WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for the week ending Thursday, January 25, 2007
With the arrival of a nice ground covering of snow and much cooler weather
this past week, more encouraging reports of SNOW BUNTINGS came in including
"hundreds" in a flock along County Road 7 east of Lake-on-the-Mountain
today, and 50 along a sideroad near Stirling earlier in the week. Not quite
the 4,000 reported from the Ottawa area this week, but good numbers just the
same. Bird feeders across the Quinte area have seen a sharp increase in
patronage with high numbers of MOURNING DOVES at most locations, close to 25
BLUE JAYS at a Big Island feeder, and increases in most other clients. HOUSE
FINCHES, in particular, have seen a dramatic increase in numbers with 50 at
a feeder along Ridge Road southwest of Picton, 40 at a feeder in Trenton, 30
in Allisonville, 26 in Bloomfield, 18 at South Bay, and up to 45 at the
prolific Glenora Road feeder. Also coming to the latter location are 20
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 6 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, 3 HAIRY WOODPECKERS and 2
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were also reported during
the week at Prince Edward Point, and in the Milford area. A NORTHERN FLICKER
is still around at Prinyer's Cove, a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is at a feeder
in Allisonville, there is a SONG SPARROW at an Elmbrook area feeder, and
outside the county, a FOX SPARROW is still coming to a feeder in the Croydon
area, and 2 HERMIT THRUSHES have been seen at a feeder in Belleville. PURPLE
FINCHES and both species of nuthatches are at a feeder in Thomasburg.
Of course, all feeders now have hawks, too many to detail in this report
except for a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK at 23 Sprague Road that has yet to catch
anything despite repeated attempts on a daily basis. However, the irony of
the daily visits is that its arrival prompts the cowbirds to scatter with
one per visit routinely being killed as it flies against my office window.
Now if the fool thing could just figure this all out.....
Wellington Harbour yesterday had at least 1,000 CANADA GEESE, 66 MUTE SWANS,
20 AMERICAN COOTS, and an assortment of scaup, COMMON and HOODED
MERGANSERS, MALLARDS, BUFFLEHEAD and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. Today, there was a
SNOW GOOSE, and a ridiculously tame (probably sick) LESSER SCAUP in the
harbour, and on Saturday, REDHEAD and RED-BREASTED MERGANSER were present. A
number of COMMON GOLDENEYE were seen along the lakeshore west of the village
on the 24th. At Prince Edward Point on Wednesday, there were 7 HORNED
GREBES, 3 LESSER SCAUP and a single BLACK SCOTER.
Mostly, it has been a case of being in the right place at the right time.
One observer walking in the area of the ski trails at Sandbanks Provincial
Park, came across RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, BROWN CREEPERS and GOLDEN-CROWNED
KINGLETS. East of Milford, a PILEATED WOODPECKER was seen hammering away at
an old sugar maple near Jackson's Falls Road and two were reported from the
Barry Heights area of Trenton. BALD EAGLES during the week were seen at
Lemoine Point near Kingston and at Cape Vesey. WILD TURKEYS numbered 31 on
Foster Road, a GREAT BLUE HERON turned up at Fish Lake, but not until the
entire lake and surrounding cattail marsh had become frozen solid. Among the
birds hanging around on Wednesday at Prince Edward Point, the banana belt of
Prince Edward County, were 2 COMMON RAVENS, 2 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 10
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, 2 FOX SPARROWS and singles of WHITE-THROATED SPARROW,
NORTHERN FLICKER and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET.
Normally Amherst Island isn't included in this report as that is covered by
the Kingston report. However, one observer there today had a great day,
bumping into no fewer than 20 LONG-EARED OWLS. Other sightings on the island
were 2 dark phase and 18 light phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, 6 NORTHERN HARRIERS
and singles of RED-TAILED HAWK, AMERICAN KESTREL, and SNOWY OWL. A COMMON
RAVEN was also heard on the island.
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.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
