WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for the week ending Thursday, November 06, 2008
The official Prince Edward County bird list was boosted by the addition of a fork-tailed flycatcher this fall, as well as a white-winged dove in the spring, and last weekend, yet another new species was added to the cumulative list of confirmed species, bringing the total to 346. An adult WESTERN GREBE was studied leisurely by members of the Kingston Field Naturalists as the bright weekend sunshine reflected off the lemon yellow bill, white face and the front of the bird's long neck as it swam offshore at Prince Edward Point on Saturday. It was obviously a good weekend, judging by the impressive list submitted by e-mail early in the week. Among the 35 COMMON LOONS, there were three RED-THROATED LOONS and one PACIFIC LOON. HORNED GREBES numbered 475 and also seen were 10 RED-NECKED GREBES. Other waterfowl present included 49 TUNDRA SWANS, 6000 GREATER SCAUP, 12 SURF SCOTERS, 900 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, 3 BLACK SCOTERS and 1250 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS. Raptors were few due to the northeast wind; however singles of NORTHERN GOSHAWK, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, RED-SHOULDERED and RED-TAILED HAWKS, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and a MERLIN were tallied. Gulls included ICELAND and GLAUCOUS. While neither PINE GROSBEAK nor BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS aren't really expected in the Quinte area this winter due to sufficient wild food crops in the north, five of the former and three of the latter were found, as were 145 WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS. Other signs of what this winter might bring in the way of winter finches included tallies of PURPLE FINCH (45), COMMON REDPOLLS (10) and an impressive 1500 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES and 1250 PINE SISKINS. Among these arrivals and those seen passing over were a few tardy individuals, left over from the fall migration. Fifteen YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were still in the area, along with a late BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER, BLUE-HEADED VIREO and BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER. Also present were both species of kinglets, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, RUSTY BLACKBIRDS (35), 2500 AMERICAN ROBINS and over 100 CEDAR WAXWINGS. Also dawdling due to the mild temperatures this past week, was a VIRGINIA RAIL, found on Sunday in the Gardenville Creek at Wellers Bay along the Millennium Trail. The Millennium Trail also produced a HERMIT THRUSH just south of Kente Road the same day. What was probably a SHORT-EARED OWL was reported during the week on the Stinson Block and the week's only BALD EAGLE, an adult, flew over Doxsee Road on Saturday. A COMMON RAVEN continues to call and fly over 23 Sprague Road at Big Island, and on the 1st, there were two. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW is still at a feeder along Scoharie Road. A confused RUFFED GROUSE during the week flew into a screened door along Morrison's Point Road with enough force, that the well-fastened screen came away in one piece, with a bent frame. The bird was found a bit befuddled but otherwise unharmed. A PILEATED WOODPECKER was in the Macaulay Mountain area on the weekend, and another was on a white cedar in a backyard on Victoria Road near Highway 33. More in keeping with the approach of the winter season have been scattered numbers of SNOW BUNTINGS heard flying over Big Island almost daily. The 22nd season of Project FeederWatch begins this weekend, and feeders across the region are already enjoying brisk patronage. COMMON REDPOLLS have been seen in one Stinson Block backyard, and PURPLE FINCHES have appeared in twos and threes and fours at feeders in Thurlow, Picton, and at 2800 County Road 1. Also present at the latter feeder have been 2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 10 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and up to four DOWNY WOODPECKERS. DARK-EYED JUNCOS continue to dominate the scene at most feeders, along with the usual clientel expected at this time of the year. A RED-TAILED HAWK has set up its post near a house and bird feeders at 2800 County Road 1, and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK has done likewise from a sundeck rail in Trenton. A FOX SPARROW appeared at a Lake-on-the-Mountain backyard yesterday, along with four YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. Up to 30 PINE SISKINS have been at a feeder in the Carrying Place area. Waterfowl reported during the week included BUFFLEHEADS, MALLARDS, GREATER SCAUP, and lots of CANADA GEESE at Sandbanks. Muscote Bay has seen at least a thousand ducks this week comprising LESSER SCAUP, MALLARDS, 50 AMERICAN WIGEON and fewer than 10 RING-NECKED DUCKS. Three late COMMON TERNS were also seen there during the weekend. Waterfowl seen on the Bay of Quinte area in the Albury region included 30 COMMON GOLDENEYE. WILD TURKEYS at both Cressy and Big Island, and RED-TAILED HAWKS at Fry Road and at Mallory Road this afternoon, completes our Quinte area round-up for this week. Our thanks to Ron Weir, Bill Leet, Herman Ebbers, Robert Flemming, Tony & Jane Dean, Nancy Fox, Fiona King, Cheryl Anderson, Steve Bolton, Henri Garand, Pamela Stagg, Borys Holowacz, Angela Mantle, Fred Chandler, and Glen Helm for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, November 13th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Featured photo on the Main Birding Page this week is by Henri Garand of a faceoff between bird bander David Okines and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report are both by Adam Penson, of a COOPER'S HAWK and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County, [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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