Male Magnolia Warbler
Female American Redstart, image courtesy of Scott Gilberson
About the hide
You are looking for a small camo'd plastic tube. It holds only the logsheet, so please BYOP. I had hoped to hide it in the woodlot but couldn't as it would be too close to another cache. Instead I hid it on the edge of park, in a much more visible area. So use stealth. You should not have to climb up and certainly do not need to go off the park property to get this one.
About the park
The somewhat unassuming small woodlot located in this city park may not seem like much right now (end of summer). But this is a great spot in spring to catch a glimpse of the many migrating passerines (“songbirds”). Songbirds such as warblers, vireos and thrushes tend to migrate at night and will settle down into a woodlot like the one at Edgelake park to spend the day looking for food and resting up in preparation for another night of flight.
Best time to visit Edgelake Park
Early mornings in late May and early June. Bring rubber boots, it's gets pretty muddy. If you move quietly along the trail on the eastern side of the marsh you should see many small birds as they flit about hunting for food.
Birds to See at Edgelake Park
If you BYOB at the right time of year you might just see the following species (not an exhaustive list, but a selection of some of the focal species for this location.
Wood Warblers: Ovenbird, Northern Waterthrush, Black-and-white W., Tennessee W. Orange-crowned W., Nashville W., Connecticut W., Mourning W., Common Yellowthroat, American Redstart, Cape May W., Northern Parula, Magnolia W., Bay-breasted W., Blackburnian W., Yellow W., Chestnut-sided W., Blackpoll W., Black-throated Blue W., Palm W., Yellow-rumped W., Black-throated Green W., Canada W., Wilson's W.
Vireos: Blue-headed V., Warbling V., Red-eyed V.
Thrushes: Swainson's T., Hermit T., Wood T., American Robin
Rarities recorded at Edgelake Park: Kirtlands Warbler (2012)
Additional details
Parking is available along the north side of Francis Ave. There are a few spots on Church St as well.
There is an excellent playground / openspace on the western side of the park.
Beware of ticks in spring/summer
Important notes Like geocaching, birdwatching can bring you to some ecologically- sensitive locations. Please be respectful. Be assured that I will not place hides where doing so would impact the survival or breeding success of any species.
About the Hamilton Study Area
The Hamilton Study Area is a circle centered at Dundurn Castle, Hamilton with a radius of 40.2km (25 miles). 386 bird species have been recorded in the HSA.
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