Despite the relative paucity of birders visiting Presqu'ile Provincial
Park recently (except for a dedicated few seeking Purple Sandpipers),
there have been some interesting, not to say amazing, finds this week,
and the upcoming Christmas Bird Count on Sunday promises to reveal even
more. The fall migration is pretty well over except for a few
stragglers that will continue to make life interesting.
Surprisingly for this date, there is still enough open water off the
camp office viewing stand that TUNDRA SWANS and the odd GADWALL are
still there, but the AMERICAN WIGEONS and GREEN-WINGED TEAL have not
been seen there for several days. A NORTHERN PINTAIL was seen off Gull
Island and just outside the Park gate. Small numbers of REDHEADS have
accompanied the GREATER SCAUP flock near the lighthouse on most days. A
SURF SCOTER was off Gull Island on Sunday and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS are
present in good numbers in various places. A female HOODED MERGANSER
has been seen twice in the inner part of Presqu'ile Bay. A RED-THROATED
LOON on December 9 and COMMON LOONS on the following two days were on
the late side. The most recent HORNED GREBE sighting was at the
lighthouse on December 15, and the most recent DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT
was on December 10.
A male NORTHERN HARRIER on two consecutive days, a COOPER'S HAWK, two
ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS twice on High Bluff Island, and MERLINS on two
consecutive days were the raptor highlights. Two RUFFED GROUSE were seen
today. As recently as December 12 there were still about 70 AMERICAN
COOTS in the marsh. The only shorebirds this week were a flock of 15 !!
PURPLE SANDPIPERS. On December 13, in a case of being in the right
place at the right time, a lucky observer standing at the tip of Owen
Point saw them fly past a few metres away and circling around over the
lake before disappearing around the corner of Gull Island, where they
could not be re-located. Two days later (i.e., this morning in pouring
rain) another birder found them on Gull Island. He also found the first
ICELAND GULL of the season and one of the two SNOWY OWLS that were there
earlier in the week. There were two BARRED OWL sightings this week.
Other owls have also been scarce in the Park, but the concentrated
effort on the Christmas Bird Count might produce a LONG-EARED OWL, as it
did a few years ago, that notoriously well camouflaged species
undoubtedly hiding somewhere at Presqu'ile.
One of the few birds that has not yet migrated is a BELTED KINGFISHER,
which was seen twice this week, as was a NORTHERN SHRIKE. The
previously reported RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and CAROLINA WREN continue to
be noticed at 83 Bayshore Road. A flock of CEDAR WAXWINGS that was in
the Park for over a week was last seen on December 10. The unquestioned
and totally unprecedented highlight of the week was a MAGNOLIA WARBLER
discovered on December 11. Birders searching for it among dense cedars
subsequently have not (yet) been successful, but the continued mild
weather offers hope that it will re-appear. There is no later record
for Presqu'ile than October 16 for that species. Birders going to Gull
Island usually find a flock of SNOW BUNTINGS, most recently about 30 on
December 13. A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is still hanging out at 83
Bayshore Road. A small flock of PINE SISKINS was observed on December 12.
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. Visitors to Gull Island not using a
boat should be prepared to wade through shin-deep water in which there
is often a swift current and a substrate that is somewhat uneven and
slippery. Doing so barefoot, as one trio did this week, involves contact
with very cold water! It should also be noted that, because duck
hunting is given priority on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and
Saturdays, Gull Island, High Bluff Island, Owen Point, and part of the
calf pasture are not available for bird-watching on those days until
after December 19. 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.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: [email protected].
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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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ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
