WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, March 20, 2008
Except for warmer temperatures - and that's about to change - there's not a whole to suggest that today is the first day of Spring. Birds, however, are celebrating its arrival with wild abandon, as AMERICAN ROBINS (60 at Ridge Road), RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS and COMMON GRACKLES continue to increase in numbers. The first COMMON GRACKLE turned up in Belleville on the 14th. The first KILLDEER of the season passed noisily over No Frills in Picton on March 14th, and another was spotted near Prince Edward Point the following day, with reports of these so-called harbingers flooding in Tuesday and Wednesday. SONG SPARROWS, likely spring migrants rather than wintering individuals, have also shown up across the region, and a very early, overly optimistic TREE SWALLOW passed over 2800 County Road 1 on March 19th. GREAT BLUE HERONS have also shown up, and four were puzzling over the hardness of the water along the shore of the Bay of Quinte off George's Road, east of Northport on Wednesday. Along that same road, 20 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS turned up together, foraging in a roadside bush, presumably migrants, but a week early for this species to be normally arriving in such numbers. Single TURKEY VULTURES were seen during the week over Picton and at Lake on the Mountain, and 10 were seen late this afternoon along a stretch of County Road 1 known locally as Sandy Hook Road, near Picton. AMERICAN CROWS are also increasing and 40 in west Trenton drew the attention of a resident there. A flock of over 70 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS at 23 Sprague Road today contained one female bird. Birders are eagerly awaiting favourite nooks and crannies in the county to open to improve viewing conditions for waterfowl. Kaiser Crossroad was examined today by a resident down that way, but it will be a few days yet before any actions begins, although 100 hopeful CANADA GEESE were standing at the ready. Meanwhile at feeders, COMMON REDPOLLS are hanging in there and 25 are coming to a South Bay feeder, and 40 to a feeder in the Melville area of Consecon Lake, and an incredible 75 at a feeder in Bloomfield. PILEATED WOODPECKERS were seen visiting feeders in both the Stanley Park area of Trenton and along County Road 1 in Prince Edward County. Elsewhere, most feeder regulars are maintaining their winter numbers despite the snow gradually disappearing, although AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS have decreased in population at many feeding stations in the area. BARRED OWLS haven't quite given up their role as the star attraction this winter. One was spotted in a backyard tree in downtown Belleville on March 13th, and another was quite obvious as it perched in a large tree yesterday on the west side of Highway 49, about two kilometres south of Fish Lake Road. A grey morph EASTERN SCREECH OWL was photographed on Saturday, peering out of a wood duck nesting box along Kelly Road in the East Lake area. In the Consecon area, the attention of one resident there was drawn to a ruckus in the backyard where a RED-TAILED HAWK had a COMMON CROW pinned to the ground. Meanwhile, the crow's mate was going crazy above where the pair is believed to have a nest. The hawk eventually released its hold with the crow's mate in hot pursuit of the hawk. The downed injured crow was able to get airborne and ignominiously flew off in a different direction. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Gerry Fraiberg, Eve Ticknor, Bill Hill, Heather Heron, Patrick Davies, Pamela Stagg, Judy Kent, Rosemary Kent, John Charlton, Nancy Fox, Glenn Helm, Mike Burge & Kathy Felkar, Joanne Dewey, Donn Legate, Paul Kenny, Kathleen Rankine, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Bill Leet and Nancy Smitts for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, March 27th, 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 Two CANADA GEESE at Barcovan, one of which putting on a peculiar performance, taken by Susan Shipman and an EASTERN SCREECH OWL peering out of a nest box, photographed by Paul Kenny. Photo on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website is of a single CANADA GOOSE performing for photographer Susan Shipman of Wellington. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
