WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK
ENDING
Thursday, May 07, 2009
Now that the early May migrants have all arrived, most of them, incredibly,
before April 30th, it is a matter of keeping our eyes peeled for those that are
typically a little later. The first BOBOLINKS of the season arrived at Big
Island on May 2nd, and RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS turned up at two separate
locations at both ends of Sandbanks Provincial Park, one of which was in the
Dunes Beach Day Use Area at West Lake where a pair nested last year. A
BLUE-WINGED WARBLER was seen at Point Traverse on the 1st, and an unlucky
OVENBIRD made its debut headfirst against the window of a house in Belleville
on the 6th. A somewhat early OVENBIRD was along the Arkon Trail at Frontenac
Provincial Park on May 1st. Some repeats of earlier sightings included
WHIP-POOR-WILL at South Bay, WOOD THRUSH at Elmbrook, 4 RED-NECKED GREBES on
South Bay on the 1st and 2nd, and 2 GREEN HERONS along the Outlet River on the
6th. BALTIMORE ORIOLES, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS,
both LEAST and GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHERS are all well established now in Prince
Edward County. A SANDHILL CRANE continues to appear and call periodically west
of Sprague Road on Big Island, as does a COMMON RAVEN. As many as four GREAT
EGRETS have been seen at Kaiser Crossroad this week, and another flew over
Smoke's Point Road on the west side of the County yesterday. A MERLIN was at
Sandbanks on the 4th. A PILEATED WOODPECKER was seen working away on a Norway
Maple stump west of Picton this week, and another did likewise on an apple tree
stump at 23 Sprague Road. The nesting season is also in full swing and among
the birds reported this week were nesting WOOD DUCKS at Consecon Lake and
another pair at Adolphustown.
At Prince Edward Point this week, a RED-NECKED GREBE was seen on the 5th and
AMERICAN BITTERNS can be heard booming on most days. In the harbour a GREEN
HERON was present on the 5th and 6th. The CANADA GEESE have at least 13
goslings in tow. A GADWALL was seen on the 1st and, on the 2nd two BLUE-WINGED
TEAL, 15 GREEN-WINGED TEAL and 2 GREATER SCAUP were present. The first SURF
SCOTERS (3) of the spring appeared on the 5th and four BLACK SCOTERS flew past
on the 4th. WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS peaked this week at 210 on the 1st and 150 on
the 4th. On calmer days up to 2000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS can be seen and
RED-BREASTED MERGANSER are going past in small numbers. A COOPER'S HAWK was
seen on the 3rd, and on the 2nd 15 BROAD-WINGED HAWKS and 3 RED-TAILED HAWKS
were seen slowly circling over the area. A MERLIN can often be seen in the area
and a female PEREGRINE FALCON was found on the 6th. KILLDEER are sitting on at
least two nests but one of them is in the middle of the gravel road.
SPOTTED SANDPIPERS can often be found around the harbour and 3 LEAST SANDPIPERS
were at the lighthouse beach on the 4th. BONAPARTE'S GULLS are offshore and
peaked at 3000 on three dates. A COMMON TERN was offshore on the 2nd and
CASPIAN TERNS are frequenting the harbour. WHIP-POOR-WILLS have been seen on
three dates and the first RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS appeared on the 6th when
two were present. A YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER was trapped on the 1st and
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS have been seen at Point Traverse on most days. On the
6th a NORTHERN FLICKER intergrade was trapped. LEAST FLYCATCHERS were seen on
the 3rd and 6th as were GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS. EASTERN KINGBIRDS continue
to hang around the Observatory.
WARBLING VIREOS are definitely in now and up to 8 are being seen daily, both at
the Observatory and at Point Traverse. BLUE JAYS are very scarce so far and
only 10 have been caught so far this spring, surely the flood gates on this
species will open soon. A COMMON RAVEN was seen on the 3rd. Occasional PURPLE
MARTINS are being seen and CLIFF SWALLOWS are actively building on the
lighthouse and at the Observatory. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are starting to be
seen and 1-2 are present most days. A late BROWN CREEPER was seen on the 4th
and HOUSE WRENS have increased to about 10 a day while WINTER WRENS are still
being heard singing in the swamp most days. No GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS have
been seen this month but RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS continue to trickle through with
up to 30 being seen daily. Two or 3 GRAY CATBIRDS are singing in the area as
are 5-6 BROWN THRASHERS. CEDAR WAXWINGS are still present in high numbers with
a peak of 150 on the 6th.
Eighteen species of warblers were seen this week. A BLUE-WINGED WARBLER was
found on the 7th, 2 BREWSTER'S WARBLERS were seen on the 3rd and on the 6th and
GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS were found on the 3rd and 6th as well, NASHVILLE
WARBLERS numbered 45 on the 6th, mostly at Point Traverse. YELLOW WARBLERS are
singing everywhere now and the first CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLER was found on the
6th. CAPE MAY WARBLERS are being seen in good numbers with 2 on the 3rd, 7 on
the 5th and four the next day. Two BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS were seen on
the 4th and up to 125 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are being seen daily.
BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS arrived on the 3rd and at least 10 were present
on the 7th. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLERS are occasionally being seen and a female PINE
WARBLER has been around for the last four days. A YELLOW PALM WARBLER was seen
on the 4th and up to 15 WESTERN PALM WARBLERS are being seen daily. A fine
singing male CERULEAN WARBLER was found at Point Traverse on the 6th. OVENBIRDS
on the 2nd and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS on the 4th rounded out the latest warblers
to arrive.
A female SCARLET TANAGER was seen on the 3rd. SWAMP and LINCOLNS SPARROWS
continue to be seen in small numbers and a SAVANNAH SPARROW was found on the
5th. Eastern WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS have started to move and up to 35 a day are
being seen. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS have returned and can be seen around the
feeders, an INDIGO BUNTING was found at Point Traverse on the 6th just across
the road from the first BOBOLINKS of the year, all 35 of them in one tree.
RUSTY BLACKBIRDS continue to be found singing in the swamp and three ORCHARD
ORIOLES were seen on the other side of the harbour on the 3rd. PINE SISKINS
continue to move through in exceptional numbers with a peak of 130 on the 1st.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are also starting to increase with up to 30 present daily.
Elsewhere across the region, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are still at feeders in
the Hay Bay area, and along Glenora Road. PINE SISKINS have finally thinned out
a bit much to the delight of feeder operators and to the chagrin of bird feed
suppliers, although one feeder east of Lake on the Mountain still had 130 as of
the end of last week. A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK is still a regular at a feeder at
Allisonville. Also at a low ebb this week has been waterfowl activity at the
Kaiser Crossroad flooded cornfields, down from several thousand ducks to only a
dozen or so. Present there this week were just a handful of GREEN-WINGED TEAL,
NORTHERN SHOVELERS, AMERICAN WIGEON, 1 NORTHERN PINTAIL and 7 very lonely
CANADA GEESE. Also present have been LITTLE GULLS (4), LEAST SANDPIPERS, LESSER
and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, BELTED KINGFISHER, CASPIAN TERNS, AMERICAN BITTERNS,
GREAT BLUE HERONS, NORTHERN HARRIERS, and flocks of feeding TREE SWALLOWS and
BARN SWALLOWS.
A park naturalist returning to Prince Edward County from Presqu'ile Park during
the week was surprised to see an OTTER scurry in front of his car along County
Road 1 near Consecon. With some tricky braking and maneuvering, the driver
managed to straddle the otter and come to a stop. After a pregnant pause and
some banging under the car, the otter emerged from under the vehicle,
apparently unscathed, and continued on its way toward Consecon Lake.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our
thanks to David Okines, David Bree, Paul Wallace, Laura Pierce, Chesia
Livingston, Donn Fanno, Silvia Botnick, Brock Kirkpatrick, Joanne Dewey, Pamela
Stagg, Nancy Fox, Charles Crowe, Ove Ojaste & Mary-anne Caswell, Bill Hogg,
Janet Mooney, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, and Brian Durell for their
contributions to this report. This report will be updated on Thursday, May
14th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night
deadline. Featured photo on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website of
a BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEE in the fast lane is by Peter Mohr of Stirling. Photos
in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report of a WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW and a GREAT EGRET are by Derek Dafoe and Paul Wallace respectively.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[email protected]
www.naturestuff.net
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