WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FOR PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for the week ending Thursday, March 10, 2005
Despite a week of cold temperatures, migrating waterfowl are putting on
some magnificent courting displays in many of the traditional gathering
areas around Prince Edward County. At Wellington Harbour today, there were
12 species of waterfowl comprising 35 MUTE SWANS, 2 TUNDRA SWANS, 160 CANADA
GEESE, 50 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 40 GREATER SCAUP, 25 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 20
BUFFLEHEADS, 20 COMMON MERGANSERS, 30 MALLARDS, 15 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 2
HOODED MERGANSERS, and 1 REDHEAD. A female GREEN-WINGED TEAL that had been
present on Tuesday, did not appear to be present today, nor could we locate
the 3 CANVASBACKS that had been present Monday. As we ate our lunch in the
Harbour Restaurant, a flock of 300 EUROPEAN STARLINGS descended on a growth
of staghorn sumac along the east jetty and voraciously consumed the
remaining seed heads.
South winds today had caused many of the traditionally prolific
waterfowl areas to be packed with ice floes, including West Point, much of
Athol Bay and Soup Harbour. Birders interested in exploring some of these
areas, especially West Point, are reminded that a four wheel drive vehicle
is recommended as many of the ruts in these unserviced roads are very deep
and icy. In fact, anything beyond a crawl at West Point could cause your
vehicle at the end of the West Point Road to slide on the sheet ice over the
small limestone edge and into the roiling waters of Lake Ontario! Caution is
advised on any of these roads during this period of changing temperatures.
The west side of Athol Bay at Sandbanks contained some 1,200 GREATER
SCAUP and 300 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, along with lesser numbers of COMMON
GOLDENEYE and BUFFLEHEAD. At East Lake at the headwaters of the Outlet
River, there was a fine assortment of waterfowl there in the yet small
amount of open water, including 18 MUTE SWANS, 90 GREATER SCAUP, 32 CANADA
GEESE, 15 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 12 BUFFLEHEAD, 10 MALLARDS, 5 AMERICAN BLACK
DUCKS, 4 COMMON MERGANSERS, and the first 2 RING-NECKED DUCKS of the season.
The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists on Tuesday found 4 MUTE
SWANS, 6 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS and a pair of HOODED MERGANSERS at the Whitney
Memorial Dam at Consecon, while at Barcovan, waterfowling was much better
with 11 species seen including the usual complement of MUTE SWANS (50), a
drake LESSER SCAUP and a pair of NORTHERN PINTAILS. Another observer today
at Barcovan reported that the number of MUTE SWANS had risen, to 96;
however, a TRUMPETER SWAN tag #841, earlier seen on March 4th, and even
earlier on February 1, was not present today. Jumping over to the east end
of the County, there were hundreds of COMMON MERGANSERS and a few
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS in Prince Edward Bay/Lake Ontario between The Rock
and Indian Point today.
Amherst Island on March 9th turned out to be a fairly good day with
observers there chalking up a NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 5 RED-TAILED HAWKS, a
NORTHERN HARRIER, a BOREAL OWL, and 1 GREAT GRAY OWL. New sightings of GREAT
GRAY OWLS in Prince Edward County were made at Cherry Valley during the
week, Crowe's Road on March 3rd and Sunrise Drive at Massassauga Point on
March 10th. From outside the county, another report came in from County Road
27, just south of Centreville Road, and up to 5 were seen almost daily until
recently by a bus driver in the Queensborough/Cooper area, north of Madoc.
The individuals on Sprague Road have not been seen now for several days.
BALD EAGLES this past week were noted at The Rock east of Waupoos on
March 9th (1 adult), and at the corner of Babylon Road and Helmer Road at
South Bay on March 4th (1 immature). Other raptors of interest during the
week included an ironed out NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL west of Picton on Highway
33 on Friday, a COOPER'S HAWK at a feeder in Trenton, a male AMERICAN
KESTREL near the drive-in theatre on Scoharie Road today, a NORTHERN HARRIER
east of Caughey Road on Big Island on March 8th, and a RED-TAILED HAWK seen
today on Kelly Road just east of Rankin Road. North of the border, there was
a barred owl at Thomasburg on March 5th, and four AMERICAN KESTRELS seen on
a stretch of road between Stirling and Campbellford on March 7th.
Also coming from the north was a report of 35 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on March
4th and 5th at Harts Road and Cromwell Road north of Madoc, and PINE
GROSBEAKS coming to a feeder on Lahey Road, south of Madoc. Speaking of
winter birds, SNOW BUNTINGS are still in fine fettle with 100 being seen
Friday near Cherry Valley, a dozen or so at the west end of Big Island, and
an additional sighting of the species on Green Point Road. Two COMMON RAVENS
continue to visit a feeder on Lahey Road near Madoc, and even in Prince
Edward County where the species appears to be making a few inroads, there
have been regular sightings at Elmbrook, and another on Babylon Road on
March 4th.
Although spring is just around the corner, feeder patronage is still
excellent in some areas with 75 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 50 DARK-EYED JUNCOS
and 100 HOUSE FINCHES (an unusually high number given low numbers at other
feeders) at Albury. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are coming to feeders on
Scoharie Road between Highway 62 and Picton, and another was reported at a
feeder in Adolphustown, where 20 COMMON REDPOLLS continue to make daily
visits. There are PURPLE FINCHES at a feeder on Crookston Road near Tweed,
as well as at a feeder near Massassauga Point. Close to 75 COMMON REDPOLLS
maintain their high numbers at a feeder near Allisonville, and an EASTERN
TOWHEE is coming to a feeder in Cherry Valley at 1605 County Road 10.
Other interesting sightings to come in during the week included 2 SONG
SPARROWS - one along Cressy Lakeshore Road, and another on County Road 7
east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, a BELTED KINGFISHER in Consecon Creek, and
WILD TURKEY sightings south of Milford (75) and at South Bay (26) and at The
Rock Crossroad (2). Interestingly, no RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD migrants yet
(although that may change if the weather improves), although there have been
what appear to be arrivals of AMERICAN ROBINS and, of course, hundreds of
HORNED LARKS along the roadsides.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte
area. Our thanks to John Charlton, John Blaney, Peter Marshall, Fred
Chandler, James Pounder, Susan Hollett, Russ Kitchen, Brian Credico, Rae
O'Brien, Walter & Bonnie Cromwell, Pamela Martin, Jerry Foster, Martha
Newbigging, Henri Gerand, Lloyd Paul, Doug & Evelyn Sloane, David Bree, Bill
Hogg, Judith Gray, Janet Foster, Brian Durell, Al Korchuk and Doris Lane for
their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, March 17th. Bird sightings may be forwarded to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
any time before the Thursday 6:00 p.m. deadline. This report also appears on
the NatureStuff website at www.naturestuff.net under BIRDING, where a BROWN
THRASHER at Amherst Island is this week's feature photo, taken by Russ
Kitchen of Thomasburg.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
