WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FOR PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, December 04, 2008
Winter in the Quinte area seems to be taking its own sweet time in arriving, although temperatures this afternoon and over the next few days and predicted snow for Sunday may turn things around a bit. The relatively mild temperatures did provide one observer on Wednesday a chance to see no fewer than 21 LITTLE GULLS on East Lake. The snow free beaches of adjacent Sandbanks Provincial Park did provide another rather unusual sighting, that of 14 carcasses of RING-NECKED PHEASANTS washed up on shore. These, are believed to have drifted in with the prevailing westerlies from Nicholson Island, west of Wellington, where an elite hunting club routinely hunts these birds on a put and take basis. On a happier note, another RING-NECKED PHEASANT, this one very much alive, turned up yesterday along Hambly Road in the Napanee area. Sightings of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS continue to tease operators of bird feeding stations across the region who have yet to have any appear at their feeders. A handful of crossbills flew over Sprague Road yesterday, and a flock of 25 including a number of very colourful adult males was seen at Gardenville. The flock stayed only for a short time in a lone spruce before taking off. Two flocks of WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS (20 and 45) flew over Prince Edward Point on November 29th. A small flock of SNOW BUNTINGS in the Consecon Lake area and near 2800 County Road 1 (perhaps the same flock) was the only sighting of this species during the week, and a reeling flock of 100 or so seen in the Crookston area near Tweed two weekends ago have since disappeared. Also refusing to divulge its intentions this winter is the COMMON REDPOLL, and 8 coming regularly to a feeder in Trenton was the best that could be offered this week. Finding CEDAR WAXWINGS is mostly a case of crossing paths with them, and a flock of 100 seen in the Massassauga Point area this week is a case in point. The area's fourth sighting this season of a SNOWY OWL took place at Barcovan Beach at Wellers Bay, involving a very white individual. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD at 390 Hiscock Shores Road, off Smoke Point Road in the Gardenville area yesterday is likely the same individual that has been present in that area for the past two years. Among the tardy this past week or, at least, those that we normally don't associate with the winter months, were a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW early this morning, enthusiastically singing of all things, along Sprague Road. One continues to visit a feeder in greater Allisonville, where at least 3 FOX SPARROWS are also present. Two DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS are still hanging in there at Wellington Harbour as of December 2nd, always a good sighting to start off the official winter bird list. TUNDRA SWANS alternate between South Bay and Smith's Bay, and on the 29th there were fully 200 spread across the west end of South Bay. TUNDRA SWANS were also noted on Pleasant Bay on the 2nd. A SHORT-EARED OWL floated lazily along South Big Island Road early one morning before continuing across the marsh to Northport Road, and another was observed the end of last month on Chuckery Hill Road east of Picton. Three SANDHILL CRANES that were seen on November 26th, a kilometre south of Pleasant Bay, have probably left by now. Bird feeders fluctuate in the numbers and make-up of species daily at the whims of the weather, but AMERICAN GOLDFINCH numbers remain steady at most who have been fortunate to get them. At 2800 County Road 1, there are some 35 at a feeder there, and few feeders elsewhere have fewer than a dozen coming these days. Two RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are also at the County Road 1 feeder, and were also reported at feeders at George's Road. A Trenton feeder has a female PILEATED WOODPECKER once again this winter, and RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are there as well. Two PILEATED WOODPECKERS were also seen during the week in a backyard just east of Lake-on-the-Mountain. Hawks this week included NORTHERN HARRIER at Gommorah Road and Big Island, and too many RED-TAILED HAWKS to detail them all, along with a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK perched on a fence post at Fry Road. The only WILD TURKEYS (20) seen, or at least reported, were milling about on the west side of County Road 10, likely part of a much larger flock that normally winters in the Ridge Road area. Waterfowl this week was a good selection, thanks to no dearth of open water. Trenton's Baine Park produced 12 NORTHERN SHOVELERS, MUTE SWANS, COMMON GOLDENEYE, GADWALL and AMERICAN COOTS on December 2nd, while at 12 O'clock Point at Carrying Place, the same day, there were hundreds of COMMON MERGANSERS, GREATER SCAUP, and few HOODED MERGANSERS. At Prince Edward Point on the 29th, extremely calm conditions resulted in waterfowl being spread far out to sea, but all species expected at this time of the year were present, along with 2 GADWALL off Point Traverse. At Big Island's Muscote Bay, ice there keeps shifting, but on the 2nd, there were a couple COMMON MERGANSERS, 30 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 4 TUNDRA SWANS and 50 CANADA GEESE, accented by the appearance of an adult BALD EAGLE to get the winter list off to an impressive start. At Barcovan, a passing skein of CANADA GEESE included an all white individual that turned out to be a feral goose and not a snow goose. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Pamela Stagg, Gerry Walker, Susan Withers, Rosemary Kent, Albert Boisvert, Helen Graham, Anne Potter, Kathleen Rankin, Nancy Fox, Janet Mooney, Janet Foster, Henri Garand, Nick Quickert, Brian Durell, Brock Burr and Tyler Hoar for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, December 11th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Feature photo on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website this week is a BALD EAGLE by Susan Shipman. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report include a RING-NECKED PHEASANT by Susan Shipman, and a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD by Adam Penson. - 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
