WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, November 09, 2006
For the second time in as many years and almost to the very day, a
TOWNSEND'S SOLITAIRE has been seen in Prince Edward County, and only a few
kilometres from where the last sighting was made. The bird was discovered on
November 5th during the annual fall bird roundup, conducted by members of
the Kingston Field Naturalists, and was quite unexpectedly discovered at
Little Bluff Conservation Area, in the southern portion of the county, not
far from Prince Edward Point. The bird apparently was seen at the top of a
distant deciduous, and very obligingly flew to a location where it was more
closely observed by the entire group of 6 observers.
Prince Edward Point was literally hopping that day, and birders agreed it
was for the birds. An immature PACIFIC LOON and 4 RED-THROATED LOONS turned
up along with the 50 COMMON LOONS also seen that day. Thirty DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS were still present, as were 6 TURKEY VULTURES, 6 AMERICAN
WOODCOCKS, 10 BROWN CREEPERS, 4 HERMIT THRUSHES, 35 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS
and 8 FOX SPARROWS. A late OSPREY was seen over Smith's Bay.
In a season that some birders predict will contain few boreal finches this
winter due to an abundant seed crop on their home turf, it was promising to
come across 2 RED CROSSBILLS at Little Bluff Conservation Area the same day.
With others having been reported from Ottawa, there is some indication that,
while we may not enjoy an invasion of any particular boreal species this
winter, we may, however, see a few stragglers make their way down to the
Quinte area. CEDAR WAXWINGS on the roundup in this area numbered 800; a
flock of 100 seen across the bay near Cape Vesey this week may have been
from these flocks. Also in larger numbers, perhaps unprecedented for South
Bay, was the TUNDRA SWAN, with 425 being counted. Most autumns a maximum of
150 are customarily seen in the South Bay and Smith's Bay area until colder
weather and ice conditions moves them out. GREAT SCAUP numbered 12,000; also
seen were 55 HORNED GREBES, 2 RED-NECKED GREBES, 10 REDHEADS, 75 RING-NECKED
DUCKS, 50 LESSER SCAUP, 9 SURF SCOTERS, 85 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 4 BLACK
SCOTERS, 150 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 75 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 40 COMMON MERGANSERS
and 160 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS.
Other interesting sightings that day were an immature GLAUCOUS GULL, 2
EASTERN SCREECH OWLS, 1 COMMON RAVEN, 75 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 5
RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and 10 PURPLE FINCHES. A day earlier, another group
also participating in the count tallied a NORTHERN SHRIKE, 1 EASTERN PHOEBE,
and an EASTERN TOWHEE. A late CHIPPING SPARROW was seen along County Road
13 a few kilometres north of the Black River Cheese Factory, and a LITTLE
GULL was in amongst a flock of BONAPARTE'S GULLS at Glenora Ferry.
After a year of few NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD sightings, two showed up the same
day in different locations. There was one present on Saturday along the
Millennium Trail west of Sandy Hook Road (County Road 1), and another
cooperative individual at Big Island remained perched outside the window of
the Prince Edward County Field Naturalists President while an Executive
meeting was in progress. The same bird showed up again on the 6th and 7th.
Signs of the winter season during the past week included a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK
hovering over a field near the junction of Highway 62 and Jeroco Road on
Saturday. A pure albino BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE is visiting a feeder in the
Consecon Lake area, at the corner of Lakeside Drive and Link Road, and
increasing numbers of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS are showing up at local bird
feeders as more of these northern birds arrive from their breeding grounds.
Approximately 25 were seen in a single flock along the Cataraqui Trail just
west of Yarker on Tuesday. Three SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at Sandbanks
Provincial Park on the 6th.
A few other interesting sightings over the past week included 2 BROWN
CREEPERS, 9 WILD TURKEYS, a COMMON RAVEN, 9 TURKEY VULTURES and 4 GREAT
HORNED OWLS in the Cape Vesey area. As GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS continue to
migrate through, at least a couple were guilty of careless driving with one
clinging ignominiously to a pine sided house near Prince Edward Point, and
another found on a sundeck after colliding with a window at Big Island. A
half dozen or so at Vanderwater Conservation Area near Thomasburg this
afternoon, met with better success. BELTED KINGFISHERS are still present at
the Outlet River bridge at Sandbanks and one east of Northport at George's
Road. At Sandbanks Provincial Park's West Lake Sector, 4 SANDERLINGS and two
DUNLIN were seen along the Lake Ontario beach on the 6th.
This is a condensed version of the Quinte Area Bird Report, containing only
the significant sightings for Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. The
full version can be found on the NatureStuff website, under BIRDING from
the Main Menu or by clicking the following link.
net/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=category§ionid=5&id=14&Itemid=29
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
