WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, November 09, 2003
A number of very interesting sightings this past week highlighted by no fewer than 16 SANDHILL CRANES that flew directly over a birder's house at 1111 South Big Island Road yesterday afternoon. Kingston birders found a PACIFIC LOON at Prince Edward Point on November 2nd, along with a late BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, and an extremely late UPLAND SANDPIPER along Babylon Road. Also late was a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER and a LINCOLN'S SPARROW found at Prince Edward Point on November 1st. Although purple sandpipers have not been seen yet, a species that typically appears in November, there have been a few sightings of SANDERLINGS still in the area, with a few at Prince Edward Point on November 1st, followed by one off Big Island early this week, and another on Friday. With Project Feeder Watch off to a grand start this weekend, feeders around the Quinte area appear to be enjoying good patronage although it is still early in the season. PURPLE FINCHES, are coming to feeders in small numbers at Big Island, and at a feeder near the Quinte Skyway Bridge where there is also a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH and several WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS.. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are also coming to feeders on Ridge Road, Lake-on-the-Mountain, and on Sheba's Island. A NORTHERN SHRIKE collided with a house in Belleville during the week, and others were seen at Prince Edward Point (1 banded), and one observed along Babylon Road. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was also seen yesterday near the Point Petre end of King's Road. There is a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER at one residence east of Elmbrook. Some waterfowl around this week worth mentioning, including the return of the TUNDRA SWANS at South Bay (100 on Nov. 7th), along with a count of 6 GADWALLS, 4 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 4 REDHEADS, 2 SURF SCOTERS and 12 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS between South Bay and Prince Edward Point. Point Petre's Soup Harbour produced 60 BUFFLEHEAD and 25 MALLARDS during the week, and 16 HOODED MERGANSERS turned up in the reservoir on Highway 33, near Telephone Road, west of Trenton today. Today there were 3 BRANT resting in a wheat field at the corner of Highway 2 and Second Dug Hill Road right across from Wal-Mart in Trenton. Two MUTE SWANS continue to be in the Big Island Marsh along South Big Island Road. Still lots of TURKEY VULTURES around. There were 18 thermalling above the entrance to Sandbanks Provincial Park yesterday afternoon. Scattered numbers during the week were also seen at Prince Edward Point, Point Petre (12 on Nov. 5), and singles in a number of other areas around the county. Another 13 were seen in a field at Lake-on-the-Mountain on November 2nd. About 30 RED-TAILED HAWKS were seen during the week at Point Petre, with at least 12 NORTHERN HARRIERS, a half dozen ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, and a COOPER'S HAWK on November 5th. A KESTREL was at Big Island near the causeway yesterday. Prince Edward Point during the week produced BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, MERLIN, 40 RED-TAILED HAWKS and 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS. Other good sightings during the week included an EASTERN SCREECH OWL and a SHORT-EARED OWL, both at Prince Edward Point. Fourteen EASTERN BLUEBIRDS and 12 CEDAR WAXWINGS showed up on Babylon Road on the 7th, 15 SNOW BUNTINGS flew past one residence near Deseronto this weekend and 2 GREAT BLUE HERONS were seen at the Norris Whitney Bridge at Belleville early in the week. A reminder that the November updates for the NatureStuff website are online now. Included, finally, is a checklist of all 338 species of birds for Prince Edward County, including the latest addition of a northern wheatear just this past summer. The checklist can be found by clicking Other Nature from the side bar menu. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Bob Sachs, Cheryl Anderson, Mary Hart, Don Craighead, Doug & Evelyn Sloane, Wynne Thomas, Joanne Dewey, Lloyd Paul, Tom Livingston, Cindy & John & Thomas Rymes, and John & Margaret Moore for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 16th. 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.
