Natural Hamilton in Pictures: Birds

Part Three of a series of photographic explorations of natural Hamilton, Ontario, Canada throughout 2013.

Always Something Different…

When you take a daily hiking routine, you begin to see the things that are different every time. Birds are one of those things: no two visits to a trail or natural space will yield the same composition of species or individual birds. They’re always on the move.

That’s likely what’s made them so interesting to log (using eBird) and later, photograph. Each time you see a new bird, you might not know if it’s the last opportunity to photograph that species in that location, or if it’ll be there again tomorrow, or next year.

Part three of Natural Hamilton in Pictures, Birds, I’ve assembled a collection of over 200 bird photos taken in or near Hamilton in 2013. This is by no means and exhaustive collection — I likely have a few thousand bird photos in 2013— but they are a variety of species. It’s also not a portfolio piece in any sense, so there are plenty of low quality photos too, as not all birds gave me a chance enough to get a good photo.

The Usual Suspects

Pictured: A Black-capped Chickadee, one of the most well-known bird species in Hamilton.

Young Canada Geese found walking the paths at the Hamilton Bayfront Park.

More young Canada Geese feeding on grass at Mountsberg Conservation Area.

An American Goldfinch after the ice storm of December 2013. In winter, male goldfinches become closer to a “gold” colour that matches the females, much more subdued than the brilliant yellow of the breeding season.

The American Crow can be found in nearly any province or U.S. state. Hamilton has numerous healthy populations of crows.

Also very common across the continent is the Red-winged Blackbird. In fact, it’s the most abundant bird species in North America. These blackbirds are most often found near wetlands and open fields.
Male Red-winged Blackbirds actually arrive in flocks nearly a month before the females, in order to compete for territory. The females are much more shy, and are much less recognizable to most people.

The red stripe on this male Red-winged Blackbird is much more prominent, which is usually the case when acting territorially. Seen at Hendrie Valley in Burlington.

The female Red-winged Blackbird. They are actually not very black, but rather a speckled brown. Seen at the La Salle Marina & Park in Burlington.

A young fledgeling American Robin, not long out of its nest. Taken at Volunteer Field in Dundas.

An adult American Robin, seen here at the North Shore Trails in Dundas.

Late in the fall, plenty of birds dine on Staghorn Sumac flower seeds, like this Black-capped Chickadee. Taken at Pinetum Trail at the RBG Arboretum.

A Blue Jay stands out amongst newly sprouting tree buds at the Reforestation trails north of the RBG Arboretum.

The Common Grackle is the largest common blackbird in Hamilton. This one was seen along the Optimists Trail in Greensville, along Spencer Creek.

In the sunlight, Common Grackles give off an iridescent shine.

A fledgeling Downy Woodpecker with its mother, seen at Paletta Park in Burlington.

A common visitor to many backyard feeders, the White-breasted Nuthatch can be found in nearly any wooded area in Hamilton.

White-breasted Nuthatches typically cling to trunks and walk down trees from the top. Their beaks are better-designed for picking at the trunks from above than below. This one was seen from the George North Lookout at the RBG.

Ring-billed Gulls are by-far the most common gull in Hamilton, second-most being the larger Herring Gull (which has a red mark on the lower beak). The bird in this photo with the brown wing is a first-winter bird — Ring-billed Gulls take two years to mature. Picture taken at Desjardins Canal.

As a comparison, the Herring Gull to the right here is much larger than the Ring-billed Gull to the left. They can easily be confused, however, since they are often seen from a distance and not together to compare. Picture taken along the Hamilton Beach Trail.

An adult and a first-year juvenile Herring Gull. This young gull was still bothering its parent for food. Herring Gulls take a whole four years to fully mature.

A family of young Mallards seen at Cootes Paradise.

Top: three Mallards (two male, one female); middle: an American Black Duck (often and easily confused for a Mallard); bottom: a Canada Goose and male Mallard. Taken at Desjardins Canal, Dundas.

In winter months, many feeders in Hamilton are visited by the normally elusive Dark-eyed Junco. This one was seen along the Lafarge 2000 Trail in Flamborough.

Cedar Waxwings are common throughout Hamilton all-year round, but are nomadic in nature and can be hard to track down at any given time. This one was seen along the Spencer Creek Trail in Dundas.

Waxwings in the winter are always seeking winter berries to feed on. If you have trees with berries in your backyard in the winter, at some point you will attract a flock of them.

A “museum” of Cedar Waxwings, seen on the Hopkin’s Loop Trail at the RBG’s North Shore Trails in Dundas.

A male American Goldfinch, in the middle of moulting into his summer plumage.

American Goldfinch, against the backdrop of the sky, taken at Eramosa Karst Conservation Area.

A female Northern Cardinal, seen along the Pinetum Trail at the RBG Arboretum.

The Red-tailed Hawk is the most common hawk in Hamilton, especially in winter when northern migrants arrive.

Red-tailed Hawks are most often seen along the major expressways in Hamilton such as the 403, the QEW, and the Linc. This one was far, far above the 403 atop a lighting tower.

Red-tailed Hawks are not terribly shy, and can be easily spotted at trees in any natural space in Hamilton. This one was seen along the Bruce Trail north of Dundas.

It can sometimes be surprising how light these birds are, they can perch on very thin branches. This Red-tailed Hawk was seen along the Chippewa Trail.

Mourning Doves are usually more elegant looking than this, but this bird was experiencing one of the first winter storms of the season and decided to curl itself up.

This fall plumage European Starling was seen along the Rock Chapel Trail.

European Starlings flock in very large groups in the Hamilton region, and can sometimes be witnessed in swarms of thousands. Most often, the largest swarms can be found at hydro sub-stations such as near the QEW/403 interchange, and at the West Pond hydro station in Dundas.

The Mute Swan is an all-year resident in the waterways of Hamilton.

Mountsberg Conservation Area has a small village of swallow nesting boxes.

A Tree Swallow, also found at “Swallowville” in Mountsberg.

A familiar sight to anyone who’s driven either Eastport Drive or the QEW along the Skyway, a nesting colony of Double-crested Cormorants.

A pair of young Double-crested Cormorants, taken at the West Pond in Cootes Paradise.

The larger of the two common “black & white” woodpeckers, Hairy Woodpeckers are less often seen at feeders and usually are a bit harder to find. They can be identified by their larger size, and their longer beaks, which are longer than their heads from back to front.

Several feeders in Hamilton are lucky enough to House Finches like this male on a regular basis. While not as common as other finches, the House Finch is around all year.

Seasonal Vistors

Pictured: This Wood Thrush was one of many to nest at the Berry Tract north of Dundas.

The Golden-crowned Kinglet is a tiny and very fast bird that will often be seen flocking with groups of Chickadees. Listen for a very high-pitched ringing, often sung in threes (“zheee-zheee-zheee”).

The male Indigo Bunting is a brilliant bird that is hard to miss when you visit its habitat. Not only its colour, but its song is quite vibrant as well. This picture was taken along the Headwaters Trail, near the Powerline Road trailhead.

The female Indigo Bunting is more subtle, and is often hiding away until provoked into a territorial display. This one is carrying some sort of bug in its mouth, likely food for a nearby nest. This picture was taken along a trail between Merrick Lane and the Heritage Trail in the Dundas Valley.

The Great Crested Flycatcher is the largest of the flycatchers, and is relatively easy to find in Hamilton in the summer months, if you know where to look and what to listen for. This one pictured was found at Rock Chapel.

Meet the most unidentifiable bird of them all. This is either an Alder Flycatcher, or a Willow Flycatcher. Previously considered as a single species (“Traill’s Flycatcher”), genetics have proven that two visually identical species exist. There’s only two ways to ID it: get it to sing (their songs are at least different), or get a DNA sample. This one was seen along the hydro corridor at Olympic Sports Park, Dundas.

The Ruby-throated Hummingbird is Hamilton’s only hummingbird, and can be tough to find and photograph out and away from feeders. These tiny birds will often rest on thin exposed dead branches, a means of avoiding predation from larger and heavier creatures. Keep an eye on thin dead branches and look for a small lump and you may have found one. This one was found at the Beverly Swamp Conservation Area.

Trumpeter Swans are a species in reintroduction in Ontario— most individuals have tags that were placed on them at recovery sites like the Toronto Zoo. Most are seen at La Salle Park in Burlington, in the winter.

The Hooded Merganser is one of many ducks that winter in Hamilton. Two males here are pictured at the Desjardins Canal.

North America’s only strongly migratory woodpecker is the Northern Flicker, a large woodpecker that can be identified with its especially rapid drumming technique, or distinctive call. Although migratory, they are in Hamilton year-round as individuals from further north arrive for wintering as summer residents leave for the south.

Snow Buntings can be a chore to find, but when you find them you find many of them! Flocking in groups from 50 to 200, these birds winter throughout Southern Ontario in fields where wildflowers have been left to seed. They tend to flock together with Horned Larks, who are around year-round in Hamilton, and sometimes Lapland Longspurs.

A winter visitor, the Lapland Longspur is a tough bird to find. They prefer to flock with Snow Buntings and Horned Larks sometimes. This one was seen along Fallsview Road north of Dundas.

The Horned Lark is named for the tiny “horns” atop the head of the male. Although they flock with Snow Buntings in the winter, they do breed in the spring and summer in Hamilton, typically in farmer’s fields. Finding them isn’t terribly difficult if you know what to listen for, but actually seeing them can be a challenge when crops have begun to sprout and provide coverage. This one was seen along Paddy Greene Road in Ancaster.

A trio of Horned Larks, seen along the Fallsview Road north of Dundas.

The yellow tail of this Northern Flicker is indicative of the local subspecies of flicker, known as the Yellow-shafted Flicker. This one was seen along Grindstone Creek Trail in Burlington.

A Chestnut-sided Warbler preening itself, seen at the trails near Paddy Greene Road in Ancaster.

The White-throated Sparrow is identified by the striped crown and white patch to the throat. They reside in Hamilton mostly in the winter, though some are known to be around in the summer as well. This one was seen in the Hopkins Woods Special Protection Area in Dundas.

The Ovenbird is named after the oven-like nests that are built by this species. Normally extremely shy, I was extremely lucky to get several photos close up with this individual found at Borer’s Falls Conservation Area. They are very small warblers, that happen to look like a thrush.

Look closely, and you’ll notice the wings on this gull are black. This gull is known as the Great Black-backed Gull, the largest gull species that resides in Hamilton. Typically they are seen in the winter along the shores of Lake Ontario, and not seen inland.

The only predatory songbird, the Northern Shrike, spends winter in Hamilton. This one was seen along the Dofasco 2000 Trail near 10th Road East, Stoney Creek.

This Eastern Kingbird is a very common bird in summer months, and is an adept dragonfly hunter.

This comical looking bird is the very tiny Winter Wren. Oddly enough they are most commonly found in summer, though some do winter in the region. They are small enough to almost be confused for very large insects or butterflies when caught at the corner of your eye. Photograph taken at Paletta Park in Burlington.

Long-tailed Ducks are an easy to find winter duck in Hamilton. Generally on any given winter day a trip to the Burlington Lift Bridge will give you sights on hundreds of these ducks. Pictured is the female, who does not have a long tail!

Hiding in the bushes here is a Canada Warbler, a warbler that is easier to find in the more northern areas of the Hamilton region. This one was seen near Gore Road.

Also more commonly found in the northern reaches of Hamilton in the summer is the Louisiana Waterthrush.

The Red-eyed Vireo is a very common bird in summer months — hiking through wooded areas during its breeding season it would be near impossible not to hear one call the question-like “vireo? vireo?” call. This one was photographed at Bumble Bee Hill in Dundas.

Another common bird of the summer is the Brown-headed Cowbird. seen here are three males and a female. Females of the species will typically have many mates, and will lay her eggs in the nest of another species and are thus considered to be “parasitic”. Young cowbirds will be raised by whatever species’s nest they end up in.

A juvenile Brown-headed Cowbird, who probably got way too big for his Red-eyed Vireo nest too soon and fell out. Two Red-eyed Vireos were seen feeding this one fledgeling, who is at least twice their size.

Young cowbird, too young to fly found wandering around on the ground.

A male Rose-breasted Grosbeak singing at Mountsberg Conservation Area.

A brilliant orange Baltimore Oriole. These orioles typically arrive around May 1 each year, often people will set out oriole feeders early as they establish territories upon arrival.

Another bright-orange male Baltimore Oriole, seen at Rock Chapel.

The female Baltimore Oriole is yellow. This one was spotted at the Amalo Nature Santuary.

This Blue-winged Warbler was seen along the Thornapple Loop at the Berry Tract north of Dundas.

Most commonly seen in winter months, the Northern Shoveler has the largest beak-to-head ratio of any bird in Hamilton. This one was seen at the Desjardins Canal in Dundas.

The American Redstart is found in many of the wooded areas in Hamilton in spring and summer. This one is a male, who was seen along the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail near the Summit Bog at Trinity Road.

The only relative to the common chicken to call Hamilton home in the winter months is the American Coot. These small waterfowl can be found in open water, often with Mallards and Canada Geese. This one was seen at La Salle Marina & Park.

Seen in waterways throughout Hamilton in the summer and fall are the Black-crowned Night-Herons like this one. Some have been known to stick around through the winter as well. This one was found at the Windemere Basin Improvement Area.

Close-up on a Black-crowned Night-Heron, perched on a fence at Princess Point.

Also seen in waterways throughout summer and fall are another heron, the Green Heron.

A close-up on a juvenile Black-crowned Night-Heron, seen at the West Pond in Cootes Paradise.

Another member of the heron family, the Great Egret, can be seen very briefly between late August through October. They have the strange behaviour of sometimes migrating in all directions, even north, during the middle of the summer after breeding is done. This picture was taken near Hickory Island, Cootes Paradise.

A Wood Thrush trying out a nest at the Berry Tract along the Thornapple Loop Trail. The Berry Tract is breeding grounds for many Wood Thrushes, who are known for singing in chords — multiple notes at the same time.

This is the only picture I was able to get of a Black-and-white Warbler within Hamilton. Uncommon but not rare, these birds can generally be found only in heavily wooded rural areas. This one was seen at Beverly Swamp Conservation Area.

Known for its outrageous singing, the Northern Mockingbird is a winter resident in Hamilton. This one was found along Oakes Road in Grimsby, near Fifty Point.

The Pine Siskin is sometimes common and sometimes not depending on the winter. In years with little food in the north, they along with other “winter finches” arrive en masse. This one was seen along the John White Trail in Dundas Valley.

The same Pine Siskin, a male, singing. One siskin can sing so energetically it sounds as of it is several birds.

A very recognizable bird to most in Hamilton — the Turkey Vulture. These large raptors are often using updrafts caused by the Niagara Escarpment to glide around the area effortlessly. They also nest along the escarpment.

A Spotted Sandpiper in the grass at Windemere Basin.

Around during spring and summer, the Common Tern hunts by hovering above the water and dive-bombing its prey. This one was seen at the Valley Inn Trail.

The Common Yellowthroat is a summer warbler, found in grasslands and some wooded areas. This one was seen in Cootes Paradise, along the Spencer Creek Trail.

The Greater (and the Lesser) Scaup is a duck that is commonly seen in Hamilton Harbour and Lake Ontario during the winter months. Look for them in open water, usually in large groups.

A very common winter bird, the American Tree Sparrow arrives in late October and leaves in April. The travel in small flocks, and are often seen at feeders, though are a bit more shy than House Sparrows.

A “white-striped” White-throated Sparrow foraging along with American Tree Sparrows at a feeder along trails behind Olympic Sports Park Arena.

A “winter finch”, the Common Redpoll is only in Hamilton during years where food in the north is not abundant, such as the winter of 2013. In 2014, unfortunately, these birds are not predicted to arrive as food is abundant this year in the north. Photo taken at Valens Conservation Area.

Mostly seen in the winter, the Ruddy Duck is a tiny dabbling duck. This one was seen at Windemere Basin.

Sometimes also a winter resident, the Yellow-rumped Warbler is one of the largest of the warblers. This one was seen in March in the Dundas Valley.

This female Eastern Towhee looks a bit rough! They can also be year-round residents, but are mostly seen in the spring and summer. This one was seen at Valens Conservation Area.

A male Eastern Towhee, seen at the Shaw Tract along Valens Road in Flamborough.

While most bird guides will say the Caspian Tern is only a “passing through” migrant in Hamilton, many do stay for the summer months.

A very common sight along rural fields: the Killdeer. This one was seen at Binbrook Conservation Area.

The tiny little-known Blue-gray Gnatcatcher can be found in forests throughout the region, often in willow trees. This one was seen along the Spencer Creek Trail in Dundas.

The brilliant Yellow Warbler is one of the most common warblers in the Hamilton region, and can be found on trails nearly everywhere from May through early August. This one was seen north of the RBG Arboretum.

The “meow” of the Gray Catbird can be heard coming from bushes everywhere in rural and natural areas. Typically this bird likes to hide when making its calls, it sometimes comes out to show off its huge tail. A relative of the Northern Mockingbird, it sometimes will also mock the calls of other birds — in fact, it has been shown that the males of the species use these “mocks” to show off how smart they are to potential mates.

An unfortunately poor image, the Brown Thrasher is a huge thrush, larger than most birds of its type. Hopefully I get a better picture in 2014! This one was seen at Rock Chapel.

Year-round Residents

Pictured: The Great Blue Heron can be found in Hamilton year-round, though is less common in the winter.

Bald Eagles have in recent years begun to seriously recover from being endangered. This one was seen on the ice at Cootes Paradise, keeping an eye on a coyote’s kill.

This immature Bald Eagle is likely first or second year. They can take five years to fully mature.

Cooper’s Hawk is difficult to tell apart from the very similar-looking Sharp-shinned Hawk. This one was seen along the Ravine Road Trail in Cootes Paradise South, eating a Common Grackle.

Another Cooper’s Hawk, seen along the Spencer Creek Trail.

This Cooper’s Hawk was seen at Eramosa Karst Conservation Area.

Eastern Bluebirds are around Hamilton all year round, but are much less common in winter. This one was seen along the Hamilton-Brantford Rail Trail west of Trinity Road.

Eastern Bluebirds are often found in pairs and groups. The bird up top is a female, who has a more subdued greyish blue and washed-out orange.

This is the only image I managed to get of a Sharp-shinned Hawk in 2013, which sadly a branch in the foreground was caught by the autofocus just before it flew off. For idenifying, the smaller size made this one obvious — male Sharp-shinned Hawks are almost as small as a Blue Jay — but the extra long narrow and almost squared-off tail also identifies the species.

The Red-breasted Merganser is typically seen in winter, often in the waters of Lake Ontario. This photo was taken at the Burlington Lift Bridge.

This mail Wood Duck was seen along with several others of its species in the “Spencer Woods” area near the Spencer Creek Trail in Dundas.

A year-long resisdent, the Belted Kingfisher is a difficult bird to photograph. As soon as you get close enough, they fly off and make their annoyed-sounding call as they go find somewhere else to perch. This one was seen at Princess Point. They can typically be found along creek and waterway edges.

Like most hawk and falcon species, the male American Kestrel is actually much smaller than the female. This colourful guy was seen along the 10th Road East in Stoney Creek.

The female American Kestrel is much larger, but less colourful. This one was seen along the Pinetum Trail at the RBG’s North Shore Trails in Dundas.

A tough bird to find in the day time, this Eastern Screech-Owl was a bit of a celebrity in Burlington. This owl often used a tree in the parking lot of La Salle Marina as its home.

Another elusive year-long resident is the Great Horned Owl, which I managed to capture this image of about thirty minutes after sunset in August at the Rock Chapel Sanctuary.

The Great Blue Heron is an iconic bird seen in wetlands throughout the region, more often in warmer months. In winter months a few remain, staying in the few wetlands that do not fully freeze over. This one was seen at Edgelake Park in Stoney Creek.

The Carolina Wren is has the highest volume-to-size ratio. This tiny creature can crank out some very loud songs and calls. These wrens do not migrate at all, and Hamilton is at the edge of its regular habitat range. This one was seen along the Spencer Creek Trail in Dundas.

This Northern Harrier was seen in September from the McCormack Trail in Dundas Valley.

Of course, Wild Turkeys are another year-long resident. They can be seen in open fields and in forests, mostly in rural areas but sometimes do venture into the city in the winter. This one was seen along Kirkwall Road near Westfield Village.

Although around year-round in Hamilton, the Pileated Woodpecker is a much easier find in the winter with the leaves of the trees gone.

Just Passing Through

Pictured: The Black-throated Green Warbler is generally only seen during migration in Hamilton, though a handful may stay in heavily forested lots in some years.

These Sanderlings were seen near Hutch’s along Lake Ontario in September.

The White-crowned Sparrow is a rare find, and can generally only be found during a small window of a few days each year. This one was seen at Windemere Basin.

The Hermit Thrush can be found in deep forests during migration, though is not always alone. This one was seen in the woods next to Lake Jojo in Dundas.

This Blackpoll Warbler is one of many “confusing fall warbler” species that sport nearly the same plumage in the fall. Subtle differences need to be notes to successfully identify them at that time of the year. This picture was taken at Urquhart Butterfly Garden in Dundas.

The Ruby-crowned Kinglet can be found along with Golden-crowned Kinglets and chickadees typically. This one was seen at Valens Conservation Area.

During a few days of the spring and fall, Tundra Swans pass by Hamilton, sometimes in large numbers. This group pictured here was part of a larger group of two thousand.

Rarities and Oddities

Pictured: Late 2013 saw a massive Snowy Owl “irruption”. A bumper crop of Lemmings is theorized to have caused a much higher rate of survive in Snowy Owl chicks, causing a population explosion that manifested in a large migration that is seeing Snowy Owls all the way down to Florida. This one was seen at the Burlington Lift Bridge pier.

Not often seen in the Great Lakes, Hamilton has been visited by a few King Eider ducks over the winter. This female was seen at the end of Millen Road, Stoney Creek.

Even rarer of a sight was this female Common Eider, considered a rare bird for Southern Ontario as a whole. This one was seen at Fifty Point Conservation Area.

Sometimes summer birds have a loss of feathers on the head, causing them to look “bald” and almost lizard-like. This “bald-headed” Red-winged Blackbird was seen on the Chippewa Trail.

Not necessarily rare, but uncommon to find and photograph was this Black-billed Cuckoo that I found along the Pinetum Trail at the RBG North Shore Trails.

A second photo of the cuckoo. This species has a rather large beak, and deep red eyes.

The proverbial odd duck. This cream-coloured duck is likely a female hybrid of a domestic duck crossed with either a Mallard or an American Black Duck. This one was seen at the West Pond in Cootes Paradise.

In April of 2013, a group of four American White Pelicans visited Hamilton for a couple days, on their way migrating to Manitoba. This photograph was taken along the Valley Inn Trail.

A second shot of the pelicans.

Another pelican decided to visit through September and October, preferring to live around Hickory Island in Cootes Paradise.

The rarest of all birds I saw this year: an immature male Western Tanager. This was taken in September at Princess Point Park.

A feathered oddity you can visit any time at Fenwood Farms on Sawmill Road: the Emu pen!