WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, March 27, 2008
It was minus 13 degrees at 4:30 a.m. on March 25th when I stepped outside and heard my first "spring" WILSON'S SNIPE winnowing in the dark sky above me. Despite the winter hanging on, birds continue to make their spring debut. A TREE SWALLOW along Glenora Road yesterday is in addition to the very early one on the 19th that showed up along County Road 1. SONG SPARROWS are increasing in numbers, and both COMMON GRACKLES and RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are everywhere right now in growing numbers. An optimistic well formed skein of over 90 CANADA GEESE was seen heading due north at Sandbanks on March 25th, likely the same flock that passed over 23 Sprague Road a few minutes later, and no doubt the same flock that was seen during the same time period over Glenora Road. TURKEY VULTURES in small numbers have been seen across the region this past week, and several have been noted again roosting in trees in downtown Picton. A WINTER WREN was at 2800 County Road 1 today, and the second WILSON'S SNIPE of the spring season showed up there this morning. Meanwhile signs of winter still linger on with numerous sightings of BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS, including 40 today stripping a highbush cranberry bare of fruit near Trenton, 30 in the Stirling area on the 21st. COMMON REDPOLLS have disappeared from many feeders, but are still present in large numbers at others. There are 60 at feeders at Allisonville, 30 at two feeding locations along Glenora Road and along County Road 1, 22 at a Trenton feeder, 20 at a feeder at the west end of Big Island and along George's Road, and lesser numbers at other feeders in the area. At least 10 PINE SISKINS continue to visit a feeder along Glenora Road, and PINE GROSBEAKS during the week were seen in Napanee and Trenton. CEDAR WAXWINGS this week were found along George's Road (10), Waupoos (30), Trenton (20). One Trenton area resident, while cleaning out his nest boxes, found one box containing five FLYING SQUIRRELS, and another containing a black morph GREY SQUIRREL with 3 one-week old babies (squirrelettes?). CANADA GEESE and TUNDRA SWANS are poised and ready at the flooded corn fields along Kaiser Road. There were 200 of the former and 25 of the latter there today, but nary a drop of water yet in which to dabble. This popular "wetland" harbours thousands of geese and ducks when conditions are at their peak. CANADA GEESE, MUTE SWANS and COMMON GOLDENEYE were present this week at the east end of Adolphus Reach. CANADA GEESE continue to search in vain for open water with at least 20 landing on the still solid ice last weekend on Muscote Bay. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was north of Stirling on Wellman's Road on Friday. BALD EAGLES turned up in several locations during the week including the Bay of Quinte near the Quinte Skyway Bridge, and a number of other single sightings at Prince Edward Point, South Bay, Adolphus Reach and one in the Belleville area. The dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK is still present at the west end of Big Island where it has been for most of the winter, and 2 RED-TAILED HAWKS were seen in the Jackson's Falls area this week. An AMERICAN KESTREL was surveying traffic along Highway 62 early this morning by Victoria Road. NORTHERN HARRIERS are becoming increasingly common over meadows and wetlands as the spring, albeit late, continues to arrive in spurts as though unsure of its welcome. Several PILEATED WOODPECKERS were reported during the week, with at least two expressing considerable exuberance over the arrival of spring by eviscerating a number of trees in the area. A hydro pole near Glenora was worked on by one individual, likely misinterpreting the hum of the lines for burrowing insects, and a large white pine across from Whattam's Funeral Home in Picton was girdled by at least 20 holes. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were reported at feeders along Glenora Road, Adolphustown, and along County Road 1 in the county. Our roving reporter at the H.R. Frink Centre says feeder birds there are preparing for this Sunday's MapleFest with at least a half dozen BLUE JAYS present, along with 2 pairs of NORTHERN CARDINALS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and both RED and WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES. Three TURKEY VULTURE sightings have been made there over the last several days. A pair of EASTERN BLUEBIRDS was seen on Sunday at the corner of Blessington Road and Lazier Road, and a NORTHERN SHRIKE is a regular along Bronk Road, Blessington Road and Lazier Road. And at least a few SNOW BUNTINGS are still around in that area as they prepare for the possible arrival of even more snow as spring continues to dawdle. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Jess Chambers, Doris Lane, Cheryl Anderson, Myrna Wood, Heatherjoy Fraser-Kirby, Pamela Stagg, Brian Durell, Evelyn Sloane, Paul Taylor, Kathleen Rankine, Henri Garand, Jenny Goodall, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Albert Boisvert, Bill Hogg, Nancy Fox, Rosemary Smith, Donna Fano, Laura Pierce, Silvia Botnick, and John Charlton for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, April 3rd, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the 6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos in the online edition are all by Susan Shipman of Wellington, and include a rather defiant BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website, with the Quinte Area Birding Report featuring two common feeder residents this winter in much of the Quinte region. 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
