WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND AREA for Sunday, April 27,
2003
Bird banding at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area completed
its second week of operation with a generally quiet week with few warblers
and low numbers of sparrows, due to cooler weather and northerly winds.
After the previous week's movement of 225,000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, duck
numbers on the lake have slowed down but there are still good numbers
offshore of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. BONAPARTE'S GULLS are starting to move
with the occasional LITTLE GULL in with them. There was light snow all day
on April 23rd preventing any netting but two SANDHILL CRANES were seen
flying over the harbour in the morning. A movement of 40 SONG SPARROWS
arrived the following day and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS increased to about 45.
There were two BLUE-WINGED TEAL there on Friday, and an increase of
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS by Saturday (80). A surprise bird banded yesterday
was a male YELLOW PALM WARBLER, only the second of these ever to be banded
at the Point. BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS are being seen regularly now and up to
three birds are present most days. Two PINE WARBLERS were seen today, one of
them singing. NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, BARN SWALLOWS and CLIFF
SWALLOWS are present and TREE SWALLOWS are increasing again in number.
At Little Bluff Conservation Area today, there were both GOLDEN-CROWNED
and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, HORNED GREBE, COMMON MERGANSERS, BUFFLEHEAD,
CANADA GEESE, SWAMP SPARROW, WILSON'S SNIPE, EASTERN PHOEBE, YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLER and EASTERN MEADOWLARK. Somewhat disturbing were the carcasses of
eight LONG-TAILED DUCKS on the barrier beach, given that 9 others were found
this week at Wellington and others over the last several weeks at Point
Petre. An outbreak of botulism?
The first AMERICAN BITTERN of the year was heard in the Big Island Marsh
on April 24th. Other new arrivals during the week were LEAST FLYCATCHER at
Sandbanks, GREATER YELLOWLEGS at Northport on April 18th, and an early male
INDIGO BUNTING on Ridge Road south of Picton, on April 23rd. Five SANDHILL
CRANES were seen yesterday taking off across from the lookout at the
Presqu'ile Park camp office. PINE WARBLERS were seen during the week at
Prince Edward Point (2 today), and another at Sandbanks on Friday, as well
as individuals singing near Green Point early in the week. Quadrapod nesting
platforms are not popular with OSPREYS in Prince Edward County for reasons
best known to the birds, but one pair of birds is staking out territory at
one such platform in the Big Island Marsh at Muscote Bay. Other OSPREYS have
been seen on nests at Waupoos and Massassauga Road, and another on a
platform at Frankford.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS during the week were observed at Wilson Road and
at Sandbanks. Numerous roving flocks of CEDAR WAXWINGS turned up at several
locations in the Quinte area during the week. At Big Island, a WILD TURKEY
casually flew across our driveway - another bird for the yard list! Unusual
nesting site of the week comes from Competition Motors on Highway 62, north
of 401 where a pair of AMERICAN ROBINS have located their nest atop the
right front tire of a parked Audi.
Back in Prince Edward County, a few good finds in a little known lake at
the back end of a farm south of Glenora Road (Highway 33). Known locally as
Landon's Lake, birds seen there and in the adjacent woods were WOOD DUCK,
HOODED MERGANSER, CANADA GEESE, BELTED KINGFISHER, HAIRY WOODPECKERS,
RED-TAILED HAWKS, HERMIT THRUSH, BROWN CREEPERS, FIELD SPARROWS, NORTHERN
CARDINALS and 60 CEDAR WAXWINGS. There were numerous reports of EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS, some nesting. Near Tweed, one resident there was surprised to
have a tom WILD TURKEY casually stroll up to their glass storm door and
commence to challenge its reflection in the glass. His wattles and snood
kept expanding and contracting and changing colour, the bird interspersing
its performance with challenging gobbles.
Isolated reports of single PURPLE MARTINS have come in but nothing to
indicate a stable population in the Quinte area just yet, although other
species are well into nesting. Bird feeders still in operation are
attracting increasing numbers of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, HOUSE FINCHES,
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, and some operators have reported WHITE-THROATED
SPARROWS, CHIPPING SPARROWS, AMERICAN ROBINS and SONG SPARROWS feeding with
the regular clientel.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte
area. Our thanks to John and Janet Foster, David Okines (P.E. Pt. Bird
Observatory), Thomas Rymes, Judy Bell, Joanne Dewey, Lloyd Paul, Myrna Wood,
Bruce Post, Greg Clarkson, Henry & Joan Pasila, John & Sharron Blaney, Mary
Hart, Yvette Bree, and Don Craighead for their contributions to this week's
report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4th. Bird
sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the
next report. Good birding.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
"Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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