WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for Sunday, October 26, 2003
Understandably, not much serious birding today in the almost steady rain
to end this past week's birding period. However, some great sightings during
the week, including, a BALD EAGLE at Fish Lake Road yesterday, four COMMON
RAVENS a day earlier at Point Petre, and a late YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT on
October 22nd east of Picton. Also noteworthy, date-wise, was a late NORTHERN
PARULA banded at Prince Edward Point on Saturday, topped only by a TUFTED
TITMOUSE that was banded at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory a day
earlier.
Birding at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area has started to
slow down as fall comes to a close with only kinglets, robins and juncos
providing any numbers of birds. Banded during the week were 143 NORTHERN
SAW-WHET OWLS, as well as one SCREECH OWL and a LONG-EARED OWL. A flock of 9
GREAT BLUE HERONS flew over the Point on the 19th. On the 20th, a
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen flying over and on the lake there were 37
BUFFLEHEAD. Also on that date, 5 LESSER YELLOWLEGS were in the harbour,
followed by 4 HOODED MERGANSERS two days later. On the 23rd, 120 LONG-TAILED
DUCKS were at the Point. A nice YELLOW PALM WARBLER was trapped in the nets
on the 23rd. At first light on the 24th, 850 AMERICAN ROBINS flew over high,
and later in the day, SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS (50) and RED-TAILED HAWKS (45)
started to move as well.
No further sign of the 13 CATTLE EGRETS that appeared in Picton on
the 17th, although one did appear just north of the county line, near the
401 and Marysville exit the following day. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were
reported at Smith's Bay and Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area during
the week. Also at Beaver Meadow, on October 20th, there was lots of stuff
around, typical of this prolific area, including RUSTY BLACKBIRD, HERMIT
THRUSH, FOX SPARROW and WINTER WREN being among the more noteworthy. Athol
Bay the same day produced a conservative estimate of 15,000 GREATER SCAUP,
and on the Salmon Point side of the bay, there were 2 or 3 female BLACK
SCOTERS mixed in with a flock of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. The far end of the
Salmon Point Road yielded a ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER, and at adjacent
Sandbanks Provincial Park, 3 LITTLE GULLS turned up in East Lake at the
park's group campground. This area bears watching from now until freeze-up
as numbers of this species have increased to highs of 40 in some years in
the East Lake/Outlet River mouth area.
On Friday, a BLUE-HEADED VIREO was seen in the old picnic ground area at
Point Petre. To the east, Army Reserve Road produced hundreds of juncos and
robins with a young BROAD-WINGED HAWK observed harassing the flocks at eye
level.
So, there is still lots of movement as we approach November. And with
that approach, we are seeing definite signs of winter. This season's PROJECT
FEEDERWATCH is about to begin to record some of the activity that is
starting to occur at some feeders in the Quinte area. PURPLE FINCHES are
coming to feeders in Trenton and Madoc, and more than a dozen species were
listed in a backyard near Waupoos. A flock of TREE SPARROWS and a SNOW
BUNTING turned up on Army Reserve Road on Friday, and four more SNOW
BUNTINGS were seen at Prince Edward Point. Another two were seen yesterday
at Belleville's Zwick's Island Park, and a dozen or so were on a beach in
the Pleasant Bay area on Friday.
A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at Ridge Road, PILEATED WOODPECKER near Bongard's
Crossroad and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS coming to feeders at Pleasant Bay,
Smith's Bay and at Big Island rounds off this week's report from Prince
Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), Rob
Kellough, Linda Lavallee, Bob Sachs, Ken & Shirley Joyce, June Hazell, Henry
Pasila, John & Sacha Squair, John & Sharron Blaney, Sean Blaney, Don
Chisholm, Donn Legate, and John Charlton for their contributions to this
week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November
3rd. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. 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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