Report from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory for the week of September 17-23, courtesy of manager David Okines.
Occasional COMMON LOONS have been flying over and four were noted on the 19th and 20th, an early HORNED GREBE was seen on the 20th and RED-NECKED GREBES were reported from just up the road. Occasional small groups of TURKEY VULTURES have been going over but they won't start migrating in earnest until October. Three MUTE SWANS seem to have taken up residence offshore and are being seen almost daily. Four WOOD DUCKS flew through the harbour on the 22nd, and MALLARD numbers continue to fluctuate between 25 and 85. Offshore 9 GREATER SCAUP were seen on the 17th and another 9 on the 23rd. WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS are starting to appear and up to 5 in a day have been seen, meanwhile RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS are also starting to move with a peak of 17 on the 20th.
A MERLIN can be seen most days and up to 10 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS are being seen daily but few other raptors are being seen. Three SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS have spent most of the week on the rocky shore and on the 17th, 2 WILSON'S SNIPE flew over, a species not often seen in the fall. Up to 50 BONAPARTE'S GULLS have been seen offshore and CASPIAN TERNS have almost all gone. EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS were banded on the 19th and 21st, owling has started, and 9 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS were trapped on the night of the 20th but none have been seen since. Our nightly endeavors are updated daily on the PEPTBO website (www.peptbo.ca).
BELTED KINGFISHERS have been seen in the harbour daily. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS have started to move with the first being seen on the 17th and 12 were noted on the 20th and 10 seen on the 23rd. NORTHERN FLICKERS have also started to move and up to 12 a day are being seen. Flycatchers have almost finished moving with singles of EASTERN WOOD-PEWEE on the 18th, a LEAST was seen on the 19th and the occasional YELLOW-BELLIED and TRAILL'S are being seen, EASTERN PHOEBES are starting to move and up to 5 in a day are being found. A single GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER was seen on the 17th.
VIREOS are still moving and a late WARBLING was trapped on the 19th. RED-EYED VIREOS numbered 18 on the 18th and BLUE-HEADED VIREOS numbered 12 on that day. BLUE JAYS have started their annual trek south in numbers and 850 were seen going over on the 18th and 800 were seen on the 21st. Two COMMON RAVENS have been seen daily all week. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES are starting to increase and up to 15 have been seen in a day. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES numbered 10 on both the 19th and 20th. BROWN CREEPERS are being seen daily and peaked at 16 on the 20th, and bigger numbers should start to arrive soon. The first WINTER WREN of the fall appeared on the 17th and one to two have been seen daily since then. GOLDEN and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS have started to move in earnest with a peak of 80 GOLDEN-CROWNEDS and 80 RUBY-CROWNEDS being seen on the 18th.
Occasional VEERYS are still showing up in the nets while SWAINSON'S THRUSH numbers have started to drop with a peak of 15 on the 20th. GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES are starting to increase and peaked at 12 on the 20th. That other late thrush, the HERMIT, has just started to move with singles being seen on most dates. Ten AMERICAN ROBINS that were noted on the 20th must have included a few migrants. Up to 8 GRAY CATBIRDS have been seen daily. On the beach a few AMERICAN PIPITS have been seen with 30 on the 19th and a handful were seen on several other dates.
Nineteen species of warblers have been seen this week. Single TENNESSEES were observed on the 20th and 21st, single ORANGE-CROWNED were seen on three dates. NASHVILLE WARBLERS numbered 16 on the 20th, 2 NORTHERN PARULAS were seen on the 21st, MAGNOLIAS continue to move with up to 20 in a day being seen. BLACK-THROATED BLUE numbers are picking up as they come to a peak at the end of the month and up to 25 a day are being seen. YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are also increasing and up to 80 in a day have been seen in the bushes. A late BLACKBURNIAN was banded on the 21st and a PINE WARBLER was banded on the 20th. That last date also had at least 50 western PALM WARBLERS present in the bushes near the Observatory, BLACKPOLL numbers have decreased but 25 were seen on the 20th. A late BLACK-AND-WHITE WARBLER was banded on the 19th. OVENBIRDS are still being seen with 6 banded during the week.
SCARLET TANAGERS have been seen on most days this week with 1 to 2 a day being noted. EASTERN TOWHEES have reappeared with one to two a day being seen. The first SWAMP SPARROW of the fall was seen on the 20th, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS really started to increase on the 19th and up to 85 have been present in a day since. The first WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW of the fall showed up on the 20th and a few have been seen every day since. DARK-EYED JUNCOS are also starting to be more obvious with a peak of 20 on the 20th. PURPLE FINCHES still number 1-4 in a day and AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are moving on some days with a peak of 120 on the 18th.
For more more sightings, be sure to check out the Quinte Area Bird Report on the Main Birding page at www.naturestuff.net. And for more news from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, be sure to visit their website at www.peptbo.ca .
Terry Sprague Prince Edward County [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
