WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, November 02, 2003
The almost constant rain this past week did not seem to dampen the spirits of birders in Prince Edward County and around the Quinte area. However, it did result in poor banding success at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory where only 48 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS and 1 LONG-EARED OWL were banded during the week. On October 27th, 400 AMERICAN ROBINS flew over and there were at least 100 DARK-EYED JUNCOS in the area. The following day a good movement of birds took place with flyovers of 650 AMERICAN ROBINS, 130 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS, and 650 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. A LESSER YELLOWLEGS was seen in the harbour, and also counted were 65 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 110 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 65 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 50 CEDAR WAXWINGS and 160 DARK-EYED JUNCOS. Rain on the 29th prevented most birding but a flock of 200 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS appeared on the Observatory lawn in the afternoon. Robins, blackbirds and juncos continued to be the most abundant species for the rest of the week. EASTERN BLUEBIRDS (53) and 18 HAIRY WOODPECKERS were seen on the 30th as were three ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS. GREATER SCAUP, numbering over 8,500 flew past on the 31st and 12 DUNLIN appeared on the beach near the lighthouse. The Observatory has now finished Migration Monitoring for this fall and will close down in the next week or so. Elsewhere in the county, BRANT have been turning up with 3 in Wellington today, 54 at Prince Edward Point on the 28th, and a separate flock in the Green Point to Big Island corridor ranging in size from four individuals to 125. Soup Harbour today contained an estimated 1,500 GREAT SCAUP and there was a flock of just under 800 on West Lake this afternoon. MUTE SWANS were seen during the week at East Lake, Wellington, Consecon Lake and in the Big Island Marsh, just west of the causeway. There was a HORNED GREBE at West Point on October 31st. The numbers of LITTLE GULLS in the Sandbanks area do not appear to have increased in number yet, but birders in the area should keep their eyes peeled for higher numbers in the weeks to come. On Monday, there were 2 at East Lake, and no higher numbers have been reported since. Shorebirds are still around. There were several KILLDEER at the Dunes Beach Day Use area of Sandbanks this afternoon. A bit more exciting were 8 GREATER YELLOWLEGS, 11 DUNLIN, a PECTORAL SANDPIPER, and 1 WILSON'S SNIPE along Wesley Acres Road on the 31st, followed by 9 SANDERLINGS and 2 DUNLIN at West Point. Eleven SANDERLINGS and a DUNLIN were found in Sandbanks' Outlet Sector on the 27th. Outside the county, there was a GREATER YELLOWLEGS reported from Deerock Lake, just north of Flinton last week. There are still certain species appearing in respectable numbers including about a dozen HERMIT THRUSHES in a single black locust tree on the dunes at Sandbanks Provincial Park this afternoon. One observer at Point Petre had 7 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on the 31st, and there were 4 southwest of Madoc during the week, topped only by the 25 seen yesterday by 19 members of the Quinte Field Naturalists along Long Point Road west of Prince Edward Point. A flock of 30 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS on a lawn on Soup Harbour Road was certainly noteworthy, as was a VESPER SPARROW at Point Petre on the 27th, and a MERLIN at the entrance to Little Bluff Conservation Area yesterday, seen by members of the Quinte Field Naturalists. Members of that group had a fairly good day birding the Prince Edward Point area, checking off three RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, one SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, an immature BALD EAGLE, a few TURKEY VULTURES and, the prize of the day, a BLACK VULTURE. This is the fifth record of this species in Prince Edward County since 1997, and incredibly the third this year. Other interesting raptor sightings during the week include Point Petre sightings over the past week of 50-60 RED-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN HARRIERS, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, COOPER'S HAWK and two MERLINS. There was a RED-TAILED HAWK at Beaver Meadow on the 28th, and another on Ridge Road during the week. And at a private residence near Elmbrook, a bird bander there has banded 37 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS and one EASTERN SCREECH OWL. A BARRED OWL has also been in the area. Bird feeders are buzzing everywhere as operators prepare for the start of Project Feeder Watch next weekend. A RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH came to a Barker Street feeder in Picton on the 27th. PURPLE FINCHES have been reported at feeders at 2800 County Road 1 and at a feeder southwest of Madoc. There were 10 SNOW BUNTINGS on Monday at Sandbanks, three at Wellington one day earlier and isolated sightings north of the county. Other good sightings to come in during the week were 2 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 5 CEDAR WAXWINGS, 2 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, and singles of RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and FOX SPARROW at Beaver Meadow; several RUFFED GROUSE at Point Petre; BROAD-WINGED HAWK along Ridge Road; an adult BALD EAGLE at Deerock Lake (Flinton); and 14 WOOD DUCKS east of Stirling. Just a reminder for those in the Prince Edward County/Belleville/Trenton area, the 14th annual Birdfeeding Seminar will be taking place this coming Sunday, Nov. 9th, at Picton's Tip of the Bay Hotel and Marina, commencing at 2:00 p.m. Representatives from the Friends of Sandbanks and the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory will also be on hand to say a few words to the 120+ people who are expected to attend. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), John Blaney, Lloyd Paul, Art MacConnell, Bruce Ripley, Joanne Dewey, Nancy Fox, Henry & Joan Pasila, Donn & John Legate, Thomas Rymes, Judith Gray, Don McClure and Wynne Thomas for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 9th. 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]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
