Ben and Cheryl Edgecombe

**Friday 18 May 2007. **

Ben and I were honoured to be named OFO celebrity birders in 2007. We decided to do our Baillie Birdathon in the Hamilton Study Area, an area we knew well and where we knew we could find a diverse number of birds in the diverse number of habitats that we are fortunate to have here in the 40 km circle based around Dundurn Castle.

We awoke at 1:50 a.m., keen and excited to start the day. Ben and I along with our awesome team of Rob Dobos, Dave Don and Thomas Crooks embarked on our big day around 2:20 a.m. The temperature hovered at a brisk 1ºC but the winds were calm as we started out at Kerncliffe Park where we easily got Sora and Virginia Rail.

Our route was planned out by Rob Dobos as we had completed a Hamilton Big Day a couple of years ago with the same routing and it seemed to be the best way of maximizing our species coverage. Of course the day before, a male Kentucky Warbler was found on the Northshore Trails at the RBG Arboretum so there was a little tweaking to the route at the last minute.

We cruised through Flamborough and were delighted to hear Whip-poor-will calling even though it was chilly. One of the highlights for Ben was in Hyde Tract located on Safari Road just east of Kirkwall Road. A male Scarlet Tanager was perched at the top of an evergreen in the sunlight, brilliant colours of red and black and a lifer for Ben. Many of the birds we saw here were perched high trying to soak up the sun and get some warmth. We should have done the same.

We covered many areas through the day, Mountsberg Conservation Area, Valens Conservation Area and along Lennon Road (a unique habitat of northern forest giving us species such as Canada, Black-and-white and Nashville Warblers on territory, Winter Wren and White-throated Sparrows singing everywhere). The Beverly Swamp was alive with Northern Waterthrush, Alder Flycatcher and a fly-by of Green Heron. The Dundas Valley, a vast expanse of many habitats was a good place to locate Louisiana Waterthrush but Lou wasn’t singing for us that day so we dipped on this species.

The afternoon was spent at many of the great migrant traps along the lakeshore. Unfortunately many of the migrant warblers from the day before had cleared out. We were not able to get the Kentucky Warbler but ended up with 21 species of warbler. Shoreacres, Shell Park, Burloak Woods were all combed for migrants and we were able to pick up a number of species here. At Bronte Harbour was a bonus, a lingering Bonaparte’s Gull.

Perhaps our biggest misses were ducks. You would think that given we live in the wintering duck capital of Canada that you would be able to find at least one of a number of species of ducks and scoters. Resident Red-necked Grebes, many Long-tailed Ducks and Red-breasted Mergansers comprised the majority of our species with a sprinkling of White-winged Scoter, Ruddy Duck, both scaups and a Northern Pintail.

Later in the afternoon, we hit Fifty Point Conservation Area and Grimsby Sewage Lagoons. Highlights here at Fifty Point included more migrant warblers and Orchard Oriole, probably one of the only places locally to find these birds. Grimsby Sewage Lagoons were quiet since they had just mowed the north cell, scaring most of the remaining waterfowl which were there the day before. Perhaps I should ask the Department of National Defense to sponsor the birds they flushed.

On to Saltfleet, an area on the escarpment up Fifty Road and west to 10th Road East. Two pairs of Upland Sandpipers, a singing Vesper Sparrow and a calling Ring-necked Pheasant added to our total as the sun went down. Then, a mad dash to Binbrook Conservation Area where a previous scouting trip had found an Osprey on nest. Thank goodness for floodlights.

Our total ended up at 143 species. Nineteen hours of birding, total exhaustion but total exhilaration. We were very pleased with our outcome. There always are big misses on big days but the fun, the great birds, the many lifers for Ben and most of all great friends made for an excellent Baillie Birdathon.

Thank you to all the sponsors who supported Ben and me for our birdathon. We truly enjoyed being the celebrities and raising money for the great work that the OFO does. To my best friends, Rob, Dave and Tom, a big thank you for your support, for the laughs, for the birds and most of all for the friendship. We couldn’t have done it without you.Good birding!

Cheryl & Ben Edgecombe