WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, February 23, 2006
One of the interesting characteristics about Prince Edward County is
its many moods when it comes to weather. The north side of the county
continues to stare at brown grass, and in our yard, even the ice on the lawn
has surrendered to the spring like conditions. Meanwhile, some areas of the
county a few days ago received up to 20 cm of snow due to lake effect. This,
in turn, has resulted in some interesting effects on bird populations in the
field as well as at feeders as birds respond to the local conditions.
WILD TURKEYS, in particular, became a little more obvious around the
county with three major rafters of them appearing along County Road 17 near
the turn off to County Road 16 toward Black River, an unprecedented 103
along County Road 18 along Sandbanks Provincial Park, and the traditional
flock in the Ridge Road area. Numerous reports of scattered groups involving
lesser numbers were also present during the week.
During the week, Sandbanks also had 250 CANADA GEESE and 50 MALLARDS
in the open waters of the lake there. However, Wellington Harbour today was
jammed with ice with only a little open water into West Lake. Still, 50
MALLARDS, 20 REDHEADS, 8 BUFFLEHEADS, 20 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 12 COMMON
MERGANSERS and a gaggle of 400 CANADA GEESE crowded in what water was open.
The MUTE SWAN population has dropped to about a dozen from a high of over 75
only a few weeks earlier.
A sign that spring must here, was the return of the PEREGRINE FALCON to
the McNabb Towers in Belleville early today, at its traditional roosting and
feeding spot atop an air conditioning unit on the building's 11th floor. The
bird was seen plucking its first ROCK PIGEON of the season as a shower of
feathers fluttered to the ground below. This would seem to be an individual
that may have wintered in the immediate area, as it, or another, was seen
early this month east of Lake-on-the-Mountain. RED-TAILED HAWKS in the
county can still be found at their usual locations where they had been
reported in earlier editions of this weekly report. COOPER'S HAWKS were seen
during the week on Sprague Road, Elmbrook, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE and 2
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS were also present at the latter location. SHARP-SHINNED
HAWKS terrorized feeders this week at Ridge Road, and at Thomasburg, north
of Belleville, and another was seen on the 20th on County Road 1 about a
kilometre west of County Road 2. Open water conditions during the week along
Long Reach in the Green Point and Essroc Cement areas of the county resulted
in an adult and an immature BALD EAGLES being seen on the 20th. One
Wellington resident was surprised when he looked out his window on the 20th,
and saw a LONG-EARED OWL staring back at him from the lower bough of a
conifer.
Regardless of the fickle weather, flocks of EUROPEAN STARLINGS are
increasing in number, as what are likely early migrants augment the winter
populations. Several roving flocks of a hundred or more were reported along
with increasing numbers of BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS. Other species having
increased their numbers, for reasons best known to themselves, have been
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES and HOUSE FINCHES as most feeders in the county begin
to swarm with these tiny birds. One feeder at 642 Elmbrook Road has 50
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES with numbers seldom dropping below 20 at all other
feeders. HOUSE FINCH numbers in the Barry Heights area of Trenton hover at
the 40 mark and increases have been noted too at Bloomfield, Big Island,
Milford and Consecon. A respectable 30 PURPLE FINCHES are at the same
Elmbrook Road feeder, and individuals at feeders were also reported from
Allisonville. DARK-EYED JUNCO numbers across the county also remain high.
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were reported from feeders at Elmbrook Road and an
individual was seen on County Road 2 between Wilson Road and Scoharie Road
(C.R. 1), and both a male and female PILEATED WOODPECKERS are now coming to
a feeder in Trenton, showing some interest in a suet feeder there. There are
still COMMON RAVENS being seen at two separate locations in the county -
two birds in the Milford/Black River area, and another two in the Elmbrook
area, as this species continues its range expansion into Prince Edward
County.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte
area. Our thanks to Bob Temple, John Waddingham, Doris Lane, Donn Legate,
Paul Wallace, Trudy Kitchen, Kay Clarke, Joanne Dewey, John Charlton, John &
Margaret Moore, Henri Garand, Donald McClure, Brian & Gloria Durell, David
Bree, and Jenny Goodall for their contributions to this week's report. This
report will be updated on Thursday, March 2nd. Bird sightings may be
forwarded at any time to [EMAIL PROTECTED] before the Thursday 6:00 p.m.
deadline. This report also appears for a week on the NatureStuff website,
under BIRDING, where this week's photo of a few of the 100 WILD TURKEYS near
Black River is by Paul Wallace.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
