WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, January 10, 2008
From one extreme to the other was the summary of our weather over the last
10 days. From one weekend where heavy snow all but shut down a Christmas
bird count, to the following weekend when raincoats and rubber boots were
required, to high winds yesterday when gusts reached 133 km/hr at Point
Petre. Fortunately, the weather held for the mid-winter waterfowl count on
Sunday. Some interesting sightings along the Prince Edward County shoreline.
Members of the Kingston Field Naturalists combing the Prince Edward Point
area shoreline came up with 17 waterfowl species, among them a HORNED GREBE,
2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 30 REDHEADS, 2 SURF SCOTERS, 12325 LONG-TAILED DUCKS
and a respectable 24550 GREATER SCAUP. Those covering the Waupoos peninsula
area also found a HORNED GREBE along with 60 GADWALL and 500 CANADA GEESE.
Meanwhile from Trenton to Point Petre, two observers from the Quinte Field
Naturalists found fewer species at 14, thirteen species of which were all
checked off at Wellington Harbour. Among the more notables there were 92
MUTE SWANS, 1 TRUMPETER SWAN #044, 450 MALLARDS, 25 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 3
HOODED MERGANSERS, and 1 AMERICAN COOT. Although a thousand CANADA GEESE
had been present on West Lake earlier, only 8 were present during the count.
At West Point, 1000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS floated by in one single raft.
Warmer temperatures have compromised ice conditions in many areas, and
considerable open water is now present. Warm weather and the strong winds of
yesterday have totally cleared Adolphus Reach and waterfowl there have
returned in greater numbers. Present this week were CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS,
mergansers, COMMON GOLDENEYE and a half dozen MUTE SWANS. At Kaiser
Crossroad, it's spring time there again as mild weather has once again
flooded the corn fields and hundreds of ducks and geese are exploiting the
abundant remnants of the harvest during the week, according to one observer.
Two late DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were still at Prince Edward Point on
Sunday, loafing on the offshore bar. Thirty AMERICAN ROBINS were also
tallied in the area, and on the same day a MERLIN was seen perched in a tree
at the corner of Highway 33 and County Road 27 (North Beach Road) at
Pleasant Bay. A single RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET surprised one observer at
Massassauga when it stopped briefly at a bird feeder there, and a PILEATED
WOODPECKER was seen in another backyard at Walmsley Road in the Point Petre
area during the week. BARRED OWLS continue to make their appearance known in
local backyards. One showed up in a Waupoos backyard on January 8th, and
another individual on Mitchells Crossroad continues to decimate the rabbit
population there in the backyards of at least two residents.
For others its is COMMON REDPOLLS, and there appears to be no shortage of
them this year. A Stirling resident reports "hundreds" in that town, and
there are few bird feeders across the region that have any fewer than 30.
They were the only signs of life at most backyards yesterday as they
attempted to catch a toehold on feeders that swung madly in the high winds.
Two AMERICAN CROWS were backyard guests along Belleville's Maitland Drive
this week along with a BLUE JAY with a deformed beak that has been around
for several years, and which the feeder hosts have affectionately dubbed
"Bentley." On Fry Road, 2 RUFFED GROUSE were observed in a backyard nibbling
on buds beside a house, and two EASTERN BLUEBIRDS turned up at a Ridge Road
residence, hunting for bugs, and actually finding them during the mild
weather. At Crookston Road near Tweed, 8 FLYING SQUIRRELS are guests there
at one tree mounted feeder. Both HAIRY and DOWNY WOODPECKERS seem to be in
good supply this year, and some feeders have four or more of each coming
regularly. A PINE WARBLER continues to be a regular guest at one feeder at
an undisclosed location in the Trenton area.
Out in the country, it is more the big guys that are being seen. One
observer from Aurora e-mailed to report 50 or more WILD TURKEYS along one
road in the county. Eight were seen in a corn field along County Road 6 near
Picton, and another 8 were counted along Highway 49. A PILEATED WOODPECKER
was seen Tuesday behind one house along Bradley Crossroad at Lake on the
Mountain and another was observed flying across Sprague Road today. BALD
EAGLE reports were down during the reporting period, although there is no
reason to suspect they have left. An adult bird was seen at Prince Edward
Point on Sunday, and several continue to course back and forth along
Adolphus Reach on a regular basis between Glenora and Prinyer's Cove.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to John Blaney, Brian Credico, Laura Pierce, David Hall, John &
Janet Foster, Dave Bell, Kathy Felkar & Mike Burge, Donn Legate, Doug &
Evelyn Sloane, Anne Potter, Ron Weir, Margaret Kirk, John & Margaret Moore,
Doris Lane, Kathleen Rankine, Bill Hogg, and Fred Chandler for their
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, January 17th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos in the online edition of the
Quinte Area Bird Report include the Pine Warbler by Kathleen Rankin that has
been a regular at a Trenton area feeder, and another backyard Barred Owl,
this time in Waupoos, by photographer Laura Pierce. Be sure to check out
what can happen when a photographer (Dave Bell) becomes creative with a
photo of a Dark-eyed Junco, on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff
website.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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