WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, August 30, 2007
As we get further along into the fall migration, there are plenty of signs
that birds are on the move. Reported frequently this past week were
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS, in flocks of varying sizes, cruising up and down
the Bay of Quinte. About a thousand were seen in Hay Bay during the week,
and others are seen regularly in the Bay of Quinte in the Belleville area as
a result of a small colony on Snake Island, between the east end of
Belleville and Massassauga Point. But even the cormorants weren't enough to
keep a WHITE PELICAN around that had been socializing with them since early
this month. A fleet of boaters has been keeping tabs on the large bird since
it was first seen August 5th.
Meanwhile at Prince Edward Point, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS continue to
increase as well offshore and up to 5000 can be seen roosting on the False
Duck shoal. Two AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS were in with the 45 MALLARDS on the
26th but no other ducks species were seen this week. A young BALD EAGLE flew
gracefully over the woods on the 25th and a few other migrating raptors are
starting to show now as well. A BROAD-WINGED HAWK was trapped on the 27th
and another was trapped from among 5 seen on the 29th and was retrapped yet
again today. AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen on the 26th and 30th and MERLINS
showed themselves on the 29th and 30th.
Shorebirds this week comprised 9 KILLDEER on the 26th and 10 on the 28th
with 3 present today. Two LESSER YELLOWLEGS stopped on the beach briefly on
the 26th, and 7 LEAST SANDPIPERS were present that day as well, with 9
present on the 28th. Two SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were seen on the 26th. An
AMERICAN WOODCOCK was just behind the Observatory on the 24th.
COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were definitely moving on the 27th when small groups were
seen flying back and forth over the area and culminated in a slow flypast of
62 birds as they headed south towards the lake. The following night only 8
were counted. Three OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHERS were present, sitting on the
bush tops on the 26th and are always a good sight to see. That same day
there were a few other flycatchers present as well with counts of 8 EASTERN
WOOD-PEWEES, and five each of YELLOW-BELLIED and TRAILL'S FLYCATCHERS.
The first BLUE-HEADED VIREO of the fall was seen on the 28th and
PHILADELPHIA VIREOS appeared on the 27th and 29th. On the 25th, 200 BARN
SWALLOWS were seen, and 120 were seen the next day, but few have been around
since then. Up to 3 VEERYS and 7 SWAINSON'S THRUSHES have been seen and the
first HERMIT THRUSH appeared on the 28th. With the start of the fall
migration comes more species of warblers around and 19 species of warblers
have been recorded this week, including a NORTHERN PARULA trapped today,
CAPE MAYS were seen on the 25th and 26th, and up to 10 each of
CHESTNUT-SIDED and MAGNOLIA WARBLERS. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS arrived
on the 26th when two were banded, Two YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were seen on
the 28th and 3 single BLACKPOLLS were seen. AMERICAN REDSTARTS numbered 10
on the 25th and four MOURNING WARBLERS have been seen, and on the 26th there
were 3 CANADA WARBLERS around.
Three SCARLET TANAGERS were seen on the 26th, and two were present the next
day. Up to five ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS can be found around the feeders and
an INDIGO BUNTING was trapped on the 26th. Small flocks of up to 35
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS have been flying over and 2 BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were
seen on the 26th. PURPLE FINCH numbers have started to drop and only 20-30
are around in a day now while AMERICAN GOLDFINCH numbers are starting to
climb with 200 present on the 26th, but 80+ are more common numbers in a
day.
Numbers of GREAT EGRETS in the Quinte area are not yet high enough to
constitute "flocking," but a group of 8 that continues to be seen around the
Belleville area, is rather impressive. Boaters at Cow Island, just east of
the Norris Whitney Bridge, on Monday evening, saw 8 fly up from the tiny
island, five of them heading west. A reported "flock" of them was seen at
the west end of the Bay of Quinte in the Carrying Place area, and three were
feeding in the Fox Pond off Wooler Road Wednesday afternoon. But the
sightings are not restricted to the Bay of Quinte area. One East Lake
resident near Sandbanks managed to add the species to his yard list this
week when he observed 4 along his shoreline.
Other signs of birds on the move came from Trenton where an observer there
last Thursday evening watched as a huge flock of mostly TREE SWALLOWS
drifted overhead from tree top to several hundred feet up, interspersed with
about 20 PURPLE MARTINS, 50 CHIMNEY SWIFTS and a dozen COMMON NIGHTHAWKS.
CHIMNEY SWIFTS and COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were also seen Sunday evening when
about 40 of the latter drifted over in the space of an hour while members of
the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory executive were having a barbeque in
a Belleville backyard. Also present, but closer at hand, in a nearby tree,
was a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER. COMMON NIGHTHAWKS were also reported
from other areas across the region, including Madoc. Also flocking, EUROPEAN
STARLINGS, of course, with 100 reported from near Milford, and another
sizable flock of 250 at Big Island. As one contributor to this report
pointed out, we shouldn't be too quick to condemn the lowly starling as they
consume vast numbers of Japanese beetle larvae at this time of the year.
As the migration gets under way full tilt, other birds, probably migrants,
have also been reported. At the corner of Gagne Road and Fry Road, RED-EYED
VIREO, LEAST FLYCATCHER, NASHVILLE WARBLER and SCARLET TANAGER were seen
during the week. BLACK-THROATED GREEN, BLACK-AND-WHITE, and MAGNOLIA
WARBLERS have shown up near Carrying Place, as well as an ORCHARD ORIOLE.
At bird feeders, as things start to pick up with a mixture of local resident
species who have shown renewed interest in handouts, and migrants passing
through, there have been some interesting sightings, including 3 GRAY
CATBIRDS, 8 BALTIMORE ORIOLES, 4 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, and 3
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS among the visitors there. A Picton feeder has
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES and PURPLE FINCHES. At Sheba's Island, DOWNY
WOODPECKERS are patronizing both a hummingbird feeder and an oriole feeder
there.
Not so lucky in its flight over the Belleville area was a PEREGRINE FALCON
that was found dead on the Norris Whitney Bridge by at least two separate
observers. A bit more fortunate was a OSPREY at nearby Cow Island that was
seen perched in a tree there. EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS were heard Wednesday in
maple trees near a house at Cape Vesey. An immature BALD EAGLE was seen the
same day cruising over County Road 17 and Jackson's Falls Road near Milford.
In other wildlife news, more GIANT SWALLOWTAILS reported from Prince Edward
County and across the region. And another sighting of one was made this week
at Prince Edward Point, but it was a very tatty looking specimen.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), John
Charlton, Clifford Rice, Cheryl Anderson, George Baverstock, Kathy Felkar &
Mike Burge, Rosemary Smith, Angela Mantle, Judith Gray, Fiona King, John &
Margaret Moore, Marilyn Holland-Foster, Brian Credico and Fred Chandler for
their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, September 6th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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