WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, August 23, 2007
Migration continues to be slow at Prince Edward Point, the south-eastern
most tip of Prince Edward County, but a few birds are starting to move.
Four GREAT BLUE HERONS flew over on the 22nd, while an AMERICAN BLACK DUCK
was mixed in among the MALLARDS on the 17th. Five WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS (four
weeks early) flew past going north on the 21st - are they late spring birds
or early fall birds?. The OSPREY has been seen three times this week fishing
just offshore and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK has been seen daily. It's been quiet
for shorebirds, with one KILLDEER on the 18th, a LESSER YELLOWLEGS on the
19th and singles of both SPOTTED and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS on the 18th.
BELTED KINGFISHERS seem to have returned to the harbour and there has been
the occasional CHIMNEY SWIFT flying over.
EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES were noted on the 19th and 21st while YELLOW-BELLIED
FLYCATCHERS have been seen almost daily with three on the 19th. Two to four
LEAST FLYCATCHERS can be found daily in the bushes as can up to 5
GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS. RED-EYED VIREOS numbered 7 on the 19th. Eleven
PURPLE MARTINS spent some time on the 21st flying around the point and all
the other regular swallows were present this week as well including 50 BARN
SWALLOWS on the 21st. Up to four RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES have been gleaning
the cedars this week and the first BROWN CREEPER of the fall was found on
the 19th.
VEERYS arrived this week as well with up to three seen. Also seen have been
three moulting SWAINSON'S THRUSHES. GRAY CATBIRDS are still skulking in the
bushes as they finish their moult and CEDAR WAXWINGS are starting to build
up into flocks with up to 40 seen in the area. Two NASHVILLE WARBLERS
arrived on the 17th and 2 CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS were seen on both the 19th
and 21st. MAGNOLIA WARBLERS are also starting to move albeit in small
numbers, also the first BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER of the fall was seen on
the 18th and a BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER on the 19th, the same day as the first
BAY-BREASTED WARBLER showed up. Five AMERICAN REDSTARTS were present on the
19th and an OVENBIRD was trapped on the 22nd. A WILSON'S WARBLER was banded
on the 20th, while three CANADA WARBLERS were trapped on the 17th to 19th.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are picking up and 80 were moving on the 23rd. PURPLE
FINCHES continue to move in amazing numbers for the time of year (we only
had one bird in August and one in September last year) with 179 trapped
during the week; on the 19th there was a flock of at least 110 going over
and heading out across the lake towards Kingston.
PURPLE FINCHES this last week have also been noted at feeders in Wellington,
Bloomfield, Picton and Stirling. The first DARK-EYED JUNCO of the season
turned up on Monday at West Point in Sandbanks Provincial Park. And the
first two LITTLE GULLS of the fall season were at the mouth of the Outlet
River last week. The Outlet River mouth and East Lake are good places to
look for this species from now until freeze-up.
GREAT EGRETS, likely individuals having wandered in from the Presqu'ile
colony, were reported during the week. There were three wading about
together with a GREAT BLUE HERON in the Fox Pond, off Wooler Road last
Friday, and boaters yesterday saw eight flying around and roosting in the
trees on Cow Island in the Bay of Quinte, just east of the Norris Whitey
Bridge. The egrets have also been seen on Indian Island and Makatewis
Island, in the Bay of Quinte between Belleville and Carrying Place. The
AMERICAN WHITE PELICAN is still hanging out in the Belleville area, but is
not as regularly seen these days on Snake Island, and has been seen as far
west as the water filtration plant near Zwick's Park.
Bird feeders, and especially bird baths, are still doing brisk business,
with ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS still visiting many, and increasing numbers of
BLUE JAYS as though stimulated by thoughts of the approaching winter. As
passing clouds and thunderstorm produce only sprinkles of rain (16 mm today
which did nothing to soften the rock hard earth), birds are still seeking
relief wherever they can find moisture. If not at a bird bath, well, try an
apple tree. One Bloomfield resident witnessed no fewer than eight species of
birds in her apple tree, the majority of them going after the apples for
moisture including RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, 50 CEDAR WAXWINGS, a NORTHERN
FLICKER, BLUE JAYS, and MOURNING DOVES, just to name a few. The famous
Glenora Road feeder has 15 BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 4 RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS,
8 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, 4 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 6 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, 2
HAIRY WOODPECKERS, and what has been described as "an invasion" of PURPLE
FINCHES.
A few oddities in the news this week too. At least four reports of BLUE
JAYS, either missing a few feathers on their head or completely bald, were
reported. This phenomenon is believed to be caused from an infestation of
mites or lice. Normally in the day to day process of preening, these insects
are devoured, but since the bird cannot access anything above the neck,
those areas are neglected, resulting in some rather bizarre looking birds.
Just why it affects BLUE JAYS and NORTHERN CARDINALS more than it does other
species is not clear. Also not clear this week was why an OSPREY at
Campbellford was seen collecting and carrying sticks to an artificial
nesting platform, on the Trent Canal. Is it a phenomenon known as "autumnal
recrudescence" or is the reason more profound than that. Any ideas, on this,
and other incidents of late nesting OSPREYS which have been noted through
July, would be appreciated.
Elsewhere, birds are flocking. Hundreds, and perhaps thousands, of TREE
SWALLOWS were seen one evening on the weekend zipping all over the bay and
over the trees at Massassauga Point. Another 100 were seen just west of
Trenton during the week. Both CASPIAN and BLACK TERNS were noted during the
week at Sheba's Island, and EASTERN TOWHEES and HOUSE WRENS were present
this week at Allisonville.
A note that the Brighton Sewage Lagoon complex will be open to the public
tomorrow (Friday) from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m., and again on Sunday from 9:00
a.m. to 11:00 a.m. The Brighton Sewage Lagoons can be accessed from Prince
Edward County via County Road 64, from Carrying Place.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory,
Fiona King, Wayne McNulty, Donald McClure, John & Margaret Moore, Nancy Fox,
Shirley Laundry, Ove Ojaste, John Charlton, Gloria Durell, Glen Helm, Silvia
Botnick, Nancy Smitts, Cheryl Anderson, Joanne Dewey and Jess Chambers for
their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, August 30th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos this week in the online version
of the Quinte Area Report include a BLACK TERN by Jeremy Patenaude and a
GREAT EGRET by Susan Shipman. Photo of PURPLE FINCHES at a feeder on the
Main Birding page of the NatureStuff website is by Terry Sprague
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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