WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, March 30, 2003
As the spring weather continues, so does the migration. EASTERN PHOEBES
showed up on March 24th at Elmbrook, and yesterday at the Quinte
Conservation Area west of Belleville. More AMERICAN WOODCOCKS in the county
and one calling on Maitland Drive in Belleville during the week and lots of
TREE SWALLOWS taking advantage of the warmer weather, and numerous reports
of EASTERN MEADOWLARKS. Along the Bayshore Trail in east Belleville
yesterday, there was a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW, 4 NORTHERN FLICKERS and 8
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS. GREAT BLUE HERONS during the week were seen in
Belleville, Kaiser Crossroad, Consecon, Point Petre and at the Quinte Skyway
Bridge. The first COMMON SNIPE was heard Thursday at Valley Road in
Ameliasburgh, and 2 FOX SPARROWS were reported during the week - one at
Bloomfield on March 27th and one in Picton yesterday. Enough TURKEY VULTURES
turned up in the county during the week to indicate a stable population of
these roadside foragers.
An aerial tour over the county on Wednesday revealed no absence of water
from the rapid snow melt of last weekend. Many creeks have spilled their
banks providing plenty of areas for waterfowl to gather. TUNDRA SWANS are
showing up everywhere, with a high of 100 at the popular Kaiser Crossroad
site where low flooded agricultural fields have provided "to die for"
birding opportunities. During the week there were highs of 500 NORTHERN
PINTAIL, 150 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 20 GREEN-WINGED TEALS, 500 MALLARDS, 50
BLACK DUCKS, 30 AMERICAN WIGEON, 50 CANADA GEESE and lesser numbers of WOOD
DUCKS, BUFFLEHEADS, SHOVELERS, GREEN WINGED TEAL, BLUE-WINGED TEAL, and
HOODED MERGANSERS. There was a major movement of CANADA GEESE on Monday over
the area with up to 10,000 birds counted in three hours.
East Lake at Log Cabin Point contains more than a dozen species of
waterfowl, among them CANVASBACKS, REDHEADS, HOODED MERGANSERS and a
PIED-BILLED GREBE. In Lake Ontario, waterfowl numbers are also impressive
with an estimated 10,500 LONG-TAILED DUCKS counted just east of The Rock.
Cressy Lakeside during the week offered many flocks of COMMON GOLDENEYE,
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, BUFFLEHEADS and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. Along Cressy
Bayside, observers there tallied several thousand GREATER SCAUP, with a few
LESSER SCAUP, REDHEADS, RING-NECKED DUCKS, and CANVASBACKS. The mouth of
Black Creek, just below the Black River Cheese Factory opened up early in
the week, attracting LESSER SCAUP, COMMON GOLDENEYE, HOODED MERGANSERS, WOOD
DUCKS, BUFFLEHEADS, COMMON MERGANSERS, AMERICAN WIGEON, GADWALL and
GREEN-WINGED TEAL. Even small ponds in the area were worth checking during
the week, evidence by the 26 HOODED MERGANSERS, found on Friday at the
Bloomfield Mill Pond.
Owl surveys conducted in the Huyck's Point area Thursday night revealed
4 GREAT HORNED OWLS at 3 stops, and 3 EASTERN SCREECH OWLS at 3 stops in the
Little Swamp area. Other noteworthy sightings during the week included
PURPLE FINCH at Point Petre, 3 CHIPPING SPARROWS on Valley Road (Mar. 27),
and PILEATED WOODPECKER, EASTERN TOWHEE and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER found in
the Ameliasburgh area. Two SANDHILL CRANES were seen flying in an easterly
direction over Highway 37, about 5 km north of the 401, on Tuesday.
As the DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS stage their return to the Quinte area,
Chip Wesleloh of the Canadian Wildlife Service is interested in documenting
the arrivals of these birds in all areas of the Great Lakes, especially the
inland lakes, many of which remain frozen. Date, location, time and number
of birds is requested in an effort to document the migration of more than
200,000 cormorants that nest on the Great Lakes. He may be contacted at:
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
And finally, a fundraising concert in support of the Prince Edward Point
Bird Observatory will be taking place on April 12th, at 8:00 p.m., at
Milford's Mount Tabor Playhouse. Featured will be local musicians Jeanette
Arsenault, Lenni Stewar-Wells, Janet Kellough, Suzanne Pasternak, Paul
Johnson and Bill Ostrander. Tickets are $15.00 and are available from Books
on the Bay in Picton, Hicks General Store in Milford, or at the door.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte
area. Our thanks to Susan Shipman, Judy Bell, Joanne Dewey, Lloyd Paul, Nick
Quickert, Mike Jaques, Mike Schummer, Henry & Joan Pasila, Chip Wesleloh,
Paul Mackenzie, David & Yvette Bree, Evelyn Sloane, Don Craighead and Wynne
Thomas for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be
updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 6th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00
p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good spring
birding !
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.naturestuff.net
"Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
