WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, April 24, 2008
With four species of warblers arriving this past week at Prince Edward Point, the tension among birders is growing as binoculars get tuned up in anticipation for the Big Day when shrubs and trees will be seething with these little butterflies of the bird world. The first BLUE-HEADED VIREO of the spring was banded on the 19th and two more were trapped on the 23rd. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are still in low numbers with a peak of 12 on the 20th. A PINE WARBLER was banded on the 23rd and the first BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was seen on the evening of the 23rd. The only other warbler seen so far was a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH on the 19th. Up to five COMMON LOONS are seen going over Prince Edward Point daily and the DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT numbers offshore have built up to about 150 and will continue to increase. Small groups of up to 15 TURKEY VULTURES are going over daily and can be seen kettling over the point. The only CANADA GEESE that were moving were 30 on the 19th while an AMERICAN BLACK DUCK flew over with MALLARDS on the 18th. Duck numbers offshore have been disappointing so far with only 50 or fewer WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS being seen daily. LONG-TAILED DUCKS numbered 1000 on the 19th but are usually 500 or less in a day. The BUFFLEHEAD flock has decreased from 70 down to about 10 now and RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS are starting to increase with a maximum of 35 seen in a day. An OSPREY flew over in the afternoon of the 20th and a late dark morph ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on the 22nd. Eight RED-TAILED HAWKS were kettling among 15 TURKEY VULTURES on the 24th. A SANDHILL CRANE flew gracefully by on the 19th. Up to 400 BONAPARTE'S GULLS are feeding offshore and should increase now that the midges have started to appear. The first CASPIAN TERN appeared on the 19th and has been seen most days since then. Two NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were trapped on the 21/22nd and three were trapped the following night. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was seen on the 18th and has been noted most days since then. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS have been scarce and a flicker intergrade was trapped on the 22nd. NORTHERN ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS are more numerous now and the CLIFF SWALLOWS arrived in force on the 20th when 40 were seen attending the nests on the lighthouse. The EASTERN TUFTED TITMOUSE, banded last week, was found again on the 19th and a few RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are being seen daily. BROWN CREEPERS are decreasing and only the odd one is now being seen. WINTER WRENS continue to move through and the first HOUSE WREN was trapped on the 24th. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS are scarce with few females being seen yet, meanwhile male RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are moving through in good numbers with a peak of 100 on the 20th. The first BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was banded on the 20th. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen on the 18th and 19th and BROWN THRASHERS arrived on the 20th and up to three are now singing daily. The local EASTERN TOWHEES arrived on the 20th and 8 were seen on the 21st. The last AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was seen on the 19th, while CHIPPING SPARROWS peaked at 40 on the 20th. One or two SWAMP SPARROWS are being seen most days and WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are moving with up to 35 a day being seen. DARK-EYED JUNCOS are decreasing and only a dozen or so are being seen now. The first NORTHERN CARDINAL of the spring was trapped on the 21st. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS are mostly being seen in low numbers but a flock of 21 flew over on the 24th. PURPLE FINCHES are moving back north in good numbers and 130 were present on the 20th. A late COMMON REDPOLL was banded on the 21st and occasional PINE SISKINS can still be found around the feeders. A male EVENING GROSBEAK frequented the feeders for three days from the 19th to the 21st, and finally at least three different HOUSE SPARROWS, a rare species at the Point, have been seen around the Observatory during the week. EVENING GROSBEAKS have turned up elsewhere too across the region. One showed up at a Thurlow feeder north of Belleville, and another was at a feeder along Glenora Road during the week. The influx of PURPLE FINCHES moving through the area was reflected in individuals appearing at feeders at 23 Sprague Road, and along Glenora Road. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are still visiting feeders in Bloomfield, Glenora and Cape Vesey. As though reinforcing that spring is here, at one Bloomfield backyard, a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER appeared there at a bird bath. Both WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and isolated numbers of later appearing WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS are present in many backyards and CHIPPING SPARROWS have all but replaced AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS at most area feeders, although a few feeders have had both of the latter species. A COMMON RAVEN was heard at Cape Vesey on the 23rd. The first SAVANNAH SPARROW of the season showed up at Trenton on the 22nd, and early WOOD PEWEE was at Prince Edward Point on the 19th. Even earlier was a reported NORTHERN PARULA north of Trenton. A pair of SANDHILL CRANES has been cruising the Prince Edward County area for the past two weeks, and were last seen on Miller Road on April 18th. A few of the TRUMPETER SWANS from the 2006 release at Big Island and Huff's Island, appear to have settled in and we are waiting to see what they do next. Two were in the Cherry Valley area, one of them #052 whose exploits across the country and beyond have been well documented, from New York to Connecticut and back to Prince Edward County. Another individual, #952, also a traveller, was not so lucky. It was seen thrashing about on the ground near Cherry Valley and is believed to be suffering from avian botulism. It is currently being care for at the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre at Napanee. Waterfowl and other birds at the Wesley Acres flooded agricultural fields during the past week have included up to 25 GREEN-WINGED TEALS, 5 BLUE-WINGED TEALS, 25 CASPIAN TERNS, 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 2 LESSER YELLOWLEGS. South Bay has had CANVASBACKS and hundreds of scaups. RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and LONG-TAILED DUCKS have been noted at Little Bluff Conservation Area. Plans are in place for Birding Week in Prince Edward County, May 10th to 18th with much of the action taking place at Prince Edward Point with daily morning bird walks and weekend banding demonstrations. A colour brochure focusing on the top birding areas of the county and containing a schedule of events for Birding Week is now available at many Quinte area outlets. The stars of the brochure, an AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW by Belleville photographer Dave Bell, are this week's featured photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report. Photo of a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE drinking from a water tap on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website is by Shirley Laundry of Belleville. Details of the Birding Week are on both the Prince Edward Point website www.peptbo.ca and on the NatureStuff website www.naturestuff./net (under EVENTS). And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines of the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Pamela Stagg, Doris Lane, Brian & Gloria Durell, David Bree, Owen Weir, Chesia Livingston, Fiona King, Kathleen Rankine, Heather Heron, Paul Guernsey, Donna Fano, Norma Broadbear, Silvia Botnick and Fred Chandler for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday May 1st, but sightings can be e-mailed anytime before the new deadline of Wednesday night at 9:00 p.m. 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
