 Sep ** 14 Sep L (LM). {photo} (RD/m.obs.). Hudsonian Godwit#: One at 407 wetland at Britannia Rd [HL] 10-12 Sep* Short-billed Dowitcher#: Three at (SMac/RD, m.obs.). Windermere Basin 1-3 Sep (DWy/ Ruddy Turnstone#: Two at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (DPr) and one there RD); four there 5 Sep (EHe) and 9 Sep (GPr); three at Neare Island 2-6 Sep (MJa/JR) and one there 7 Sep one there 11 Sep L (LF). Western Sandpiper juvenile at (RD); two at southeast Oakville on Lake 2 Sep (JAd); four at Tollgate Pond 3 Long-billed Dowitcher#: One Sep (RD), five there 6 Sep (KHo), four there 12 Sep (GRi,NMc), three there Tollgate Pond - 3 September 2019 - juv. at Windermere Basin 3 Sep* photo Mourad Jabra. 28 Sep (m.obs.) and one there 29 Sep L (JMe,MMe). {photo} (BC,m.obs.) and two there 4 Red Knot#: One at Windermere Basin 1-5 Sep (DD/m.obs./CEs,KM); one Sep (RD,BCh) and one bird there 5 Sep L (JP). at Tollgate Pond 12-13 Sep (DPr,m.obs.). American Woodcock: One at 1st Line Campbellville [HL] 13 Oct Stilt Sandpiper#: Two at Windermere Basin 1 Sep (DWy), three there 3-4 (KWo,RWo); one at Harrisburg rail trail [HM] 20 Oct (BL); one at Hardy Sep (MN,JCa/RD) and one there 10 Sep (NM); one at Tollgate Pond 3-15 Rd, Brantford 3 Nov L (BL); one at Dundas Valley 3 Nov L (SMc). Sep (RD/m.obs./RW); three at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 3 Sep (TH); one at Wilson's Snipe#: Two at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 3 Sep (TH); four at 2172 407 wetland at Britannia Rd [HL] 10-11 Sep L (RD,BC,BCha/GPr). Sandusk Rd, Hagersville [HD] 2 Oct (BF); five at Shade’s Mills C.A.[WT] 24 Sanderling#: 29 at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RD,BCha et al.), 15 there 12 Oct (AZ); two at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 30 Oct (MC); one at Bronte Creek Sep (MW,RW,RD), eight there 13 Sep (TC) and five there 15 Sep (RC); eight P. P. [HL] 3 Nov L (AD). at Tollgate Pond 2 Sep (RPo), 18 there 3 Sep (PBe), eight there 6 Sep (KHo) Spotted Sandpiper: Six at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (MPa); one at LaSalle Park and six there 9 Sep (RD); seven at NE Harbour 2 Sep (MJa), 15 there 5 Sep 14 Oct {photo} (EO); one at Hendrie Valley [HL] 16 Oct (SCa); one at (MJa) and one there 3 Oct (RD); one at Beachway Park, Burlington 7 Sep Valley Inn 10 Nov (BC); one at Grand River at Linear Trail, Cambridge 25- (BCo,MN); two at Burlington Ship Canal 4 Oct (DJa); one at South Shell 29 Nov L ** [photo] (BWi,RLi). Park [HL] 12 Nov L {photo} (MJ). ** Lesser Yellowlegs: 39 at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 2 Sep (NH), 50 there Dunlin: Four at Van Wagners Beach 27 Sep F (DMac,DMa) and three there 6 Sep (TH), 50 there 12 Sep (CCo), 40 there 23 Sep (TH), 10 there 2 Oct 4 Nov (RD); three at Fifty Point 14 Sep (DD); three at Tollgate Pond 11 Oct (NH), 20 there 3 Oct (TH) and two there 25 Oct (TH); 17 at Windermere (DPr); 12 at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 26 Oct (EHei); 180 past Grays Rd [HM] Basin 4 Sep (CEs,PBr); 10 at Tollgate Pond 6 Sep (RD); 11 at 407 wetland 1 Nov (RPo,JR,MJa); eight at Waters Edge Park [PL] 2 Nov (RM); 14 past at Britannia Rd [HL] 8 Sep (DDi) and 20 there 11 Sep (CEs); six at Grand Green Rd [HM] 6 Nov L (RD). River at footbridge, Brantford (GSi,JSi); three at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 25 Purple Sandpiper#: One at Burlington Ship Canal 28 Nov* ** (EP). Oct (BD); one at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 29 Oct L (EHe,JA). Baird’s Sandpiper#: Two at Tollgate Pond 1-2 Sep (m.obs.), three there Greater Yellowlegs: Eight at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 28 Sep (AZ) and 3 Sep (JP), four there 11 Sep (CEs) and one there 12 Sep (LF,GW); one at five there 19 Oct (AZ); (continued on page 159) Page 154 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Urges Council to take Lead on Multi-government Rescue for Chedoke and Cootes by Teviah Moro - TheHamilton Spectator - 23 January 2020

he Hamilton Naturalists’ Club is urging city council to take When asked about the call Tthe lead on a recovery plan for the long-maligned Chedoke to action, public works Creek after a massive sewage spill. head Dan McKinnon said a Ministry of the Environment, In a letter to council, the club says a plan to tackle environmental Conservation and Parks degradation of the creek and Cootes Paradise should involve the probe into the leak should be provincial and federal governments. completed first. He said the “Given the magnitude of the challenge that’s facing the city, I city has limited information think looking at things realistically, we need all hands on deck,” about the ministry’s Gord McNulty, Conservation and Education Director, told The investigation. “It’s in many Spectator. ways similar to a police The 600-member club’s call to action comes amid public outrage investigation. They don’t tell us anything about the over a 24-billion-litre sewage spill into the creek between 2014 Pipes run under the 403 to Chedoke and 2018 due to a partially open tank gate. The letter this week investigation per se.” He said Creek, which flows into Cootes inquiries into why the sewage Paradise - Cathie Coward,The characterizes that uproar as an “unprecedented outcry” for Hamilton Spectator . council to “execute a plan of which we can all be proud.” tank gate was left open for four-and-a-half years hasn’t yielded anything “definitive.” In November, The Spectator revealed city staff and councillors — between this term and last — kept the magnitude and duration of In the meantime, the province has ordered the city to report on the disaster secret for more than a year. the spill’s impact to Chedoke and potential remediation by Feb. 14. A Cootes report and a surface water monitoring plan are to Leaked confidential staff reports cited officials’ concern of be filed May 1. The city is also required to produce technological regulatory fines and litigation. Not sharing that information progress reports while the ministry conducts its investigation. sooner has “undermined confidence in the ability of council to tackle this debacle as an urgent priority,” the letter said. The latest posted update, dated January 8, shows the city has worked to describe the Chedoke study area and natural habitat. McNulty said the city’s initiative to improve sewer outflow Staff have also examined data for sediment, water and small monitoring and publicize discharges is positive, but more needs invertebrates. The report notes the city requested a Cootes water to be done. The city should enlist the help of the province and flow model from the University of Toronto and information from Ottawa to rehabilitate the befouled waterway after decades of Royal Botanical Gardens. A draft of an ecological risk assessment urban encroachment and sewage discharges. order by the province is pending for internal review. As well, the Hamilton Conservation Authority has shared with “Given the magnitude of the council a summary of water samples taken from Chedoke and challenge that’s facing the city, I Cootes between 2014 and 2019. think looking at things realistically, we need all hands on deck.” Help Wanted – Grimsby Wetlands Budding botanist requested to document the new “Ultimately, the creek flows out to the harbour and . species of plants that are moving into areas at the It’s all part of the Great Lakes ecosystem, really.” Grimsby Wetlands where Phragmites grass has been Such a multi-jurisdictional rehabilitation effort was orchestrated removed. under the direction of the Remedial Action Unique study area to record new plant species as they Plan. All three levels of government and private partners move into these areas and to note changes to the flora contributed to a $140-million strategy to encase a coal tar pile in over time. the harbour known as Randle Reef. Pay -- self rewarding. Excellent opportunity to write When the spill was discovered in July 2018, the city shut the gate reports for the Wood Duck. Hours flexible, winters off. and notified the public of the spill — but not its scope or duration. On Wednesday night, council received the club’s letter without For more information contact: [email protected]. comment and referred it to the public works department.

The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 155 DATES TO REMEMBER - March 2020 1 March - 15 May: Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch. The 46th season of monitoring the migration of hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, Quarry Rd. off Ridge Rd. W., Grimsby. Except in very bad weather, counters are present every day from 8:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. EST/9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. EDT. Counters are needed. Visitors are always welcome. Information: Sandy Darling, [email protected]

1 March (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Hendrie Valley, meet at Cherry Hill Gate parking lot. If weather is inclement, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

1 March (Sunday) 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. HNC - Sunday Morning Birding (the Pipits). Sunday morning birding group, meets at various locations around the Hamilton area. Also on 8, 15, 22, 29 March. Everyone including new birders are welcome. Please bring binoculars and appropriate footwear. Locations vary week to week depending on the sightings. Contact Colleen Reilly for locations and meet up points [email protected]

2 March (Monday) mornings. HNC - Larks Birding. Larks Monday morning ladies birding group meets at various locations around the Hamilton area. Also on 9, 16, 23, 30 March. Locations vary from week to week depending on the sightings. New birders are welcome. Please bring your binoculars and appropriate walking shoes. Contact Elaine Serena for locations and meet up points and times - [email protected].

7 March (Saturday) 1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. HNC - Lichen Walk. Join Carolyn Zanchetta, HNC Stewardship & Education Coordinator on a gentle walk around Hamilton Cemetery. Discover the unique world of lichen and what it can tell us about air quality. Often undetected and unassuming, lichen can be found growing anywhere that will stay still long enough. In Hamilton and throughout our Nature Sanctuaries, we can see crustose lichen coating park benches, colourful foliose lichen peeling up off tree trunks, squamulose lichen at the base of an old tree, or even fruiticose lichen stretching off the branches. As they are sensitive to pollutants, they can also tell us a lot about the air quality where they grow, or simply by their presence or absence. We’ll look for these often overlooked organisms. Meet at parking lot by the stop lights at far end. Dundurn Castle, 610 York Blvd, Hamilton. Contact Caroyln at [email protected] to register and for more information. Cancelled in inclement weather.

8 March (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Princess Point, meet at the parking lot. If the weather is inclement, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

9 March (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC Monthly Meeting — Photography - Canada and Beyond. Join us for this presentation from Bill Pratt, wildlife photographer. Bill has lived near Almonte, Ontario since 1984. He took up photography seriously in 1995 after the Québec Referendum when he became fearful of losing this wonderful country. Since that time he has photographed remote corners of Canada to remind us all what a magnificent country we have and why it’s worth keeping it together. For Bill photographing Canada has been a wonderful experience. Through his career as an engineer for Parks Canada and the pursuit of his personal photographic mission he has developed an understanding of how this vast country, with its rugged landscape and harsh climate, has shaped us as a people and instilled in us the values and the principles we stand for. As well as working for Parks Canada, Bill is a founder and driving force behind the annual Celebrating Algonquin Park event and is currently affiliated with the Canadian Museum of Nature. Using maps and images, Bill will identify some of his favourite places and experiences in photographing Canada, with some reference to Africa, Svalbard and Antarctica. At RBG HQ Building, Plains Road W., Burlington.

15 March (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike. Cootes North Shore, meet at the Nature Centre, Arboretum location, Old Guelph Road. In inclement weather, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

16 March (Monday) 7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. Bird Study Group - West Pacific Birds. Join HNC Bird Study Group as they present expert birder and Hawkwatch coordinator Sandy Darling as he shares his photos and experiences exploring West Pacific birds. Free. All welcome. Contact Bruce for more information [email protected]. Burlington Seniors’ Centre, 2285 New St, Burlington.

22 March (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Cootes South Shore, meet at the Aviary parking lot, Oak Knoll Dr, Hamilton. In inclement weather, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

28 March (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. - 11:30 a.m. A Trail Called Home Tree Walk. Tree Walk Series with Paul O'Hara are being offered again this year! This one takes place at Chedoke Radial Trail. Registration required for these are very popular walks but please do not register unless you know you are able to come. Limit 15. Wait listed after 15. Please come a few minutes early for sign in. Paul is a local field botanist, landscape designer and native plant gardening expert. Paul is continuing to promote his tree book (A Trail Called Home: Tree Stories From The ) with another series of hikes in 2020. Paul will have copies of his book for sale at each of the hikes. Hike is free but participants must register with Bron [email protected] where they will receive the location of the hike a week ahead of the time.

29 March (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Rock Chapel Sanctury, meet at the parking lot on Rock Chapel Rd, Dundas. In inclement weather, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

Page 156 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 DATES TO REMEMBER - April 2020 5 April (Sunday) 9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. HNC - Sunday Morning Birding (the Pipits). Sunday morning birding group, meets at various locations around the Hamilton area. Also on 12, 19, 26 April. Everyone including new birders are welcome. Please bring binoculars and appropriate footwear. Locations vary week to week depending on the sightings. Contact Colleen Reilly for locations and meet up points - [email protected].

5 April (Sunday) 2:00 p.m. - 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Hendrie Valley, meet at Cherry Hill Gate parking lot. If weather is inclement, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

6 April (Monday) morning. HNC - Larks Birding. Larks Monday morning ladies birding group meets at various locations around the Hamilton area. Also on 13, 20, 27 April. Locations vary from week to week depending on the sightings. New birders are welcome. Please bring your binoculars and appropriate walking shoes. Contact Elaine Serena for locations and meet up points and times - [email protected].

6 April (Monday) 7:30 p.m. HNC Monthly Meeting - The Conservation of Turtles. Join Turtle Consevationist Matthew Ellerbeck for an insightful look at the conservation concerns that impact turtles. Information on the natural history of turtles will be provided. Additionally, this event will feature a display of live turtles. Learn more about Matthew’s work at http://www. TurtleConservation101.com. Matthew has always loved and been passionate about turtles. Over the years he has observed thousands of turtles in their natural habitats, and has spent countless hours with them. Due to his growing concern over declining turtle populations, Matthew decided to start a turtle conservation and advocacy project, which has earned him multiple awards for his contributions to turtle conservation. At RBG HQ Building Plains Road W., Burlington.

10 April (Friday) 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch Open House. Migrating raptors, talks about migration, live raptor display, children’s program, exhibits by nature groups, and food truck. All welcome at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, 28 Quarry Rd, Grimsby.

12 April (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Princess Point, meet at the parking lot. If the weather is inclement, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

18 April (Saturday) 10:00 a.m. - 12: 00 p.m. Coyote Education Walk. Come and out and join Lesley from Coyote Watch Canada as she leads us on a gentle walk along the trail at Beamer CA. This is the start of den season for Coyotes and Lesley will talk about the life-cycle and myths surrounding Coyotes. She will tell us about what behaviour to look for and the importance of keeping your dogs on leash. CWC works with city animal control units and wildlife rescue across the province and beyond. Lesley looks forward to your questions. Wear layered clothing, good boots and bring snacks and water. This is a joint Iroquoia Club and HNC event. Please register with Bron - [email protected]. At Beamer Memorial Conservation Area, 28 Quarry Rd, Grimsby.

18 April (Saturday) 6:00 p.m. Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch AGM and Banquet. Dr. Alexandra (Allie) Anderson will speak about American Kestrels and Climate Change. Location: St. John the Baptist Church hall, 128 Edgemont Street South, Hamilton. Tickets: $40.00 for members and $50.00 for non-members. Reservations to Keith Dieroff ([email protected]) or Sandy Darling ([email protected]).

19 April (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike. Cootes North Shore, meet at the Nature Centre, Arboretum location, Old Guelph Road. In inclement weather, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

20 April (Monday) 7:30 p.m. BSG - Bird Study Group. Join us as we present Jean Iron, expert photographer and birder. Jean will be accompanied by three other renowned field ornithologists, Barb Charlton, Nancy McPherson and Garth Riley. Using eBird, some of Canada’s top birders birded B.C. in September 2018 to increase their Canadian lists. This presentation shows the birds and how we found them with eBird. It includes birding hotspots, pelagics, diverse habitats, and resources. Learn how even experts can use modern technology to increase their birding opportunities. The presentation is a combined effort. Jean Iron is a famous Canadian birder and former president of the Ontario Field Ornithologists. Her special interests are shorebirds, gulls, bird identification, geese and grassland birds of the Carden Alvar. Contact Bruce Mackenzie for more information - kintail52@gmail. com. At Burlington Seniors’ Centre, 2285 New St, Burlington.

25 April (Saturday) 7:00 p.m. HNC Annual Trivia Night. Join us for our annual Trivia Night fundraiser to get kids out into nature. Great prizes for winners and door prizes. $15 each or table of 8 for $80 (cash only). Wine, beer and non-spirit drinks for sale. Bring your own snacks. St. Paul's United Church, 29 Park St W, Dundas. Contact Jen Baker at [email protected] or 905-524-3339.

26 April (Sunday) 2 to 3:30 p.m. RBG - Get Back to Nature Walk. Free RBG Nature hike (donations welcome). Cootes South Shore, meet at the Aviary parking lot, Oak Knoll Dr, Hamilton. In inclement weather, call Program Update Line 905-527-1158 ext. 404.

26 April (Sunday) 7:30 a.m. to noon. HNC – West Flamborough Spring Birding. Join leader Rob Dobos on an outing to several sites in West Flamborough for spring migrants and local breeders, including the Hyde Tract, Safari Rd. Marsh, Westover Tract and Beverly Swamp. We hope to find Ruffed Grouse, American Bittern, Common Gallinule, Brown Thrasher, Rusty Blackbird, Northern Waterthrush and Pine Warbler amongst others. Flooded fields may hold migrant waterfowl and shorebirds. Meet at the parking lot at Peters Corners (intersection of Hwys. 5, 8 and 52) for car pooling. For more info email: rdobos@ cogeco.ca

The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 157 Ontario Mid-Winter Waterfowl Census (aka: Duck Count) 2020 Report by Chris Motherwell

Count date: January 12th Red-necked Grebe 2 (The following is based on count data from 1986 to Double-crested Cormorant 17 25 68% date, data prior to 1986 is being researched) Chris Motherwell. Tundra Swan 27 s always, I want thank the 19 diehards, who, although temperatures Trumpeter Swan 168 100 168% were around 0oC, braved the quite strong and cold winds. This A Mute Swan 31 70 44% also caused choppy water on the lake making counting challenging. As water bodies were completely open and water levels were quite high, Whooper Swan 1 many birds seem to have been elsewhere - probably at the other end of Greater White-fronted Goose 1 the lake - and most areas had lower than normal numbers and species. Snow Goose 2 Fortunately, the icy conditions forecasted didn’t materialized, so walking and driving was not a major factor. Ross’s Goose Brant 2 The species count was 28 species, one more then last year, otherwise lowest since 2012. The total number of birds was at the count’s 28th lowest Canada Goose 522 4,723 11% amount of birds at 15,028, with the first being in 2006 with 137,425 Cackling Goose 3 birds. There were four Bald Eagles found, which is their average. Wood Duck 1 Although the numbers were low in most areas, there were still a few Green-winged Teal 2 8 25% highlights. The two Green-winged Teal were found in Windermere American Black Duck 32 231 14% Basin and a total of five American Wigeon from three areas. Five birds had more than a 100% increase over their count average: Redhead and Mallard 423 2,628 16% Canvasback had 292% and 170% respectively, American Wigeon was Northern Pintail 20 150%, Trumpeter Swan 168% and Northern Shoveler 157%. There were Blue-winged Teal 1 no record highs. Northern Shoveler 66 42 157% There were two surprising record lows - Canada Geese at 522 (over Gadwall 42 74 57% 4,000 below the average) and Mallard at 33 (over 2,000 below the American Wigeon 5 2 250% average). What makes the Canada’s numbers more unusual is that there more than 5,000 found on the Christmas Bird Count. American Canvasback 173 102 170% Black Duck also had a record low, with 32, continuing it’s decline on Redhead 277 95 292% this count since 2014. Ruddy Ducks had their second lowest showing Ring-necked Duck 1 34 3% with only two birds, and Double-crested Cormorants, having a record high last year with 57, had only 17 this time around. 17 other species Tufted Duck 1 had lower than average numbers, (averages are shown beside the totals Greater Scaup 456 8,444 5% below). Lesser Scaup 30 1,193 3% Of the birds that have been seen on more than half of the counts since King Eider 5 1986, Common Loon, Wood Duck and Northern Pintail were not Harlequin Duck 1 found this year, even though a pintail had been around LaSalle Park the previous week. Long-tailed Duck 8,452 18,060 47% Black Scoter 4 9 44% Counters: Paige Au, Simon Carter, Mike DeLorey, Lyn Hanna-Folkes, Debbie Garbe, Beth Jefferson, Tristan Knight, Joan Kotanen, Bill Surf Scoter 42 115 37% Lamond, Joyce Litster, Kevin McLaughlin, Chris Motherwell, (Count White-winged Scoter 770 2,462 31% Coordinator), George Naylor, Rob Porter, George Prieksaitis, Christa Common Goldeneye 2,715 5,214 52% Sanders, Elaine Serena, Joan Shewchum, Mary Ellen Starodub. Barrow’s Goldeneye 1 Bufflehead 253 580 44% % Hooded Merganser 10 28 36% Species 2020 Avg Change Common Merganser 191 1,530 12% Total Birds 15,028 Red-breasted Merganser 218 271 80% Total Species 28 Ruddy Duck 2 213 1% Red-throated Loon 1 American Coot 15 64 23% Common Loon 1 Bald Eagle 4 4 100% Pied-billed Grebe 2 2 100% Participants 19 Horned Grebe 2 3 67% Hours 17.5 Eared Grebe 1

Page 158 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 (continued from page 154) four at Scotch Block &1 3rd winter) 15 Sep (JL) and three there (2 ad.& 1 juv.) 22 Nov (JL); one ad. Reservoir [HL] 16 Oct (YS) and one there 31 Oct (YS); three at Green Lane at Van Wagners Beach 13 Sep (SCa,MN), one juv. there 4 Oct (NM) and one Wetland, Paris [BR] 19 Oct (MH); 25 at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 19 Oct juv. there 4 Nov (JP); one ad. at Princess Pt, RBG 30 Sep {photo} (MJa) and MC,MHa,MLe); four at Valens C.A. [HM] 3 Nov (DG,SG); one at Wilkes one ad. there 13 Nov (DMo); one ad. at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 14 Nov Dam, Brantford 11-18 Nov L (SL,BL,EL/NFa). {photo} (TM); five (3ad.&2juv.) 19 Nov (SL,BL) at Mohawk Lake, Brantford Wilson’s Phalarope#: One at Tollgate Pond 10 Sep* {photo} (JR). and six there (4ad.&2juv) 21 Nov (JI,BL,SL); one ad. at 25 Nov Red-necked Phalarope#: Five at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RD,MP,m. (RD). obs.) and two there 9 Sep (MJa,m.obs.); five at Tollgate Pond 4-10 Sep SLATY-BACKED GULL#: One (JR,m.obs.) and two there 11 Sep (CEs) and one there 26-28 Oct L {photo} ad. at Mohawk Lake, Brantford 19- (MJa/RWo). 30 Nov F ** {photo} (BL,JH)/m. Pomarine Jaeger#: At Van Wagners Beach: One juv. there 6 Sep* (RD,KM obs.). et al.); different juv. there 8-9 Sep (RD et al.); two (ad.&sub-ad.) 12 Sep (RD Glaucous Gull#: One over Grays et al.); one juv. 16-18 Sep (RD,BCh/NM/BF); one juv. 29 Sep (m.obs.); one Rd [HM] 14 Nov F (LM); one at juv. 30 Oct L (RD). Grays Rd at Lake [HM] 30 Nov (JT et al.). Parasitic Jaeger#: At Van Wagners Beach: 10 – 6 Sep* (RD,KM et al.); six Slaty-backed Gull at Mohawk Lake, – 8 Sep (RD et al.); six juv. – 9 Sep (RD,CE); four – 12 Sep (RD et al.); one Great Black-backed Gull: Five at Brantford - 21 November 2019 - juv. 16 Sep (RD,CE,BCh); one juv. 18 Sep {photo} (RD,CE/RPo); nine – 29 Van Wagners Beach 29 Sep (RD); photo Ryk Naves. Sep (m.obs.); one – 19 Oct (GPr); one 11 Oct (JCa,JMe,MMe). One on Lake 11 at Tollgate Pond 30 Oct (RD), at Murray St, Grimsby 9 Sep (JRo); one off Burloak Waterfront Park[HL] 2 52 there 19 Nov (RD) and 80 there 28 Nov (RD); nine at Mohawk Lake, Nov L (GPr). Brantford 19 Nov (MH). Long-tailed Jaeger#: One ad. at Caspian Tern: 180 at Windermere Basin 5 Sep (EHe) and 25 there 11 Sep Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (BCha/ (KB); one at Brant C.A., Brantford 22 Sep (YS); three at Van Wagners Beach RD,KM et al.) and one juv. there 8 Oct L (BCha,NMc,GRi). 6 Sep {photo] (RD,SL, et al.); Black Tern#: Three at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (BCha,m.obs.), two there one ad. at Fifty Point C.A. 28 Sep 6 Sep (JP), one there 12 Sep (RD,BCha) and one there 16 Sep L (RD). (DMac et al.). Common Tern: 74 at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RD), 43 there 8 Sep (RD Sabine’s Gull#: At Van Wagners et al.), 15 there 12 Sep (RD et al.), 20 there 8 Oct (BCha) and four there 9 Beach: 31 juv. 1 Sep* (RD et al.), Oct (RD); four at Bronte Harbour 12 Sep (LF,GW); three at Dundas Marsh one juv. 3 Sep (RD,CE), two juv. 27 Sep (AD); four at Fifty Point 30 Oct L (RD). 6 Sep (RD,JCa), 48 (45juv.&3ad.) Parasitic Jaeger juvenile off Confederation Park - 9 September ARCTIC TERN#: One juv. at Fifty Point 30 Oct* (RD). 8 Sep (RD,CE et al.), five juv. 2019 - photo Tom Thomas. Red-throated Loon#: One at Van Wagners Beach 30 Oct F (RD) and three 9 Sep (RD,CE), 13 juv. 16 Sep there 3 Nov (BCr); two at Fifty Point C.A. 30 Oct (RD) and two there 23 (RD,CE,BCh), four juv. 29 Sep (RD et al.) and one juv. 5 Oct L (RD,CE). Nov (FS,SH); five at Woodland Cemetery 1 Nov (RD); two off Burloak One at Bronte Harbour 3 Sep (GPr). Waterfront Park [HL] 2 Nov (GPr) and one there 28 Nov (RD); one at Black-legged Kittiwake#: One juv. at Van Wagners Beach 29 Sep* (RD et al.) Cootes Paradise 3 Nov (MM,RD); five on Lake at Grays Rd [HM] 19 Nov st and one juv. there 5 Oct (RD,RPo); one 1 ba. at Fifty Point 19 Nov L (RD). (BCa) and four there 3 Nov (DH/GSt,KSe); two at Bronte Harbour 5 Nov Bonaparte’s Gull: 12 at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (RD), 17 there 8 Sep (MJ); two at Burlington Ship Canal 10 Nov (JR/BCa/RD). (QW), 14 there 8 Oct (RD,KM), 18 there 9 Oct (RD) and 20 there 4 Nov Common Loon: 18 off Burloak Waterfront Park[HL] 2 Nov (GPr) and (JP); 12 off Burloak Waterfront Park [HL] 2 Nov (GPr); four off Grimsby at eight there 8 Nov (GPr); seven at Van Forty Mile Creek [NG] 3 Nov (MMac); one at Fifty Point 19 Nov (RD); 25 Wagners Beach 3 Nov (BF,EHen,BCr); 60 at Bayfront Park 26 Nov (RM). off Bronte Harbour 5 Nov (MJ) and six Little Gull#: One at Van Wagners Beach 1 Sep (DPr). there 8 Nov (RPo); 26 on Lake off Green Franklin’s Gull#: One at Hagersville quarries [HD] 23 Oct* ** {photo} 23 Rd [HM] 6 Nov (RD); seven at Burlington Oct (MJa). Ship Canal 9 Nov (APo) and 19 there 10 Herring Gull: 800 at Lorne Nov (RD); 25 off Oakville Harbour 9 Nov Bridge, Brantford 15 Nov (BL); (RM); two at Bayfront Park 26 Nov (RM). 1100 at Mohawk Lake, Brantford Double-crested Cormorant: 26 above Green Heron at Desjardins 21 Nov (SL,JI,BL). Wilkes Dam, Brantford 17 Oct (BL) and Canal, Dundas - 10 November 2019 - photo “Kumlien’s” Iceland Gull#: Two one there 28 Nov (NFa); 100 migrating Mark Jennings. 1st winter at Brantford landfill 13 over Woodland Cemetery 18 Oct (RD); Nov F (JL) and two there 22 Nov 75 at Ruthven Park [HD] 21 Oct (RL); 70 off Confederation Park [HM] 1 (JL); one 1st winter at Lorne Bridge, Nov (JM); 37 at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 14 Nov (RD); 81 at Windermere Brantford 13 Nov F (SL,BL) and Franklin's Gull at Hagersville Basin 3 Nov (BC) and 20 there 30 Nov (ABa). two 1st winter there 15 Nov (BL); quarries - 23 October 2019 - photo Great Egret: Eight at Hespeler Mill Pond [WT] 1 Sep (NH), 11 there 19 Sep Mourad Jabra. one ad. at Oakville Harbour (PBe) and one there 6 Nov (PBe); one at Valley Inn 1 Sep (MBe), four there 18 Nov (MJa); four (1ad.,2 - 1st winter&1 - 2nd winter) at Mohawk Lake, 14 Sep (RP) and two there 3 Nov (JR); one at Hendrie Valley 3 Sep (BA) Brantford 20 Nov {photo} (BL,EL,MJa); one ad. at Bronte Beach 24 Nov and three there 13 Sep (BA); four on Grand River at Brant C.A. [BR] 15 Sep {photo} (DH/MJ). (AZ); 24 at Cootes Paradise 27 Sep (AD,NS), 22 there 28 Sep (BMi), 11 there “Thayer’s” Iceland Gull#: One 1st winter at Brantford landfill14 Nov F 4 Oct (ES) and four there 4 Nov (RD); one on Grand River just upriver from ** {photo} (JL) and again on 22 Nov (JL); likely same bird at Mohawk Lake, Parkhill Dam, Galt 3 Nov (GMo et al.); two at Desjardins Canal, Dundas Brantford on 19 Nov (BL,SL) and on 21 Nov {photo} (JI,SL,BL). 4 Nov {photo} (TM); one at Hanlon Creek off Niska Rd, Guelph 15 Nov Lesser Black-backed Gull#: Three juv. at Lorne Bridge, Brantford 6 Sep (BWy); one at Downey Rd & Teal Dr, Guelph 19 Nov (RH); one at Niska Rd (BL), three there (1ad.,1juv.&1 3rd winter) 9 Sep {photo} (EL,BL), seven there and Speed River, Guelph 23 Nov L {photo) (PQ,DPo). (4ad.&3juv.) 20 Sep (BL) and five ad. there 15 Nov (BL); four (2ad.,1 juv,&1 Green Heron: Two at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 1 Sep (DGas) and one 3rd winter) at Brantford landfill 11 Sep (JL), four there (2 juv., 1 2nd Winter, there 3-30 Nov L ** {photo] (BF,EHen/RD); two at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 159 1 Sep (CEs,PBr); three at Hendrie Northern Harrier: Four past Woodland Cemetery 18 Oct (RD). Valley 2 Sep (EC,CSc); two at Sharp-shinned Hawk: Three over Great Lakes/Rebecca SWP[HL] 7 Sep Downey Rd – Teal Dr area, Guelph (MJ); 20 over Woodland Cemetery 24 Sep (RD); 15 over Aurora Cres, 21 Sep (PQ,DPo); two at Valley Inn Burlington 24 Sep (RPo,CE). 28 Sep (BSc). Cooper’s Hawk: Five past Woodland Cemetery 24 Sep (RD). Black-crowned Night-Heron: Northern Goshawk#: One at Guelph Arboretum 25 Oct F (BO). Five at Rattray Marsh [PL] 5 Sep Bald Eagle: Three over Aurora Cres, Burlington 24 Sep (RPo,CE); four at (LF); three at Grimsby Wetlands Cootes Paradise 5 Oct (WO); eight imm. at Brantford landfill 3 Nov (SL,BL); [NG] 9 Sep (BD); six at Mill Race five at Paris Plains Church Rd[BR] 12 Nov (EL,SL,BL); three over Gate of Park, Cambridge 9-20 Sep (NH); Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot 12 Nov (RD). one at Crooks Hollow C.A. [HM] Black-crowned Night-Heron at Red-shouldered Hawk: One over S Guelph 9 Oct F (MPe); three over 14 Sep (RP); one at Hespeler Mill Olympic Dr and Desjardins Canal - 16 Hamilton Cemetery 3 Nov (AKe); two over Guelph Arboretum 16 Nov October 2019 - photo Ursula Kolster. Pond [WT] 21 Sep -2 Oct (JS/TH); {photo} (BJu); one over Kerncliff Park, Burlington 24 Nov L (YS). three at Streetsville Memorial Park Broad-winged Hawk: 41 over Guelph Arboretum 11 Sep (RH); 74 over St [PL] 22 Sep (MJo); one at Scotch Block Reservoir [HL] 23 Sep (YS); one George [BR] 14 Sep (JL); 143 over Hilton Falls C.A. [HL] 17 Sep (LFr); 860 over St George [BR] 23 Sep (JL); one at Franklin Pond, Cambridge 23-24 over Woodland Cemetery 24 Sep (RD); 554 over Aurora Cres, Burlington Sep (AZ); three at Valley Inn 27 Sep (AWi); 10 at Cootes Paradise 27 Sep 24 Sep (RPo,CE); 100 over McNally Forest, Waterdown 30 Sep (RPo); two (JHu) and five there 4 Oct (CCo); six at Princess Point, RBG 28 Sep (RB), over Laird Rd, Guelph 9 Oct L four there 5 Oct (WO), seven there 3 Nov (PTa) and one there 26 Nov (PTa); (RH). five at Desjardins Canal 4 Oct (DJa), six there 3 Nov (YS) and one there 30 Rough-legged Hawk: One Nov (JT et al.); one at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 2 Nov (PH); one at over Clappisons Wetland [HM] Petro Canada Park [HL] 3 Nov (GPr). 8 Oct F (SD); one over Grand American Bittern#: One flushed at Windermere Basin 27 Sep L (DMac). River at Powerline Rd [BR] 23 Oct (MH); one over Guelph Arboretum 25 Oct (EG); one over N Service Rd, Burlington 28 Oct (JP); two over Springbank Park [PL] 9 Nov (DDi,LF,GW); one at Spottiswood Lakes [BR] Rough-legged Hawk at Springbank 12 Nov (BL,SL); one over 407 Park, Mississauga - 9 November 2019 - wetland at Britannia Rd [HL] photo Luc Fazio. 15 Nov (NH). Barred Owl#: One calling at 98 Falconer Dr, Streetsville 10 Nov (Geraldine Adams, Hannah McCurdy-Adams) and seen briefly on a backyard fence on the north side of Gatineau Green Park 11 Nov (AA). Long-eared Owl#: One at Devil’s Creek at Sim Court and Kent St, Cambridge 24 Oct (SS); two at Springbank Park [PL] 17 Nov (RM); one at 15 Side Road W of Speyside [HL] 25 Nov (YS). Short-eared Owl#: Two at Wyecroft/McPherson SWP[HL] 6 Nov (MJ); Cattle Egret at Desjardins Canal - 29 September 2019 - photo Ken Ball. one over Winston Churchill Blvd 28 Nov (GPr). Northern Saw-whet Owl#: Banded at Ruthven Park [HD]: two - 19 Oct Cattle Egret#: One at Chedoke Creek at Princess Point 26-28 Sep* ** {photo} (JWe/DMo/BHi,m.obs.); surely the same bird photographed at (LT), two 20 Oct (RL), four 24 Oct (RL), two 3 Nov (CB,LT). Red-headed Woodpecker#: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 21 Sep (LT et al.); Desjardins Canal, Dundas 29 Sep L ** (KBa). [HL] Turkey Vulture: 105 past Woodland Cemetery 4 Oct (RD), 182 there 18 one at Shoreacres Park 26 Sep (GMi,SMi). Oct (RD) and 18 there 12 Nov (RD); 48 south of Smithville [NG] 9 Oct Yellow-bellied Sapsucker: One at Guelph Arboretum 17 Sep F (BO); eight (NS); 120 at Brantford landfill 10 Oct (JL); 105 at Mountsberg C.A. 19 at Confederation Park [HM] 28 Sep (GRi,NMc) and six there 5 Oct (APo); Oct (MHa,MC,MLe); 30 over Desjardins Canal 3 Nov (BCha); 52 over eight at Van Wagners Ponds 29 Sep (AD,BCo); five at Shoreacres Park[HL] Jerseyville area 3 Nov (RPe,IS). 30 Sep (MJa); one at N shore Dundas Marsh 15 Oct (DL); two at Beach Rd, Osprey: Five at Woodland Cemetery 14 Sep (AMa,PR); one at River Bluffs Brantford 16 Oct (BL); one at Hendrie Valley 20 Oct L (ABa). Park, Cambridge 12 Oct (NH); one over Cainsville [BR] 3 Nov (BH,MAB); Northern Flicker: 13 past Woodland Cemetery 15 Sep (RD); 13 at one over Holiday Inn Dr, Cambridge 7 Nov L (JHat). Confederation Park [HM] 26 Sep (RD) and 16 there 3 Oct (RPo); 28 at Golden Eagle#: Two over Ruthven Park [HD] 19 Oct (CB); one over Fifty Point 28 Sep (EG,DMac et al.); 15 at Joshua’s Valley Park [HL] 29 Sep Franklin Blvd, Cambridge 21 Oct (BCha); two juv. over 87 Carlisle Rd [HM] (BCa); 16 at Lake St, Grimsby [NG] 30 Sep (MMac). 21 Oct (RWo); one over Stoney Creek 22 Oct (RW); one over King-Benton American Kestrel: 13 over Woodland Cemetery 24 Sep (RD); 13 over Gate pit, Brantford 25 Oct (BL); one ad. over Hwy 5 and Ofield Rd [HM] 30 Oct of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot 24 Sep (RD); 12 over Aurora Cres 24 Sep (JCh,NC); one juv. over Westdale Ravine 3 Nov (RD); one over Dundas (RPo,CE); eight past Pinedale Ave, Burlington 24 Sep (BC). Marsh 5 Nov {photo} (SL); one over Brantford landfill 6 Nov (DG); one Merlin: Four over Dundas Valley 23 Sep (JL); three past Woodland over Middletown Marsh [HM] 8 Nov (BCha); one over Streetsville [PL] 8 Cemetery 23 Sep (RD); five at Hendrie Valley 24 Sep (BCo,PT); four over Nov (AA); one over Desjardins Canal 8 Nov {photo} (JK); one over Grand High Level Bridge 17 Oct (RD). River at Powerline Rd [BR] 8 Nov (MH); one juv. over QEW and Brant St, Peregrine Falcon: Two over Aurora Cres, Burlington 24 Sep (RPo,CE); Burlington 12 Nov (JP) and later over Woodland Cemetery (RD); one over three at Woodland Cemetery 28 Sep (KB,MB); eight at Van Wagners Beach S.C. Johnson Trail, Brantford 13 Nov (NFa); one over Hespeler Mill Pond 3 Oct (BH); two ad. (m.&f.) at Lorne Bridge, Brantford 12 Nov {photo} [WT] 14 Nov {photo} (TM); one over Brantford 17 Nov (MH); one over (SL,BL). Mohawk Lake, Brantford 21 Nov L (GN). Great Crested Flycatcher: One at Deer Run Court [BR] 17 Sep (JSi,GSi); Page 160 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 one at Ruthven Park [HD] 22 Sep (LT,CB); one at Dundas Valley 27 Sep L Nov (BCha); one at Coronation Park [HL] 29 Oct (DPr); two at Burloak (fide PRe). Waterfront Park [HL] 3 Nov L (GPr). WESTERN KINGBIRD#: One at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 3-26 Nov* Horned Lark: Forty at Wyecroft/McPherson SWP[HL] 28 Sep (NMc,GRi); ** {photo} (DW/m.obs./RPo). 20 at Fallsview Rd, Dundas 17 Oct (JP) and 52 there 15 Nov (RB); 18 at Eastern Kingbird: Three at Rattray Marsh [PL] 10 Sep (GL); one at Bronte Green Lane Wetland [BR] 19 Oct (MH); 30 at Paris Plains Church Rd [BR] Creek P.P. [HL] 17 Sep (KS); one at Brant C.A., Brantford 22 Sep (YS); one 12 Nov (EL,BL). at Hamilton Golf & Country Club 4 Oct L (DPr). Purple Martin: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 2 Sep (RL); two at Windermere Olive-sided Flycatcher#: Two at Hendrie Valley 2 Sep (RBea); one at Basin 3 Sep L (GPr); four at Elgin St, Grimsby 3 Sep L (DE). Woodland Cemetery 2 Sep (CRo); one at St George [BR] 2 Sep (JL); one Tree Swallow: 12 at Smith Property Loop [WL] 1 Sep (RvT); 31 at Ruthven at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 3 Sep (MMe,JMe); one at Fletcher Creek Park [HD] 4 Oct (RL) and two there 12 Oct L (LT). E.P. [WL] 7 Sep (MSe,GS); one at Beke Rd near Elliott’s Lake [WT] 8 Sep Northern Rough-winged Swallow: 28 at Ruthven Park [HD] 12 Sep (NF); (EHen); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 9-10 Sep (RL); one at Franklin Pond, two at Brantford landfill 15 Sep L (JL). Cambridge 10 Sep (NH); one at Kelson Ave at Lake [NG] 11 Sep L (RD). Bank Swallow: 12 at Windermere Basin 3 Sep (GPr); two at Brant C.A. Eastern Wood-Pewee: 15 at Ruthven Park [HD] 7 Sep (RL), 10 there floodplain [BR] 15 Sep L (AZ). 15 Sep (RL), two there 1 Oct (RL) and one there 14 Oct L (LT); four at Cliff Swallow: Six at Tollgate Pond 1 Sep (DPr,BCha,DMac) and four there Woodland Cemetery 15 Sep (PR,AMa); one at Rattray Marsh [PL] 8 Oct 2 Sep (KE); two at Windermere Basin 3 Sep (GPr) and one there 4 Sep L (LF). (CEs). Yellow-bellied Flycatcher: Two at Smith Property Loop [WL] 1 Sep Barn Swallow: 30 at Windermere Basin 1 Sep (CEs,PBr); one at Beachway (RvT); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 26 Sep (RL); one at Fifty Point [NG] 28 Park, Burlington 6 Oct (APo); one at River Bluffs Park, Cambridge 12 Oct Sep L (KB,MB); two at Rattray Marsh [PL] 28 Sep L (DDi). L (NH). Least Flycatcher: One at Edgelake Park [HM] 4 Oct L (RW). Tufted Titmouse#: Seven at Ruthven Park [HD] 1 Sep (RL), six there 23 Eastern Phoebe: Two at Woodland Cemetery 27 Sep F (RD); two at Mill Sep (LT), seven there 9 Oct (NF) and four there 8 Nov (LT); one at Princess Run Trail, Hespeler [WT] 7 Nov (RC); two at Rattray Marsh [PL] 3 Nov Pt, RBG (BMi,BCan); two at Headwaters Trail, Dundas Valley 1 Oct (JL); (AGr); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 8 Nov (LT); two at Sedgewick Park [HL] one at N shore Cootes Paradise 5 Oct (RLa); two at Gilkison Flats, Brantford 14 Nov (KHa) and one there 16 Nov (EF); one at High Level Bridge 13 Nov 6 Oct (BL) and one there 7 Oct (DG); one at Blythe Cres, Oakville 29 Oct (DMo) and also on 15 Nov (RD); one at Springbank Park [PL] 17 Nov (JWa); two at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 3 Nov (RvT/WK); three at Birkett (RM); two at Princess Pt, RBG 18 Nov (RP) and one there 19 Nov L (PTa). Lane & River Rd, Brantford 3 Nov (SL,BL); two at Brantford landfill west Northern Shrike: One at River Rd & Birkett Lane, Brantford 3 Nov F perimeter 3 Nov (BL,SL); one on Dry Lake Rd [HD] 3 Nov (GN); one at (SL,BL); one at King & Benton Grand Valley Trail opposite Whitemans Creek, Brantford 7 Nov (BL); one pit, Brantford 3 Nov F (BL); one at McMaster Forest 16 Nov (RP); one at Brantford landfill, east perimeter 17 at Guelph Arboretum 3 Nov F Nov (BL); one at Beach Rd, Brantford 29 Nov (BL). (BJu); one at Pauline Johnson Rd Red-breasted Nuthatch: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 13 Sep F (RL). [BR] 3 Nov F {photo} (GB,TB). Brown Creeper: One at Dundas Valley 19 Sep F (JL); six at Forty Mile White-eyed Vireo#: One at Creek, Grimsby 30 Sep (MMac). Sedgewick Park [HL] 28 Oct House Wren: Eight at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL); four at Confederation – 17 Nov F ** {photo} (JVi,m. Park [HM] 30 Sep (RD); one at River & Ruins Trail, Lowville [HL] 14 Oct obs.); one imm. at LaSalle (BO); two at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct L (MJ); one at Iroquois Heights Park 3 Nov (RWo/BMi); one at White-eyed Vireo at Sedgewick Park - C.A. [HM] 18 Oct L (SCa). Powerline Rd, 1km W of Lynden 13 November 2019 - photo Doug Ward. Winter Wren: One at Confederation Park [HM] 26 Sep F (RD); four at Rd [HM] 3 Nov (MAB,BH); one Guelph Arboretum 30 Sep (RvT). imm. at Fifty Point 8 Nov ## (CE,RD). Sedge Wren: Two along Dofasco Trail between 8th and 10th Roads E [HM] Yellow-throated Vireo#: Four at Ruthven Park [HD] 1 Sep (EO), three 27-28 Sep (MJac,m.obs.) and one there 30 Sep L (RD). there 3-9 Sep (RL/LT), two there 10-11 Sep (RL) and one there 18 Sep L Marsh Wren: One in Hendrie Valley 15 Sep (Jack Shott); three at Valens (RL); one at Confederation Park [HM] 10 Sep (TU); one at Hendrie Valley C.A. [HM] 19 Sep (BL); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 24 Sep (NF); one at 14 Sep (AM); one at Woodland Cemetery 14 Sep (PR,AMa). Confederation Park [HM] 28 Sep (TU); one at Binbrook C.A. [HM] 28 st Blue-headed Vireo: One at south Guelph 7 Sep F (BPME); one at 1 Line, Sep (RP); one at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 29 Sep (MMac); one at Dundas Campbellville [HL] 15 Sep (RWo,KWo); one at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 17 Marsh 4 Oct (CaW), two there 6 Nov (CSc) and one there 20 Nov L (RD); Oct (MJa); one at Grimsby 25 Oct L four at Van Wagners Ponds 11 Oct (DGo,RGo); one along Decewsville Rd, (RB); one in woods ("vulture valley") across from Taquanyah C.A. [HD] 3 Nov (GN). across from LaSalle Park [HL] 3 Nov Blue-gray Gnatcatcher: Three at Ruthven Park [HD] 3 Sep (LT); one (RWo); one at Dundurn Stairs [HM] at Guelph Arboretum 17 Sep (KH); one at Edgelake Park [HM] 27 Sep L 5 Nov (JP); one at Desjardins Canal 8 (RW). Nov L (MCow,ND). Ruby-crowned Kinglet: One at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 4 Sep Philadelphia Vireo: Three at St George F {photo} (LF); one at Guelph Arboretum 5 Sep (RvT); 30 at Burlington [BR] 3 Oct (JL); one at Riverwood Blue-headed Vireo at [HM] Conservancy [PL] 5 Oct (LF et al.); Shoreacres Park - 7 October Waterfront Trail 30 Sep (MBe); 49 at Confederation Park 5 Oct one at S.C. Johnson Trail at Powerline 2019 - photo Mike Veltri. (APo); 40 at Shell Park [HL] 7 Oct (RPo); 30 at Sedgewick Park [HL] 19 Rd [BR] 7-17 Oct L (BL/MH). Oct (AD et al.) and four there 16 Nov (MMe,JMe); six at LaSalle Park 11 Warbling Vireo: One at Dundas Valley 27 Sep (BMi,MN,PRe); one banded Nov (MK); five at Bayfront Park 18 Nov (RM) and one there 26 Nov (RM); at Ruthven Park [HD] 21 Oct L ##(RL). one at Lakeside Park [PL] 28 Nov (RM); one at Burt Rd, St George [BR] Red-eyed Vireo: 23 at Ruthven Park [HD] 13 Sep (RL) and 15 there 29 30 Nov (BL). Sep (RL); 10 at Woodland Cemetery 15 Sep (PR,AMa); one at N shore Golden-crowned Kinglet: One at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 4 Sep (LF Dundas Marsh 24 Oct (LHF); one at Gairloch Gardens [PL] 18-28 Nov L et al.); 16 at Preservation Woods, Guelph 29 Sep (FU), 34 there 10 Oct ** (JMe,MMe/RM). (FU); 68 there 13 Oct (FU) and 36 there 17 Oct (FU); 40 at LaSalle Park 16 Fish Crow#: Two at along 5th Conc W at Moffat Rd, Flamborough 23 Oct (RPo); 50 at Bronte Creek (continued on page 163) The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 161 HNC Member Profile - Judy Eberspaecher by Glenda Slessor

udy Eberspaecher and I met many years ago, but not as Judy lives on a cul de sac off JHNC members. Rather, we were in career mode the two a cul de sac tucked up against of us. We taught together at a large high school and saw each one of the small ravines in other occasionally in hallways, engaging with our students, at Oakville. She manages an teacher-student conferences or at staff meetings. Imagine our established garden there, surprise when 15 years ago or so we looked across the room of with bird friendly shrubs, a BSG meeting and saw each other. What were we doing there? plants, flowers and two I remember as a kid thinking that most likely school janitors ponds. She enjoys the locked my teachers in the school room closets over night. Who privacy and quiet, but you expected them to have another life? Judy and I had fallen for that will remember she was old mindset. Who knew that this efficient, dedicated teacher willing to share it all in 2004 watched birds? when a Hooded Warbler spent a few weeks visiting Judy and her husband Alex came to the HNC as many others did, her garden. Even today she through the invitation of Tom Crooks. They had belonged for years is sometimes surprised when to the South Peel Naturalists, but their friend Tom thought they’d someone reminds her “oh, like the variety of activities of the Hamilton Club too. And they we’ve met before….I saw Judy Eberspaecher in Paris with did. You will know how effective this couple was as fundraisers. your lovely warbler". So many Cookbook Award. Remember the wine tasting evening? If you check out the brilliant birders visited then. Today she map of HNC activities Carolyn Zanetta has added to the HNC is an enthusiastic birder with the Larks and has birded on four website you will see it high-lighted as the most fun fundraiser continents, 20 countries, 29 states and nine provinces and has a ever. Judy not only has an expert’s knowledge and appreciation of life-list of just under 1,200 species. wine, she is an accomplished cook, or better yet, chef. For example she has researched throughout her travels Judy is a dedicated volunteer the many ways the world cooks and serves with Safety Net Children’s Totally Scallops Not just scallops. Her book and Youth Charities. another cookbook is the result of years of travel, Making sure everyone in research, and of course, first hand experience the community has access harvesting this seafood in the Bay of Fundy. to clothing she is continuing Read her book and learn geography, recipes, the support she gave to cooking tips and the exacting definitions of needy students 40 years ago, Author Glenda types of scallops. Slessor in Italy when young people would appear in her class with no And it is a beautiful book in no small part because of the breakfast, or no lunch, and photography. And whose pictures high-light the landscape, the needing a mother. Of course cooks and the scallop farmers? Judy’s of course. She has the she is also mother to her eye, and the technical skill to make everything shine. And it is own two now-grown boys. One is nearby, close enough for family this interest and skill that brought Judy full time into the HNC visits; the other has lived in Dominican Republic, Australia, 100 year celebration projects. No one worked more diligently, Botswana and New Zealand. How fortunate for a mother who The Hamilton and was more fundamental to the production of loves to travel, and is a photographer. Being able to spend a month Naturalists’ Club 1919-2019 A Centennial Celebration in Stories or two in Africa on a regular basis sounds ideal to me. and Pictures than Judy Eberspaecher. Imagine being able to keep track of everyones’ photos, edit and photoshop them, deliver It’s been a long journey from the farm in Nova Scotia where Judy them to chapter authors, whenever she was called upon, for two was raised. She’s been around the world, and here she is now. straight years. And in the last few months of publishing mayhem, Here with us. Sharing her energies, her talents and her willing- it was Judy who knew where everything was, and where every ness to be a naturalist, helping conserve our planet and our picture should go. Have a look at our latest publication with fresh communities. eyes….imagine the patience and skill to produce the visuals for all those articles and every chapter. Study the thumbnail portraits of each author. She cut, pasted, lightened, cropped and found a picture of everyone, and made us all look bright, intelligent, and even, may I say, younger!

Page 162 The Wood Duck - March, 2019 (continued from page 161) P. P. [HL] 17 Oct Pine Siskin: One at McMaster Forest 8 Sep F (RP); six at Roger Rd, Guelph (MJa); 50 at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby [NG] 19 Oct (DE). 4 Oct (FU); two at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 8 Oct (BL) and three Eastern Bluebird: 12 at Guelph Arboretum 4 Oct (RvT); eight past there 30 Oct (GSi,JSi); three at Guelph Arboretum 26 Oct (BJu) and one Woodland Cemetery 17 Oct (RD) and 15 there 12 Nov (RD); 32 at Bronte there 6 Nov (BPME,EHe); three in N Burlington 3 Nov (DWo et al.). Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct (MJ); 20 at Ruthven Park [HD] 28 Oct (RL) and Lapland Longspur#: One at 18 there 5 Nov (BL,NF); 12 at Gate Of Heaven Cemetery, Aldershot 1 Nov Wyecroft/McPherson SWP[HL] 17- (RD); 15 at Hindhead Park, Mississauga 2 Nov (PM); 32 at Big Creek area 24 Sep F ** {photo} (MJ,m.obs.); two [BR] 3 Nov (DWi); 35 over Streetsville [PL] 8 Nov (AA); 13 at Powerline at Fallsview Rd, Dundas16 Oct (RD); Rd at Grand River [BR] 26 Nov (RvT). one at Powerline Rd at Grand River Veery: One at Guelph 20 Oct L ** (KH). [BR] 8 Nov (MH); one at Burloak Gray-cheeked Thrush: One at south Guelph 5 Sep F (FU); three over Waterfront Park [HL] 11 Nov (YS); Green Rd yard 12 Sep (LM) and 15 overhead 24 Sep (LM); 60(!) overhead one at Paris Plains Church Rd [BR] at Guelph Arboretum (one-hour period) 25 Sep (BO); four at Ruthven Park 12 Nov (SL,EL,BL). [HD] 27 Sep (RL) and two there 17 Oct (RL); one at South Bridle trail, Snow Bunting: 30 at Lake at Green Lapland Longspur at Wyecroft/ McPherson SWP - 17 September Rd [HM] 2 Nov F (RPo); 12 at Sayers Hendrie Valley 15 Oct (BCo); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 19 Oct (AD et 2019 - photo Mark Jennings. al.); one at Tuck Creek, Burlington 26 Oct L (PW). Park [HM] 2 Nov F (NS); 200 at Swainson’s Thrush: 40 over Green Rd yard [HM] 12 Sep (LM) and five Troy area [HM] 3 Nov (RP); eight at Hardy Rd, Brantford 3 Nov (DBr); overhead 10 Oct (LM); 46 over Brantford 16 Sep (MH); 120 over 27 at Casablanca and N Service Rd, Grimsby 4 Nov (BMac); 20 at Paris Guelph Arboretum 25 Sep (BO) Plains Church Rd [BR] 12 Nov (SL,BL); 75 at Airport Rd [HM] 14 Nov and 115 over 26 Sep (EC,AWil); (GN) and 40 there 24 Nov (SMc). three at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Eastern Towhee: One at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 28 Sep F (PMac); three Oct (RL); one at Shell Park [HL] at Confederation Park [HM] 17 Oct (RD); one at Rattray Marsh [PL] 1 Nov 19 Oct (AD); one at Tuck Creek, (RvT) and two there 2 Nov (MKi); one at Rattray Marsh [PL} 3 Nov (AGr); Burlington 26 Oct (PW); one at one at Cherry Beach [HM] 8 Nov (RD,CE); one at Oakville yard 15 Nov Sedgewick Park [HL] 9 Nov {photo} (TM); one at McMaster Forest 16 Nov (RP); one at Glen Morris [BR] 16 (JR); one at Stoney Creek 16 Nov Nov (JH,EH); one at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 17 Nov (RJ). Hermit Thrush at Tuck Creek, L (bird subsequently died and was American Tree Sparrow: Three at N shore Cootes Paradise 14 Oct F Burlington - 27 October 2019 - photographed) ( LM,LeM). (DMo,VME); one at Guelph Arboretum 18 Oct (DS); one at Riverwood photo Phil Waggett. Hermit Thrush: One at Ridgeside Conservancy [PL] 19 Oct (JMe,MMe). Lane, Oakville 24 Sep F (GPr); 16 at Ruthven Park [HD] 18 Oct (RL), 14 Chipping Sparrow: 17 at Guelph Arboretum 8 Sep (BJu); 20 at Woodland there 20 Oct (RL) and six there 6 Nov (RL); three at Springbank Park [PL] Cemetery 27 Sep (RD); 15 at Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] 16 Oct (BL,SL); five 17 Nov (RM); one at Fifty Point 29 Nov (NSet al.). at Fifty Point 8 Nov (CE,RD); three at Cherry Beach[HM] 8 Nov (RD,CE); Wood Thrush: Two at McMaster Forest 26 Sep (RP); one at Ruthven Park 11 at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 13 Nov (MJ); three at Dundas backyard 15 [HD] 6 Oct L (RL). Nov (JLi); 12 at Springbank Park [PL] 17 Nov (RM) and four there 19 Nov Gray Catbird: Three at Hendrie Valley [HL] 10 Oct (BWyl,VME); one (PL/AA); one at Brantford backyard 19 Nov (MH); one at Powerline Rd at at Rattray Marsh [PL] 2 Nov (MKi); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 2 Nov Grand River [BR] 27 Nov (MH); one at Gairloch Gardens [HL] 28 Nov (CB,LT); one at Windermere Basin 3 Nov (BC); one at Grays Rd at Lake (RM). [HM] 25 Nov (TM); one at Grimsby Wetlands [NG] 26 Nov (RD). Clay-colored Sparrow#: One at Woodland Cemetery 1 Sep {photo} (MBe) Brown Thrasher: Four at 1st Road E at Dofasco Trail [HM] 24 Sep and same bird (?) there 24 Sep L (RD). (KB); one at Ruthven Park [HD] Field Sparrow: Seven at Dofasco Trail and 8th Road E [HM] 28 Sep 10 Oct (RL); one at Dundas Valley (RD,CE); 10 at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 8 Oct (BL); seven at C.A. 13 Oct L (JL). Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] 16 Oct (SL,BL); six at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Northern Mockingbird: One at Oct (MJ) and three there 6 Nov (MJ); 22 at McMaster Forest 18 Oct (RP); Ruthven Park [HD] 6 Nov (RL). 14 at King-Benton pit, Brantford 24 Oct (BL); one at Fifty Point 8 Nov (RD); Cedar Waxwing: 130 at one at Brantford backyard 17 Nov (MH). Woodland Cemetery 23 Sep (RD); Vesper Sparrow: One at Wyecroft/McPherson SWP[HL] 21-25 Sep (RD/ 100 at Gate of Heaven Cemetery, CEs); one at Brantford landfill Aldershot 14 Oct (RD); 112 at 10 Oct (JL); one at Springbank Ruthven Park [HD] 6 Nov (RL); Park [PL] 13 Oct (RM); three 200 at West Harbour Trail 15 Nov American Pipit at LaSalle Park - 14 at Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] (RD). November 2019 - photo Mervyn 16 Oct (BL,SL); one at Bronte Sequeira. American Pipit: Two as Hespeler Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct (MJ); Mill Pond [WT] 9 Sep F (NH); three at Wyecroft/McPherson SWP [HL] one at Glen Morris [BR] 25 21 Sep (CE,RD et al.); 31 at Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] 18 Oct (BL); 15 Oct (JH,EH); one at King at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 29 Oct (EHe,JA); 51 at Niebaur’s Pond [WL] 3 Forest, Waterdown 6 Nov L Nov (CCo,DMac,MC); seven at South Shell Park [HL] 12 Nov (MJ) and (RPo). Black-throated Sparrow at Sheldon one there 23 Nov L (DD,CE,RD); five at Rhododendron Gardens[PL] BLACK-THROATED Creek Trail, Oakville - 3 November 2019 - photo Bonnie Kinder. 14 Nov (PL); one at LaSalle Park 13-20 Nov (TT,m.obs.); three at Spencer SPARROW#: One at Sheldon Creek Trail [HM] 15 Nov (RB); two at Desjardins Canal 16 Nov (JL); one Creek, Oakville 3-6 Nov ** {photo} (MJ,m.obs.). First record for HSA. at Sedgewick Park [HL] 16 Nov (MMe,JMe); four at Springbank Park [PL] Savannah Sparrow: 32 at Wyecroft/McPherson SWP [HL] 8-17 Sep (MJ), 19 Nov (AA). 15 there 21-28 Sep (RD,CE/GRi,NMc), seven there 6 Oct {photo} (BC) Purple Finch: Two at Brantford backyard 15 Sep (MH); one at Woodland and three there 8 Oct (CE,RD); nine at Sandusk Rd, Hagersville [HD] 2 Cemetery 15 Sep (RD); one at West Harbour Trail 15 Sep (RD); one at Laird Oct (BF); five at Brantford landfill 10 Oct (JL); one at Papple Rd, Cainsville Rd, Guelph 15 Sep (RH); one at Peer Dr, Guelph 20 Sep (EHe). [BR] 16-18 Oct (SL,BL); one at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct (MJ); one at Common Redpoll#: One at Fern Hill School, Oakville 12 Nov F (JC). Ridgeway & Odyssey Dr [PL] 11 Nov L (LF). The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 163 Grasshopper Sparrow#: One at Green Lane Wetland [BR] 9 Oct L (BL). Common Grackle: 6510 (!) at Jerseyville Rd at Paddy Greene Rd, Ancaster Nelson’s Sparrow#: One at Sandusk Rd, Hagersville [HD] 2 Oct (BF); two 3 Nov (SMc); 200 at Brantford 6 Nov (MH); one at Brantford yard 18 Nov at Dundas Marsh 3 Nov L (RD). (SL); one at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 19 Nov L (CBu). Fox Sparrow: Two at S.C. Johnson Trail, Brantford 19 Oct F (MH); one at Rusty Blackbird: One at Rattray Marsh [PL] 21 Sep F (JVa); 30 at Guelph a Burlington backyard 2-23 Nov (DD); five at Mountsberg C.A. [WL] 3 Nov Arboretum 22 Oct (RvT); one at Desjardins Canal 3 Nov (JL); 25 N of Little (RvT); four at Harrisburg rail trail [HM] 8 Nov (BL); one at Wilkes Dam, Tract [WL] 3 Nov (DMac,CCo,MC); 25 at Foreman Rd and 10th Conc Brantford 10 Nov (DG); one at Mineral Springs Trail, Dundas 29 Nov (JL); [HM] 3 Nov (SG,DG); 11 at Harrisburg rail trail [HM] 3 Nov (EH,JH); one at LaSalle Park 29-30 Nov L (EH,JH/JS,AK). 100 on 8th Conc, E of Valens Rd 3 Nov (KDi); 12 at Joe Sam’s Park [HM] 3 Song Sparrow: 39 at Confederation Park [HM] 17 Oct (RD); 28 at Wyecroft/ Nov (TT). McPherson SWP [HL] 17 Sep (MJ); 38 at Gilkison Flats, Brantford 6 Oct (BL); Ovenbird: Eight at Ruthven Park 24 at Harrisburg rail trail 20 Oct (BL); 44 at Ruthven Park [HD] 28 Oct (RL). [HD] 15 Sep (RL); one at Sawmill Lincoln’s Sparrow: One at Confederation Park [HM] 5 Sep F (RD); four Valley [PL] 19 Oct L {photo} at 10th Road E [HM] 6 Oct (RP); three at Iroquois Heights C.A. [HM] 11 (PH). Oct (SCa); one at Cootes Paradise 29 Oct (PT); one at Southcote Rd [HM] 3 Northern Waterthrush: One at Nov L (LHF,DL,DP); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 2 Nov (LF,GW) and again Wyecroft/McPherson SWP[HL] on 3 Nov L (LF,AA). 22 Sep (MJ); one at Kay Drage Swamp Sparrow: One at Shoreacres Park [HL] 17 Sep F (BKr); 12 at Park [HM] 27 Sep L (MSe). Dundas Marsh 7 Oct (RD); seven at Papple Rd, Cainsville 18 Oct (BL). Golden-winged Warbler#: One Ovenbird at Joe Sam's Park, White-throated Sparrow: One at Guelph Arboretum13 Sep F (KH) banded at Ruthven Park [HD] 11 Waterdown - 12 October 2019 - and 67 there 4 Oct (BO); two at Shoreacres Park [HL] 14 Sep (AD,DB) Sep L (RL). photo Tom Thomas. and 40 there 30 Sep (MJa); 50 at Van Wagners Pond 29 Sep (AD et al.); Blue-winged Warbler: Five at 60 at Confederation Park [HM] 29 Sep (CRo): 30 at Village Wood Park, Ruthven Park [HD] 2 Sep (LT) and two there 8 Sep L (CB); one at Guelph Bronte 30 Sep (MJ); 50 at Ruthven Park [HD] 4 Oct (RL), 115 there 15 Arboretum 5-6 Sep (RvT); one at Cartwright Sanctuary [HM] 7 Sep (BS); Oct (RL) and 50 there 31 Oct (RL); 70 at Edgelake Park [HM] 4 Oct (RW); one at McMaster Forest 8 Sep L (RP); one at Mineral Springs Trail, Dundas 60 at Burlington Waterfront Trail 4 Oct (MBe); 51 at River & Ruins Trail, Valley 8 Sep L (JL,CRo). Lowville [HL] 14 Oct (BO). Black-and-white Warbler: Three at Rattray Marsh[PL] 24 Sep (PL); one White-crowned Sparrow: One at Confederation Park [HM] 15 Sep F at Ruthven Park [HD] 3-8 Oct L (NF). {photo} (TU); two at Lowville [HL] 25 Sep (YS); 22 at Fifty Point 29 Sep Tennessee Warbler: Four at Guelph Arboretum 9 Sep (RH); 15 at Ruthven (NS); 20 at Van Wagners Ponds 29 Sep (AD et al.); 31 at 10th Road E [HM] Park [HD] 4 Oct (RL), four there 16 Oct (RL), two there 22 Oct (BL) 14 Oct (RP); 18 at Brantford landfill 3 Nov (BL,SL); 20 at Grassie area [NG] continuing until 3 Nov L (CB,LT). 3 Nov (JM); one at W River Rd [BR] 14 Nov (DG); two at Springbank Park Orange-crowned Warbler: One at Confederation Park [HM] 25 Sep F [PL] 19 Nov (AA). (TU); four at Clappison Wetlands [HM] 8 Oct (SD); two at Sedgewick Park Dark-eyed Junco: One at Fern Hill School, Burlington 26 Sep F (JC); two [HL] 19 Oct (AD et al.); one at Glen Morris [BR] 20 Oct (EH,JH); three at Van Wagners Ponds 19 Oct (RPo); 52 at Ruthven Park [HD] 30 Oct (RL); at Guelph Arboretum 20 Oct (IA et al.) and one there 25 Oct L (EG); one 70 at Fifty Point C.A. 8 Nov (CE,RD). at Hamilton Cemetery 3 Nov L Bobolink: 29 over St George [BR] 1 Sep (JL) and one there 7 Sep (JL); 50 (AKe). at Foxden Rd Trail, Troy [HM] 2 Sep (BL); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 6 Sep Nashville Warbler: Eight at (RL); two at Great Lakes/Rebecca SWP [HL] 8 Sep (MJ); four at Brantford Shoreacres Park [HL] 17 Sep (BKr); landfill 15 Sep L (JL). 10 at Arboretum 25 Sep (KH,EGr); Eastern Meadowlark: Eight at Grand Valley Trail, N of Powerline Rd [BR] 20 at Ruthven Park [HD] 4 Oct 15 Sep (GSi,JSi); five at 3rd Line, S of 15 SR [HL] 18 Sep (YS) and one there (RL) and one there 1-6 Nov (RL); 16 Oct (YS); five at Valens Rd, S of th8 Conc [HM] 30 Sep (JHu); four at one at Hendrie Valley [HL] 17 Laird Rd – Teal Dr area, Guelph 30 Sep (RH); 14 at Grimsby Wetlands 4 Oct (DL); one at Sheldon Creek Oct (BD) and one there 5 Oct (DE); three at Brantford landfill 3 Oct (BL); Trail, Oakville 4 Nov (MPa); one seven at 10th Road E [HM] 19 Oct (RP); three at Hagersville landfill 30 Oct at Bronte Harbour 5 Nov (MJ); one Nashville Warbler at Sedgewick (RPo); two at Bell School Line, Milton [HL] 3 Nov (GPr); one at King- at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 6 Nov Park - 13 November 2019 - photo Benton pit, Brantford 3 Nov (BL); one at Cootes Paradise 3 Nov (RD); one (MJ); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] Doug Ward. at Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail, E of Jerseyville Rd [HM] 8 Nov (BL); one 9-22 Nov (JR/ES); one at Burloak at Paris Plains Church Rd [BR] 12 Nov (SL,BL). Park [HL] 12 Nov (MJ); one at Springbank Park [PL] 17 Nov (RM); one at Orchard Oriole: Two banded at Ruthven Park [HD] 4 Sep ## (RL,LT) and Powerline at Grand River [BR] 19 Nov L (MH). one retrapped on 5-7 Sep L ## (LT). Connecticut Warbler#: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 8 Sep F (CB,LT) and Baltimore Oriole: Five at Caledonia feeder [HD] 6 Sep, two there 7-8 Sep, one there 13-14 Sep (RL); one at Confederation Park [HM] 24 Sep (TU); two there 19 Sep and one there 20-24 Sep L ## (all CJ); five at Ruthven Park one at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 24 Sep (MH); one at Merrick [HD] 6 Sep (RL); one at Grimsby 9 Sep (RB); one at Oak Park Rd trail, Orchard, Dundas Valley 10 Oct L ** Brantford 13 Sep (MH). {photo} (RBe). Red-winged Blackbird: 265 past Woodland Cemetery 18 Oct (RD); 400 at Mourning Warbler: One at Erindale 7th Conc W, Flamborough 1 Nov (JL); 1750 in Brantford 3 Nov (BL,SL); 151 Park [PL] 2 Sep F (RM); one at Franklin at Franklin Pond, Cambridge 3 Nov (NH,AZ); 115 at Deer Run Court [BR] Pond, Cambridge 2 Sep F (NH); one at 3 Nov (JSi,GSi); 200 at Grand Valley Trail, N of Powerline Rd [BR] 3 Nov Woodland Cemetery 2 Sep F (CRo); one (GSi,JSi); 244 at Ruthven Park 5 Nov (BL); 400 at Brantford 6 Nov (MH); 45 at Ruthven Park [HD] 24 Sep (NF); one at Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] 8 Nov (BL); 50 at Confederation Park [HM] 8 at Princess Pt, RBG 28 Sep L (DD). Nov (RD); one at Prestwick Place, Brantford 30 Nov (NFa). Common Yellowthroat: Seven at Brown-headed Cowbird: 220 at Papple Rd, Cainsville [BR] 8 Nov (BL); 70 Connecticut Warbler at Merrick Dofasco Trail from 5th to 8th Road E at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 28 Nov (BL); 60 at Hwy 99, E of Park Orchard - 10 October 2019 - [HM] 28 Sep (JL); 15 at Ruthven Park photo Robert Bell. Rd [BR] 30 Nov (BL). (continued on page 167) Page 164 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Bird Study Group Meeting Summary – 20 January 2020 Birding in the Wild West of Cuba by Michael Rowlands

ird Study Group Director Bruce Mackenzie opened the the Cuban flag: red, white, and blue. January meeting with an appeal to any of us in the audience, as Other species they photographed B“citizen scientists,” to write to our favourite Ontario politicians to were the Cuban Pewee, Loggerhead emphasize how important nature is to all of us. This comes in the Kingbird, and the Yellow-headed face of creeping provincial regulatory changes that are weakening Warbler. Arriving in the town the protection of natural areas and the plants and animals in them. of Soroa in Artemisa province, they visited the orchidarium and Our guest speakers for the evening were two executives of the saw numerous birds there, such Peninsula Field Naturalists club: Jean Hampson is a director and as Summer Tanager, American husband Bob Highcock is the current president. Both are avid Redstart and other warblers, and Jean Hampson and Bob birders and they came to tell us about their February 2019 trip with Highcock at the . several Cuban endemics. Quest Nature Tours to explore some of the western provinces of Cuba and to get their birding life lists to the 500 mark. Cuba is a The next day they went hiking in the Sierra del Rosario Biosphere good winter birding destination because over 16% of its land mass Reserve. Here they saw the West Indian Woodpecker, Cuban is protected national parks, nature and biosphere reserves. It’s also Grassquits, Yellow-faced Grassquits, a Stygian Owl (in a coffee home to 370 birds, including 284 North American species that plantation), a Little Blue Heron and Great Egret on a riverside, and overwinter there. The guide for their trip was Josh Vandermeulen, many more species for their life lists. While exploring the town of the Ontario naturalist and photographer who spoke to the BSG Las Terrazas, they visited an artist’s studio featuring colourful prints about his record-setting 2012 Big Birding Year back in January 2013. of birds and other subjects. One poster was a beautiful collage of many of Cuba’s endemic birds. Jean and Bob first announced they had broken their talk— The group then moved east again to Playa Larga at the northern end The Wild West of Cuba—into of the Bay of Pigs on the southern shore of Matanzas province. On sections based on the province the edge of the Cienega de Zapata Biosphere Reserve and RAMSAR of Cuba they were visiting. After Site, they made several trips into the Zapata Swamp, the largest meeting their guide and group protected wetland in the Caribbean. On their boat ride along the and spending a night in Havana, Rio Hatiguanico on the afternoon they arrived, they saw American Flag of Cuba. Jean and Bob, Josh and twelve Crocodiles and various turtles and anoles, a mammal (Hootia), as well others boarded a comfortable coach and headed west to the as birds such as Osprey, Black-throated Blue Warbler, White-breasted province of Pinar del Rio. Here they stayed two nights in the fertile American Kestrel, Cuban Parrot, and Merlin. Viñales Valley in the Sierra de Los Organos Mountains. Counting The next day was a banner day for birders in the Refugio de Fauna birds they had seen around their hotel and en route to their first Bermejas just east of Playa Larga! Not only did Jean get her 500th stop, they had already seen 31 species, including 12 life birds and lifer that morning, a Cuban Parakeet, at one spot they saw Zenaida two Cuban endemics by the end of their first full day. They were off Doves and three of Cuba’s four Quail-Doves—Ruddy, Key West and to good start! Gray-fronted (later in the day they saw the fourth—Blue-headed). On the next two days, they travelled around Viñales National Park, Next they had their first sightings of Bee Hummingbirds, the smallest toured a tobacco farm, climbed to and explored the spectacular bird in the world, the endemic Bare-legged Owl, Fernandina`s Santo Tomas cave in the limestone mountains, visited the private Flicker, a cavity nester that is in decline due to the loss of suitable Caridad Tropical Garden, and saw lots of birds. The highlight of a trees in past hurricanes, and Cattle Egrets. In the afternoon, they pre-breakfast walk the first day was a quick travelled southwest to Las Salinas on the Bay of Pigs where they flyover by a Gundlach's Hawk, a scarce saw a huge flock of American Flamingos, hundreds of American Cuban endemic, which nobody caught White Pelicans, Wood Storks, Roseate Spoonbills, Reddish Egrets, a on camera! Here they discovered that Magnificent Frigatebird, and Cuban Black Hawks, amongst others. American Kestrels in Cuba come in two By day’s end, the group had seen about 90 species of birds! morphs – red-breasted and white-breasted The following morning, they went deep into the Zapata Swamp to – and lack the dark breast streaks of our Santo Tomas, where they were taken on rides in punts along the local kestrels. canal there to see and hear the rare Zapata Wren, Zapata Sparrow, Moving eastward to La Güira National and Red-shouldered Blackbird. They also had good views of a Park in the Sierra del Rosario mountains, Yellow-throated Vireo and a Cuban Pygmy-Owl. After a visit to Cuban Trogon. they visited an old estate called Hacienda a crocodile farm, they saw more birds: Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, La Cortina where notable birds seen were Cuban Orioles, Green Heron, Anhinga, Common Gallinules and the tiny and colourful Cuban Tody, the Olive-capped Warbler, and Northern Jacanas (a colourful shorebird). In the small town of the Cuban Trogon—the national bird that features all the colours of Palpite, north of Playa Larga, they visited a private home where the

The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 165 residents allow birders to get close to the many Bee Hummingbirds to see lots of birds on their pre-breakfast walk and en route, but no that come to their feeders. The group was treated to good views new lifers. The final few days of their trip were spent seeing some of of males, females, and juveniles of these tiny birds as well as some the sights around Havana and having a farewell dinner with their other bird species. fellow travellers. On the road again, they travelled northeast into Cienfuegos province, stopping to visit the Soledad Botanical Garden just outside the provincial capital, Cienfuegos. An interesting bird they found there was their second Cuban Pygmy-Owl with its two false eyes visible—these are black spots on the back of its nape to make predators think the owl can see them. Passing into Villa Clara province to visit the Hanabanilla Reservoir, they boated across the lake for lunch at the Rio Negro restaurant and to climb the hills behind it for a panoramic view of the large man-made lake. Their base for the next two nights was the picturesque southern coastal town of Trinidad, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in the province of Sancti Spiritus. American Flamingo - from the web. A morning walk near the hotel in Trinidad produced views of Prairie It had been a memorable trip for the variety of habitats they had Warbler, Cuban Martin, dowitchers, and egrets. A day trip to the visited and the diverse flora and fauna they had seen. Aside from mountains in the Topes de Collantes Protected Natural Landscape the birds, we enjoyed many beautiful photos of reptiles, mammals, was memorable for the open-air Russian military truck modified to flowers, fish, and butterflies! Of over 140 species of birds they had transport visitors into the forest. Lots of interesting plants (orchids seen, Jean had added 58 and Bob 52 species to their life lists and and Tree Ferns) and birds (including a beautiful blue and black they had seen 21 and 20 of Cuba’s endemics, respectively. All in all, Red-legged Honeycreeper) were seen. At a coffee farm they visited, it had been a successful birding holiday. The couple was thanked some elusive Black Swifts were seen. After some time exploring the by Bob Curry and the audience gave them an enthusiastic round of quaint town of Trinidad, the group then moved north to a key off applause for bringing us such warming pictures on a cold winter’s Cuba’s north shore, Cayo Las Brujas in Villa Clara province, for evening. three nights. Here they had a catamaran ride and snorkeling opportunities on the first day and visited nearby Cayo Santa Maria with a very HAVE YOU BOUGHT YOUR knowledgeable guide on the second day. With him they saw CENTENNIAL PIN YET? flamingos, White-cheeked Pintail, Black-faced Grassquit, Cuban Barry Cherriere has created a beautiful memorial pin to celebrate Bullfinch, and Jean spotted a Least Bittern—the first sighting for our 100th Anniversary. He has used one of his lovely photographs the area! On the final day there, as they left the beaches and took of a Wood Duck, surrounding it with words that honour our the coach back to Havana (in Habana province), they still managed Hamilton Naturalists' Club's long 100-years in existence. Maybe you have bought your Memorial pin already. Some of you have told us that you have even bought more than one pin so that you can leave your pin attached to both your hat and your jacket without having to constantly change where your pin is attached. You have told us you like the convenience of not having to keep moving your pin around. You can find your pin much more easily, and not have to search for it, trying hard to remember, "What jacket did I have my pin on last?"A few of these lovely pins are still left. So we have reduced the price to only $10.00 from Explore rivers, lakes and oceans, push extremes, $12.00. Not expensive at all! Pure profit for our Club, too! embrace the paddling lifestyle and appreciate the wild Let me know if you would like a pin reserved for you. I will have places. it for you at the next meeting of the Bird Study Group. Beth Jefferson Join us at the 2020 PADDLING Film Festival hosted by the Hamilton Naturalists' Club (HNC). Tickets to be sold on-line through Eventbrite and at Adventure Attic. The PADDLING Film Festival will take place at the beautifully restored Playhouse Cinema, 177 Sherman Ave. N, Hamilton at 7:00 p.m. March 26, and a 1:00 p.m. matinee March 28. Contribution towards the HNC Pollinators Paradise Project and GO Explore!

Page 166 The Wood Duck - March, 2020 (continued from page 164) [HD] 18 Sep (RL) 17 Oct (BL); one at 85 York Road, Dundas 10 Nov {photo} (KC); one at and eight there 28 Sep (LT); six at Confederation Park [HD] 24 Sep (TU) Sedgewick Park [HL] 22-26 Nov L ** {photo} (MJa,m.obs./CE). and one there 6 Nov (TU); six at Guelph Arboretum 26 Sep (EC,BO); one Palm Warbler: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 8 Sep F (LT,CB); 10 at at King & Benton pit, Brantford 24 Oct (BL); one at Erindale College [PL] Confederation Park [HM] 29 Sep (CRo); 10 at Brant C.A., Brantford 3 Oct 19-20 Nov L (MJo). (EL,BL); seven at Springbank Park [PL] 14 Oct (DDi); three at McMaster Hooded Warbler#: One at Merrick Orchard, Dundas Valley 8 Sep {photo} Forest 18 Oct (RP); nine at Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct (MJ); one at King (DWa); one at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby 15 Sep L {photo} (MMac). & Benton pit, Brantford 24 Oct (BL); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 28 Oct American Redstart: Two at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 7 Oct (BL); (GPr) one at W River Rd area, S of Glen Morris [BR] 3 Nov L (KD). one at Dundas Valley 9 Oct (JL); one at Confederation Park [HM] 17 Oct Pine Warbler: One at Ruthven Park [HD] 2 Sep F (LT); three at Mountsberg L (RD). C.A. [WL] 22 Sep (MC et al.); one at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 2 Cape May Warbler: Four at Woodland Cemetery 15 Sep (AMa,PR); four Oct (MH); one at Woodland Chase Trail [PL] 7 Oct (MMe,JMe); one at at Shoreacres Park [HL] 17 Sep (BKr); one at McNab Dr, Grimsby 1 Nov Shade’s Mills C.A. [WT] 8 Oct (AZ); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 19 Oct L (BD). (AD,MJa); one at Waters Edge Park [PL] 2 Nov (RM); one at east side of Northern Parula: Six at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL) and four there Valens Rd, just south of Hwy 97 [HM] 3 Nov L (KDi). 28 Sep (LT); one at LaSalle Park 7-16 Oct (JR/MJa); one at N shore Cootes Yellow-rumped Warbler: 40 at Ruthven Park [HD] 10 Oct (RL); 70 at Paradise 18 Oct (ES,VME); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 28-29 Oct {photo} Bronte Creek P.P. [HL] 18 Oct (MJ); 90 at Sedgewick Park [HL] 19 Oct (AD (EC/BC et al.); one at Bronte Bluffs Park[HL] 21 Nov L ** (RM). et al.); 10 at Dundas Marsh 3 Nov (RD); six at Desjardins Canal, Dundas 5 Magnolia Warbler: Nine at Confederation Park [HM] 10 Sep (TU); 12 at Nov (MP); one at Dundas STP 14-30 Nov (RD); one at Bronte Harbour 23 Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL) and 12 there 27 Sep (RL); 12 at Shoreacres Nov (MJ); one at LaSalle Park 24 Nov (DN,SN). Park [HL] 17 Sep (BKr); three at Preservation Park, Guelph 6 Oct (FU); one Black-throated Green Warbler: 12 at Ruthven Park [HD] 28 Sep (RL), at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby 13 Oct (MMac); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] five there 4 Oct (RL) and one there 14 Oct (LT); six at Forty Mile Creek, 19 Oct {photo} (AD,MJa); one at N shore Dundas Marsh 24 Oct L (LHF). Grimsby 25 Sep (MMac); one at Hendrie Valley [HL] 9 Oct (SCa); one at Bay-breasted Warbler: 12 at Confederation Park [HM] 10 Sep (TU); nine Nipegon Trail, Oakville 16 Oct (DH); one at 1280 Main St W, Hamilton 27 at Eramosa Karst C.A. [HM] 13 Sep (JL); 15 at Edgelake Park [HM] 14 Sep Nov L {photo} (SF). (MJa); 35 at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL), one there 6 Oct (LT,CB) and Canada Warbler: Three at Ruthven Park[HD] 1 Sep (RL); five at one there 18 Oct (LT,CB); 10 at Forty Mile Creek, Grimsby 15 Sep (MMac), Preservation Park, Guelph 2 Sep (FU); one at Merrick Orchard, Dundas 11 there 18 Sep (RB) and seven there 28 Sep (DE); one at Dundas Marsh Valley 8 Sep {photo} (DWa); one at Shoreacres Park 28 Sep L (BL et al.). 7 Oct (RD); one at Cedar Springs Rd, Burlington 2 Nov L {photo} (CaC). Wilson’s Warbler: Six birds at five HSA locations on 2 Sep F (m.obs.); one at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 8 Oct L (MH). Scarlet Tanager: Three at Shoreacres Park [HL] 14 Sep (AD,DB); three at south Guelph 19 Sep (FU); three at Ruthven Park [HD] 2 Oct (RL); one at Iroquois Heights C.A. [HM] 11 Oct (SCa); one at Fruitland Rd at Lake [HM] 13-19 Nov L {photo} (RD,MM,m.obs.).

Bay-breasted Warbler at Cedar Springs Rd, Burlington - 2 November 2019 - photo Carol Croke. Blackburnian Warbler: Six at Ruthven Park [HD] 15 Sep (RL); seven at Shoreacres Park [HL] 17 Sep (BKr); one at Christie C.A. [HM] 6 Oct L (RD); one at Dundas Valley 6 Oct L (JL). Yellow Warbler: One at Lakeside Park [PL] 13 Sep (LF); one at Glenhyrst Gardens, Brantford 13 Sep (NFa); one at Confederation Park [HM] 13 Sep Scarlet Tanager at Fruitland Rd - 17 November 2019 - photo Rob (RPo); one at Riverwood Conservancy [PL] 18 Sep (LF et al.); one at Fern Waldhuber. Hill School, Oakville 20 Sep (RL); one at Sedgewick Park [HL] 14-17 Nov L ** {photo} (RBe,m.obs.). Rose-breasted Grosbeak: 15 at Ruthven Park [HD] 13 Sep (RL) and 11 Chestnut-sided Warbler: Eight at Guelph Arboretum 3 Sep (BO); one at there 19 Sep (RL); five at Shoreacres Park[HL] 14 Sep (DB,AD); five at Powerline Rd at Grand River [BR] 10 Oct L (MH). Confederation Park [HM] 15 Sep (ABa); five at Van Wagners Ponds 17 Sep Blackpoll Warbler: One at Preservation (RD); six at St George [BR] 26 Sep (JL); three at Fifty Point 28 Sep (KB,MB Park, Guelph 2 Sep F (FU); 12 at et al.); one at Erindale College [PL] 3 Oct (PL); one at Aldershot 3 Oct (JR); Confederation Park [HM] 14 Sep (RPo et two at N shore Dundas Marsh 24 Oct L (LHF). al.); eight at Edgelake Park [HM] 14 Sep Indigo Bunting: Three (family group-distraction display) Hyde Tract (MJa); 10 at Ruthven Park [HD] 14 Sep (RL), [HM] 5 Sep (BL); four at Brantford landfill 15 Sep (JL); three at St George 10 there 21 Sep (RL), three there 7 Oct (RL) [BR] 3 Oct (JL); one at Ruthven Park [HD] 5-7 Oct (LT,CB/RL); one at and one there 18 Oct L (CB). Sedgewick Park [HL] 18 Oct L ## (RD). Black-throated Blue Warbler: One at Black-throated Blue LaSalle Park 1 Sep F (MKe) and two there Warbler at Sedgewick Park 16 Oct (RPo); four at Ruthven Park [HD] 1 - 22 November 2019 - photo Sep F (LT,RL); one at Wilkes Dam, Brantford Mourad Jabra. The Wood Duck - March, 2020 Page 167 Hamilton Naturalists' Club Protecting Nature Since 1919

Torres Del Paine ("Towers of Blue") in Patagonia - 7 April 2019 - photo Dave Sims. Read about Maggie and Dave Sims' fascinating trip to Patagonia on page 148.

40048074 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: The Hamilton Naturalists’ Club Affix Label Here Westdale P.O. Box 89052 Hamilton, ON L8S 4R5

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