Hello all - I just returned from 2 days in the southern part of the Buckhorn
Wilderness (the Kawartha Highlands "Signature Site", eventually to be a
Provincial Park). Worth noting:
1 Yellow-throated Vireo along Buzzard Creek
1 Blue-headed Vireo (not so unusual in the area)
LOTS of Eastern Towhees everywhere
ONE Common Nighthawk at Shark Lake
2 (or 3?) Whip-poor-wills singing before dawn on Shark Lake
[Note: both nighthawks and Whip-poor-wills have, until recent years, been
VERY common in the area]
Not a single White-throated Sparrow or Belted Kingfisher seen or heard; my
previous experience has been that you could hardly miss these species.
This area is north of Highway 36 and west of County Road 28. For all
practical purposes it can only be accessed by canoe at this time of year, most
readily via the Coon Lake Road just north of Burleigh Falls or the Long Lake
Road a few kilometers south of Apsley. If you require more specific directions,
please e-mail me at [EMAIL PROTECTED]
John Geale
Port Hope, ON
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Date: Thu, 21 Jun 2007 19:52:11 -0400
From: Fred Helleiner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
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Subject: [Ontbirds]Presqu'ile Birding Report for Week Ending June 21, 2007.
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Surprisingly, in the week leading up to the summer solstice there was
still evidence of spring bird migration at Presqu'ile Provincial Park,
albeit very limited. A handful of northbound shorebirds was still at
the beach and a few songbirds were circling high over the lighthouse in
migration mode on the morning of June 18.
With this year's brood of Mute Swans having already grown to full size,
the numbers of that species are already building up. At least 70 can be
found in the Park with little effort. By freeze-up there will likely be
several hundred. Yet there are still no plans to deal with the
problem. Most other waterfowl now at Presqu'ile are Canada Geese, with
a smattering of Mallards and other dabbling ducks (Wood Ducks, Gadwalls,
American Wigeons, American Black Duck). Common Loons are being sighted
occasionally and Great Egrets with increasing frequency.
A big surprise this week has been the presence of at least one Bald
Eagle, seen on three different days since Saturday. Eagles are seldom
seen at Presqu'ile in summer. The last of the migrating shorebirds
appear to have finally left. A Semipalmated Plover was on the beach on
June 20, and a Ruddy Turnstone and a Semipalmated Sandpiper on June 16,
but none of these could be found today. On the other side of Presqu'ile
Bay there was a White-rumped Sandpiper (along with a dozen Bonaparte's
Gulls) on June 15.
A Black-billed Cuckoo has appeared fairly regularly at the calf
pasture. Three Blue Jays and a male Baltimore Oriole were apparently
migrating over the lighthouse on the morning of June 18. A pair of
Orchard Orioles was also there, and another has been frequenting the
area opposite 60 Bayshore Road. The calf pasture has been another
reliable location for finding these birds.
If birding gets too boring, a walk up the bicycle path leading north
from the Owen Point trail parking lot will bring you to another rare
specimen for Presqu'ile, a Showy Lady's Slipper in full bloom. Its
location is marked by an interpretive sign and a protective fence.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton.
Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid
that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is
restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial
nesting birds there.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--
--
Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
