WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for Sunday, October 12, 2003
Owls have been on the move this past week, and the scene of the most
activity has been at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, where
banders at the Observatory there banded 217 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS, 6 BARRED
OWLS and an EASTERN SCREECH OWL. An impressive 76 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS
were caught and banded during the night of October 7th, bringing the total
so far to 246.
The COMMON EIDER at Prince Edward Point was last seen on September 28th.
A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was seen there on the 5th along with a few other late
migrants including singles of NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WILSON'S WARBLER and
OVENBIRD. Also seen on October 5th were 2 BLACK SCOTERS. Monday saw the
arrival of 40 EASTERN PHOEBES, and 100 TREE SWALLOWS and a late SCARLET
TANAGER put in an appearance the following day. Large numbers of both
RUBY-CROWNED and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS are present, rivaled in numbers
only by WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. The scaup off Prince
Edward Point have increased to around a thousand birds and the first
LONG-TAILED DUCK of the fall showed up on October 9th.
Throughout the county, blackbirds are starting to move with COMMON
GRACKLE, RUSTY and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS flocking together in wetlands and
agricultural fields. Saturday afternoon, there were large numbers singing in
the wetlands bordering Black River, roughly midway up river between Black
River Cheese Factory and Milford.
The COMMON EGRET, whether one or two, continues to show up at a number
of locations in the county. On October 4th, one turned up at Robinson Cove
at Big Island, and is likely the same individual that showed up last week at
Sandy Cove, just 2 km west of there.
Bird feeders in the county are bustling these days with huge flocks of
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, and numbers of both WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROWS, HOUSE FINCHES, and BLUE JAYS. One Vanderwater Road resident at
Thomasburg, north of Belleville, had no fewer than 10 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS at
her backyard bird bath. Back in the county, Ridge Road, south of Picton, had
2 RED-TAILED HAWKS, AMERICAN KESTREL, NORTHERN HARRIER and a SHARP-SHINNED
HAWK during the week. PURPLE FINCHES were seen during the week at feeders in
Picton and at Big Island, and also a sighting of four at Seymour
Conservation Area at Campbellford.
An observer on the eastern extension of the Bayshore Trail in east
Belleville Friday checked off an EASTERN PHOEBE, 3 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 2
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, CANADA GEESE, 13 KILLDEER, NORTHERN CARDINALS, 2
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 2 SWAMP SPARROWS, 2 BLACK DUCKS, RED-WINGED
BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES. Definitely worth a visit at all times of the
year, accessible from the south end of Herchimer Avenue in Belleville and
extending into the wetlands at the old Bakelite plant.
A fairly tardy COMMON NIGHTHAWK was seen at Elmbrook on October 5th, and
EASTERN MEADOWLARKS were seen at Ridge Road on October 1st and at Big Island
on October 10th.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and area. Our
thanks to Kendel Dewey, Joanne Dewey, Cheryl Anderson, Henry & Joan Pasilla,
Donn & John Legate, Lloyd Paul, Helen Graham and David Okines (Prince Edward
Point Bird Observatory) for their contributions to this week's report. This
report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, October 19th. Bird Sightings
must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
"Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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