WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, November 20, 2008
A light dusting of the season's first snow overnight in Prince Edward County got most feeders revved up and well into high gear early this morning. The tempo can only expect to increase if more snow arrives in the next few days. AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS are present at many feeding stations now, although in small numbers, while numbers of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES seem to be on the increase with some feeders enjoying up to a couple dozen. Hundreds of AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES were seen at Prince Edward Point on the weekend, presumably in migration. Occurrences of RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS at feeders are on the increase with individuals coming to feeding stations at 2800 County Road 1, George's Road, Picton area, and others being seen rurally at Rutherford-Stevens Lookout at Smith's Bay and along Fry Road. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are at feeders in Picton and Belleville, and PURPLE FINCHES at Stirling, and County Road 1 in Prince Edward County as well as Prince Edward Point. Three EVENING GROSBEAKS were at a feeder yesterday morning along Crookston Road, near Tweed. Other winter sightings include a SNOWY OWL at Sheba's Island on the 16th, COMMON REDPOLLS at 2800 County Road 1, and scattered sightings of SNOW BUNTINGS in low numbers across the region. An operator of numerous feeding stations at 2800 County Road 1 was shocked this week to see not a bird at her feeder, but a shrew. A NORTHERN SHRIKE had captured the shrew at some point and wedged it tightly on its back in the crack in the peak of the roof, damaging the feeder in the process. Meanwhile at Prince Edward Point, in the banana belt of Prince Edward County, autumn continues. The CAVE SWALLOW, presumably the same individual as seen on the 10th and mentioned in last week's report, was still there on the 17th, this time about 300 metres west of the lighthouse along the shoreline. The bird was seen at 9:30 a.m., and again from noon until about 1:00 p.m. Also seen at Prince Edward Point, apparently oblivious to colder weather in the offing, were 3 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a late COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and a BLUE-HEADED VIREO. Also present there were 2 COMMON RAVENS, and 3 FOX SPARROWS. PINE SISKINS (3) were also found, and about the only sign of winter down there were the hundreds of GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCKS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and HORNED GREBES. HORNED GREBES (95) were also present there the following day, as were 6 COMMON LOONS, 9 RED-NECKED GREBES, 2 BLACK SCOTERS, 40 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and 50 BONAPARTE'S GULLS. On the 18th, there were 12 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS present in the red junipers and a NORTHERN FLICKER (also seen on the 16th) , 4 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS and 3 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were also still around. Muscote Bay at Big Island, despite the hunting pressure, still contains at least 4,000 ducks, comprising scaup, RING-NECKED DUCKS, MALLARDS and AMERICAN WIGEONS and a few COMMON GOLDENEYE. Three TUNDRA SWANS were present on Friday, but South Bay and Smith's Bay have been the areas where one can find numbers of these all white birds traditionally wintering until ice forces them out. One observer there this week described the conversational chatter among them as ethereal with their voices seeming to ricochet in the still air off the neighbouring cliff sides. Tremur Lake near Trenton has about 400 CANADA GEESE still present and a SNOW GOOSE. Across the road, at the Fox Pond, there were lots of MALLARDS, a few AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS and four female HOODED MERGANSERS as of this week. Before the water freezes, these two bodies of water, located beside Wooler Road, just north of Highway 33, will continue to produce some interesting sightings. On the 19th, there were still 6 NORTHERN SHOVELERS at the Brighton Sewage Lagoons. Hawks this week included an increasing presence of SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS at local feeders, a COOPER'S HAWK along County Road 64 just west of Boes Road, and a NORTHERN GOSHAWK at Prince Edward Point on the 17th. RED-TAILED HAWKS during the week were observed at Foxboro, Stirling, Trenton, and along Highway 49 between the Quinte Skyway and Picton, there is a RED-TAILED HAWK on guard every two or three kilometres. NORTHERN HARRIERS were seen along Gore Road, Trenton, and at the east end of Big Island. Other interesting sightings to come in during the week included GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Prince Edward Point, NORTHERN FLICKER at Lake-on-the-Mountain, 7 WILD TURKEYS near Essroc Cement at Picton, BELTED KINGFISHER in the Tuftsville Wetlands at Stirling, PILEATED WOODPECKER at George's Road, and COMMON RAVEN at Cape Vesey. Sorry - no "DOUBLE-BREASTED CORMORANTS" as erroneously reported last week. However, they do exist and I have a photo to support it, upon request. On that note, that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Pamela Stagg, Kathy Felkar, Bruce Ripley, Owen Weir, Nancy Fox, Fiona King, Cheryl Anderson Cathie Stewart, Doug & Evelyn Sloane, Donn Legate, Borys Holowacz, Henri Garand, Kathleen Rankine, Donna Fano, John & Margaret Moore, John Charlton, Marilyn Holland-Foster, Janet Foster, Fred Chandler, Paul Mackenzie, Fred Helleiner, and Lyle Anderson for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, November 27th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Featured photo on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website is an update of last week's photo by Nancy Fox, this time showing a shrike killed shrew wedged in the roof of a bird feeder. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report this week are by Laura Pierce, of a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH at a feeder and a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER on a bag of suet. 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
