Most of the excitement at Presqu'ile Provincial Park this week centres
around an endangered species. Other birds, both shorebirds and land
birds, as well as waterfowl, have made their usual spring re-fueling
stops in the Park before moving on.
Flocks of BRANT have been flying past Presqu'ile on four of the last six
days, beginning on May 8. One flock stopped to rest and feed on Gull
Island. It is expected that more will be seen in the next week. Two
TRUMPETER SWANS spent two days in the marsh before disappearing, perhaps
because of repeated harassment by the resident MUTE SWAN. A male
RING-NECKED DUCK has been in the marsh for the past two days. LESSER
SCAUPS were also present today. A surprisingly large group of COMMON
GOLDENEYES (about forty on one day) has been frequenting the waters
around Sebastopol Island, at a time when most of their kin have long
since departed. On each of the last three days, a lone RED-THROATED LOON
has been spotted in Popham Bay. Perhaps because they are so conspicuous,
GREAT EGRETS have been the most frequently seen member of the heron
family this week. Sightings of the resident and ridiculously tame WILD
TURKEY are now so regular that further mention of it in these reports is
unlikely, even if, as it did this week, it decides to occupy a bird bath.
The highlight of the week was the discovery, on May 13, of two PIPING
PLOVERS, an endangered species, on the beach. It has seemed just a
matter of time until that species returned to breed at Presqu'ile, as it
did in the early years of the last century. With low lake levels, the
beach is wider than usual and the prospect seems bright. With that in
mind, the Park has taken steps to protect the birds, as noted in the
following message from the park naturalist:
We have closed the entire beach from the beach 3-4 fence line to Beach
1. Beach 4 and Owen Pt have their usual controlled access.
If they are a pair and do choose to nest here this will give them the
choice of the entire beach to choose from and once they pick a
territory we can narrow down the beach closure area. It is my personal
opinion that the Presqu’ile beach is normally too wet to appeal to
Piping Plovers but this year it is looking much more like the nesting
sites I’ve seen at Wasaga. So maybe.
With this closure we are asking people to stay off the entire beach.
You can access the back of the beach from the walkways from the
parking lots for a scan but please don’t walk along the back beach -
go back down the path to the parking lot and walk over to the next
path. The plovers were using the back beach area today so even walking
along there might disturb them. We are erring on the side of caution
here for the sake of the birds.
We do not have the person-power to keep someone out there all the time
so would appreciate your cooperation in communicating these parameters
to other visitors. Also any observations you make about what part of
the beach they are using and any possible courting behaviour would be
most welcome.
The band colours courtesy of Doug McRae are:
Bird
Left – orange over light green
Right – metal over light green
Bird 2
Left – orange over light green
Right – metal over a thin orange band over green
Information on the provenance of these birds will be welcome. Meanwhile,
birders hoping to see these birds will need to use patience in scanning
the beach from Owen Point Trail Lookout #1, because they blend in well
with the flotsam on the beach. Other shorebird numbers have begun to
build up, with a single BLACK-BELLIED and three SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and
up to 18 LEAST SANDPIPERS and perhaps 30 DUNLINS on the beach and at
Owen Point and on Gull and Sebastopol Islands. A SOLITARY SANDPIPER
spent two days in a flooded area near the Park store. By the time of
next week's report, the first of the WHIMBRELS may have appeared.
Both yesterday and today, one of the resident BARRED OWLS was vocalizing
in broad daylight (3 p.m. and 10 a.m.). Early this morning, a RED-HEADED
WOODPECKER stopped briefly at the lighthouse. Later in the morning
another (perhaps the same one) was found in Jobes' Woods. RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS, while not as common as in recent years, were seen at the
lighthouse and at 83 Bayshore Road. Again this week, a COMMON RAVEN was
observed on two occasions. Among the hundreds of swallows that gathered
over Presqu'ile Bay on Sunday to try to cope with the cold winds were
numerous CLIFF SWALLOWS. On a dark roof facing the morning sun and
sheltered from the wind there were 18, and another four sat on a wire
nearby, for a record total of 22. The CAROLINA WREN that has been seen a
few times at 83 Bayshore Road in recent months appeared again on May 7.
The BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER nest that was being built at the time of last
week's report now has an incubating bird on it. The first SWAINSON'S
THRUSH of the year was found today. Can GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES be far
behind? After an atypical absence during the winter, CEDAR WAXWINGS have
finally returned. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was found on May 7, a
BLACKPOLL WARBLER on May 9, two CAPE MAY WARBLERS on May 11, and a
CANADA WARBLER on May 13, proving that the best days to look for
interesting warblers at Presqu'ile are the odd-numbered days. A
LINCOLN'S SPARROW was near Owen Point on May 11. Four BOBOLINKS were at
the calf pasture on May 10. ORCHARD ORIOLES can easily be found. This
morning three males were in one tree and a fourth in a neighbouring tree
at the lighthouse. They are also patronizing feeders at 83 Bayshore
Road. There was an intriguing report of an EVENING GROSBEAK on May 10
but no details were provided.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton.
Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid
that is available at the Park gate. Access to the offshore islands is
restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial
nesting birds there. Birders are encouraged to record their observations
on the bird sightings board provided near the campground office by The
Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for
species not listed there.
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Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
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