WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for the week ending Thursday, March 17, 2005
Waterfowl continues to be the focus as the lakes and bays give way to warmer
weather. The Prince Edward County Field Naturalists were on hand today at
Wellington Harbour tabulating the species seen there. Present were 15
species of waterfowl if we include the 800 scaup that weren't identified as
to either GREATER or LESSER. Others present were 120 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 100
CANADA GEESE, 100 MALLARDS, 40 REDHEADS, 30 BUFFLEHEADS, 25 COMMON
MERGANSERS, 20 MUTE SWANS, 15 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 14 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 12
HOODED MERGANSERS, 6 BLACK DUCKS, 4 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 2 AMERICAN WIGEON,
and 1 drake WOOD DUCK. About 30 MUTE SWANS had been seen earlier at
Wellington. Numbers here and species content vary on almost an hourly basis,
as we noticed today, as ducks venture out into Lake Ontario, then return, as
conditions dictate.
There were 11 species in East Lake at the Outlet River. Present here were
300 scaup, 50 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 20 RING-NECKED DUCKS, 17 CANADA GEESE, 10
BLACK DUCKS, 8 MUTE SWANS, 6 BUFFLEHEAD, 5 COMMON MERGANSERS, 4 MALLARDS, 3
HOODED MERGANSERS, and 1 AMERICAN WIGEON.
Waterfowling is still tough east of Waupoos where Prince Edward Bay is open
only to a line a couple of kilometres east of The Rock. The ice conditions
can vary here due to overnight freezing and wind action. Several thousand
scaup, mergansers, COMMON GOLDENEYES and LONG-TAILED DUCKS were present here
earlier in the week. On Wednesday, there were close to 8,000 scaup and
thousands of LONG-TAILED DUCKS in Prince Edward Bay, visible between Prince
Edward Point and Prinyer's Cove. Athol Bay was full of floating ice today
and a scattering of waterfowl occupied the isolated open pools, but father
out in the lake there were scaup, COMMON GOLDENEYE, LONG-TAILED DUCKS, and
BUFFLEHEADS.
At all locations, most ducks were putting on spectacular courting displays,
but it was at the corner of County Roads 12 and 18 today where one observer
caught a pair of RED-TAILED HAWKS getting it on in plain view of approaching
traffic. Other less amorous RED-TAILED HAWKS were seen today at County Road
18 and Rankin Road, Storms Road at Black River, and South Big Island Road.
There was a NORTHERN HARRIER this afternoon on Miller Road, otherwise known
as the Greenbush area. GREAT GRAY OWL reports continue to come in. The two
on Sprague Road have returned and are seen almost daily, and were cavorting
about on the hydro wires one morning at 6:00 a.m. Other GREAT GRAY OWLS
during the week from outside the County were seen on Mudcat Lane in the
Foxboro area (2), and singles at Highway 37 and Hunt Road, Highway 37 near
the road to Stirling, Highway 62 and 7 near Tim Hortons, Shannonville Road
south of Roslin, and another two were seen on Highway 62 south of Ivanhoe.
There was a an adult BALD EAGLE cruising Adolphus Reach daily during the
week from Glenora to Prinyer's Cove. A NORTHERN SHRIKE turned up on March
10th on the Wooler Road just north of the 401.
While RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS seem a little tardy this spring in making their
traditional spring appearance, there is some activity locally to suggest
that at least a few have arrived in the area. Two inexplicably turned up at
a feeder at Pleasant Bay this morning. Other isolated individuals that
suggest possible migrants showed up during the week at Big Island, Picton
and South Bay. Other activity suggesting the return of spring was a male
RING-NECKED PHEASANT strutting around near Parks Creek in Tyendinaga
Township, along with two females and one happy male on Bethel Road all week.
Of course, WILD TURKEYS everywhere, with individuals along Sprague Road at
Big Island, Bethel Road, Ridge Road, South Bay and outside the county at
Crookston Road in the Tweed area, Lahey Road south of Madoc, and individuals
at the usual stomping grounds along Sidney Street just north of the 401 at
Belleville.
Despite some suggestions of spring in terms of warmer weather and a few
arrivals - a KILLDEER turned up today at Sandbanks - bird activity at most
bird feeders around the county continues to be brisk. COMMON REDPOLL numbers
have dropped but there are still 40 coming to a feeder in "greater
Allisonville", 40 on Glenora Road, 50 at a feeder in Adolphustown, 35 on
Vanderwater Road at Thomasburg, and lesser numbers (half a dozen or fewer)
at other feeders around Prince Edward County and the general Quinte area.
PINE SISKINS are visiting a feeder on Low Street in Picton, and PURPLE
FINCHES have been seen at feeders at Pleasant Bay and Massassauga Point. A
feeder at 2075 County Road 7 east of Lake-on-the-Mountain has 2 RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES among the regular clientel there where the NORTHERN CARDINAL
patronage has dropped to a respectable 9 from a previous high of 15.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are still at feeders at Adolphustown and Glenora
Road, the latter location still hosting a NORTHERN FLICKER that has been
coming to the feeder all winter. And a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is at a feeder
near Sunrise Court and Sunrise Drive.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to Peter Marshall, David Bree, Fred Chandler, Joe Victor, Lloyd
Paul, John Blaney, Molly Chard, Doris Lane, Tim Bell, Cathy Anderson, Silvia
Botnick, Jane Hill, Helen Graham, Janet Foster, John Charlton, Susan MacKay,
Ken & Shirley Joyce, Judith Gray, Cheryl Anderson, Frank Artes & Carolyn
Barnes, Mia Lane, Tom Reddick, Brian Durell, and Bill Hogg for their
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, March 24th. 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, and our thanks
to Elena Petrcich of Ottawa for contributing her photo of a male and female
HOUSE FINCH for this week's website report.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
