WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, September 28, 2006
Even though the winds can't make up their mind whether to come from the
north or from the south at Prince Edward Point, the birds are starting to
move regardless. Over 850 birds were banded this week including 372 on the
25th. Four COMMON LOONS were sitting off the point near Ducks Dive Charters
& Cottages on the 27th and a PACIFIC LOON was among them. A few small
parties of CANADA GEESE are still moving through and GREATER SCAUP have
started to arrive with 80 noted offshore along with 7 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS
and the first RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS of the fall, five of them, seen flying
past on the 27th,as was a FORSTER'S TERN which is still present today.
Small numbers of SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS are moving daily and the September
total for BALD EAGLES which are passing over, now stands at 24; in September
last year, only 8 were seen all month. A GREATER YELLOWLEGS was seen on the
27th and an AMERICAN WOODCOCK was flushed on the 25th. Four LITTLE GULLS
were found near the PACIFIC LOON on the 27th. A BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was
trapped on the 22nd, as was the first three NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS of the
fall, another SAW-WHET was trapped on the 27th. A WHIP-POOR-WILL was found
sitting on a branch next to a net on the 22nd and was later trapped, another
was heard at dawn on the 25th. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS continue to pass
by occasionally and three were seen on the 27th. A BELTED KINGFISHER was
trapped on the 27th and is the second one banded this fall and only the
fourth ever banded here. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS are moving in good
numbers this year and 18 were seen on the 25th with 13 of them being
trapped, (only 12 birds were trapped in the whole of the fall in 2005),
NORTHERN FLICKERS continue to move through with a peak of 15 seen on the
22nd and 27th. Five EASTERN WOOD PEWEES were seen on the 27th and EASTERN
PHOEBE'S are starting to move through, as is usual at this time of the fall.
BLUE-HEADED and RED-EYED VIREOS are moving through and 20 of each were seen
on the 25th and three PHILADELPHIA VIREOS were seen during the week. BLUE
JAY numbers are starting to build up and up to 650 in a day are moving
through. A calling COMMON RAVEN flew over the woods on the 27th. BROWN
CREEPER numbers are staring to climb and a peak of 35 were seen on the 25th,
and that other small brown fall bird, the WINTER WREN, is passing through as
well with peaks of 12 seen on the 22nd and 10 on the 25th. GOLDEN-CROWNED
and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are heading south and on the 25th we had 100
GOLDENs and 160 RUBYs present. Thrushes are feeding well on the berries
here, and 40 GRAY-CHEEKED and 25 SWAINSON'S were present on the 25th, a few
HERMIT THRUSHES are also starting to appear and a BROWN THRASHER continues
to show itself every few days, (last year the last one was seen on the 5th
Sept), CEDAR WAXWINGS are passing through again in small flocks and 110 were
counted on the 26th. MAGNOLIA WARBLER numbers are decreasing but
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS are just coming to their peak with 20 - 25
being seen daily, 20 BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS were seen on the 25th and
a late BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER was banded on the 27th. Fifteen species of
warblers were seen during the week. A SCARLET TANAGER was trapped on the
26th.
With fall upon us, sparrow numbers are increasing and a few migrant CHIPPING
SPARROWS are passing through. Also moving are WHITE-THROATED and
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS and up to 30 of each have been seen during the week.
The 3rd LINCOLN'S SPARROW of the month was seen on the 26th and DARK-EYED
JUNCOS are starting to put in an appearance with two birds banded on the
22nd and another two on the 25th. Best sparrow during the week was a very
early FOX SPARROW that was trapped on the 25th, at least three weeks ahead
of its normal arrival date. Another INDIGO BUNTING was trapped on the 27th
and a late adult male ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was banded on the 27th. On the
night of the 26th & 27th, although no owls were trapped, we did manage to
catch six SILVER-HAIRED BATS and an extremely aggressive and vocal HOARY
BAT. The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory would also like to remind
readers of its annual fall fund raising dinner on October 21st at the Waring
House Inn and Restaurant west of Picton, with noted astronomer Terence
Dickinson as guest speaker. Tickets are available in Picton from Books on
the Bay where raffle tickets on a $2550 pair of Swarovski binoculars and
other great prizes are also available.
Much the same activity, although generally in much lower numbers, has also
been noted elsewhere in Prince Edward County. In our own backyard, we had
three YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS spiralling around a maple tree, actually the
first of this species we have ever seen in our yard. Three were also present
this week at an address along Glenora Road, juveniles were present near the
corner of County Road 17 and Jackson's Falls Road, and appearances outside
the county occurred at a hummingbird feeder south of Stirling, and two
showed up along Harmony Road. It's getting a bit late for RUBY-THROATED
HUMMINGBIRDS, but one seemed intrigued with hanging baskets of flowers
inside a greenhouse near Milford on the 27th, and another was seen during
the week near Carrying Place, and up to two have been present all week at
Trenton.
The owner of the popular feeder along Glenora Road, a feeder which must
surely represent the highest output of seeds of any single location in the
space of a year, continues to attract 30 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 25 CHIPPING
SPARROWS, 2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 6 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, 4 HAIRY
WOODPECKERS, and 15 BLUE JAYS. The presence of good food and good company
likely also palys a major role in the presence of 4 NORTHERN FLICKERS, 15
AMERICAN ROBINS, 20 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and the YELLOW-BELLIED
SAPSUCKERS mentioned earlier. Certainly a feeder we look forward to checking
out each winter on the Christmas Bird Count!
The bumper crop of Hop Hornbeam seeds this year were responsible for
attracting a RUFFED GROUSE to a backyard in Trenton this week. The grouse,
in turn, attracted the attention of a passing SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, and in
the ensuing confusion, both ended up quite dead three feet apart with broken
necks after colliding with the garage window! "I could not find a recipe for
the Sharpshin, but the grouse found its way to the dinner table that night,"
concluded the resident who obviously wastes nothing. Two BLACK-THROATED
WARBLERS met similar fates, a few days apart, at a residence near Tweed.
All over there is evidence of lots of movement of birds. On the Salmon River
last Sunday, a bunch of us kayaking found at least 16 GREAT BLUE HERONS, 2
GREEN HERONS, several BELTED KINGFISHERS, and 3 OSPREYS. One birder birding
Point Traverse on the 27th, also found A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK that came out of
nowhere right at him, bowling him over with surprise. Also seen were 3
juvenile YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS, 2 PHILADELPHIA VIREOS, 3 BLUE-HEADED
VIREOS, 8 BROWN CREEPERS, 20 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 100 RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLETS, 3 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES, and a nice tally of warblers that included
NASHVILLE, MAGNOLIA, BLACKBURNIAN, BLACK-THROATED BLUE, BLACK-THROATED
GREEN, YELLOW-RUMPED, PALM and AMERICAN REDSTARTS, along with both
WHITE-CROWNED and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS. Despite the barrage on opening
day of duck hunting season in Prince Edward County, Big Island's Muscote Bay
still has a defiant population of 100 CANADA GEESE and 500 associated ducks.
Among those closer to shore during the past week were AMERICAN WIGEON and
MALLARDS.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
