WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, November 07, 2004
Earlier predictions that PINE SISKINS should be appearing at bird feeders in southern Ontario, are starting to come true as small quarrelsome flocks commence turning up at bird feeding stations around the Quinte area. Small numbers are coming to feeders at 23 Sprague Road on Big Island and Carrying Place, with larger numbers (up to 24) coming to feeders near Bongard Road in Prince Edward County, and at Thomasburg. Other signs of the impending winter season was a northern shrike at East Lake capturing a bird at a feeder there, and consuming it. On Wooler Road, north of Trenton, 12 SNOW BUNTINGS were seen along the roadside, and other NORTHERN SHRIKES were observed during the past week on Old Milford Road, and another on Gravelly Bay Road near Prince Edward Point, both on November 1st. And a feeder at Easterbrook Road has PURPLE FINCHES settling in, and others are coming to feeders in other regions of the county. Elsewhere, the migration continues as birds flock and move out of the area. Some 50 AMERICAN ROBINS were seen gathered in the trees near Point Petre during the week, and there are still lots of RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS about, with 30 being seen on a regular basis near Sandbanks Provincial Park. HOODED MERGANSERS are starting to gather at Fox's Pond beside Tremur Lake in the Trenton area (there were five there on Monday), 1,500 GREATER SCAUP and 700 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were present off Timber Island early in the week, accompanied by small flocks of LONG-TAILED DUCKS, COMMON LOONS and 3 adult RED-THROATED LOONS and a GADWALL, all at Prince Edward Point. In Picton on November 1st, there were still 15 DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS hanging out at the harbour, and at the harbour in Wellington, one blue phase adult SNOW GOOSE, NORTHERN PINTAIL, AMERICAN WIGEON and AMERICAN COOT were tallied, along with about 40 BONAPRATE'S GULLS. At Big Island, a gun blast at 7:00 a.m. Wednesday morning sent over 600 CANADA GEESE into the air. At Prince Edward Point, on November 1st, observers there checked off 5 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS, 11 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, and 2 juvenile GOLDEN EAGLES as they passed over the Point. Near the banding station a BARRED OWL was flushed, and another has been present for some weeks in a wooded area near the corner of Fish Lake Road and Bethesda Road. Among the miscellaneous sightings to come in over the week was an observation of 6 WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS pulling apart the dried blossoms of a hydrangea bush at Carrying Place, and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and a FOX SPARROW seen east of Lake-on-the-Mountain. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were still in evidence at Prince Edward Point on Monday, and 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS were seen in the Green Point area mid-week. We're still waiting for PURPLE SANDPIPERS to appear, a traditional latecomer in the fall shorebird migration. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Eileen Robbins, Lloyd Paul, John Waddingham, John Charlton, Bob Sachs, Angela Mantle, Russ Kitchen, Joanne Dewey, George Baverstock and Joe Victor for their contributions to this week's report. This report is also posted in the BIRDING section of the NatureStuff website. The weekly birding report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 14th. Bird sightings must be by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net
