By Ron Tozer
Hamilton, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the Hamilton Naturalists' Club, was the site of the 2019 OFO Convention on September 27 to 29. Despite a lull in songbird migration and relatively few shorebirds, the total species reported for the three days in Hamilton and nearby areas was 168. During the OFO Convention at Hamilton in 2008, there were 146 species recorded over two days. The convention format was expanded to three days starting in 2012, and the species totals have been as follows since then: 2012 (Presqui'le) -- 178; 2013 (Point Pelee) -- 178; 2014 (Ottawa) -- 152; 2015 (Point Pelee) -- 184; 2016 (Kingston) -- 181; 2017 (Long Point) -- 188; and 2018 (Point Pelee) -- 194.
The 247 registered Convention participants enjoyed three days of good birding and learning about the many great places to see birds in and near Hamilton. Thirty-seven experienced trip leaders conducted 34 trips, including two for young birders, three photo workshops and two canoe birding trips. Strong east winds on Sunday provided a sample of the remarkable fall birding at Van Wagners Beach with Black-legged Kittiwake, Parasitic Jaeger, Pomarine Jaeger and Sabines Gull being seen by many. Other noteworthy species of the Convention included Long-tailed Jaeger, Cattle Egret, Sedge Wren, and Nelson's Sparrow. Total species reported for the following groups are shown in parentheses: ducks (19), shorebirds (12), gulls (6), warblers (23) and sparrows (11). The complete species list is posted below.
Thanks again to all the organizers, trip leaders, and participants for their contributions to the very successful convention and field trips. Hope to see you at the next OFO Convention at Peterborough on 25-27 September 2020.
- Cackling Goose
- Canada Goose
- Mute Swan
- Trumpeter Swan
- Wood Duck
- Blue-winged Teal
- Northern Shoveler
- Gadwall
- American Wigeon
- Mallard
- American Black Duck
- Northern Pintail
- Green-winged Teal
- Redhead
- Ring-necked Duck
- Greater Scaup
- Lesser Scaup
- White-winged Scoter
- Black Scoter
- Hooded Merganser
- Common Merganser
- Red-breasted Merganser
- Ruddy Duck
- Wild Turkey
- Pied-billed Grebe
- Horned Grebe
- Red-necked Grebe
- Rock Pigeon
- Mourning Dove
- Yellow-billed Cuckoo
- Black-billed Cuckoo
- Ruby-throated Hummingbird
- Sora
- American Coot
- Sandhill Crane
- Black-bellied Plover
- American Golden-Plover
- Semipalmated Plover
- Killdeer
- Ruddy Turnstone
- Sanderling
- Dunlin
- Least Sandpiper
- Spotted Sandpiper
- Solitary Sandpiper
- Lesser Yellowlegs
- Greater Yellowlegs
- Pomarine Jaeger
- Parasitic Jaeger
- Long-tailed Jaeger (reported on Saturday off Fifty Point, I believe)
- Black-legged Kittiwake
- Sabine's Gull
- Bonaparte's Gull
- Ring-billed Gull
- Herring Gull
- Great Black-backed Gull
- Caspian Tern
- Common Tern
- Common Loon
- Double-crested Cormorant
- American Bittern
- Great Blue Heron
- Great Egret
- Cattle Egret
- Green Heron
- Black-crowned Night-Heron
- Turkey Vulture
- Osprey
- Northern Harrier
- Sharp-shinned Hawk
- Cooper's Hawk
- Bald Eagle
- Red-shouldered Hawk
- Red-tailed Hawk
- Eastern Screech-Owl
- Great Horned Owl
- Belted Kingfisher
- Red-bellied Woodpecker
- Yellow-bellied Sapsucker
- Downy Woodpecker
- Hairy Woodpecker
- Northern Flicker
- Pileated Woodpecker
- American Kestrel
- Merlin
- Peregrine Falcon
- Great Crested Flycatcher
- Eastern Wood-Pewee
- Yellow-bellied Flycatcher
- Least Flycatcher
- Eastern Phoebe
- Blue-headed Vireo
- Philadelphia Vireo
- Warbling Vireo
- Red-eyed Vireo
- Blue Jay
- American Crow
- Common Raven
- Horned Lark
- Black-capped Chickadee
- Tufted Titmouse
- Red-breasted Nuthatch
- White-breasted Nuthatch
- Brown Creeper
- House Wren
- Winter Wren
- Sedge Wren
- Marsh Wren
- Carolina Wren
- Golden-crowned Kinglet
- Ruby-crowned Kinglet
- Eastern Bluebird
- Gray-cheeked Thrush
- Swainson's Thrush
- Hermit Thrush
- American Robin
- Gray Catbird
- Brown Thrasher
- Northern Mockingbird
- European Starling
- Cedar Waxwing
- House Sparrow
- American Pipit
- House Finch
- Purple Finch
- American Goldfinch
- Eastern Towhee
- Chipping Sparrow
- Field Sparrow
- Savannah Sparrow
- Nelson's Sparrow
- Song Sparrow
- Lincoln's Sparrow
- Swamp Sparrow
- White-throated Sparrow
- White-crowned Sparrow
- Dark-eyed Junco
- Eastern Meadowlark
- Red-winged Blackbird
- Brown-headed Cowbird
- Rusty Blackbird
- Common Grackle
- Ovenbird
- Northern Waterthrush
- Black-and-white Warbler
- Tennessee Warbler
- Orange-crowned Warbler
- Nashville Warbler
- Common Yellowthroat
- American Redstart
- Cape May Warbler
- Northern Parula
- Magnolia Warbler
- Bay-breasted Warbler
- Blackburnian Warbler
- Yellow Warbler
- Chestnut-sided Warbler
- Blackpoll Warbler
- Black-throated Blue Warbler
- Palm Warbler
- Pine Warbler
- Yellow-rumped Warbler
- Black-throated Green Warbler
- Canada Warbler
- Wilson's Warbler
- Scarlet Tanager
- Northern Cardinal
- Rose-breasted Grosbeak