The spring bird migration at Presqu'ile Provincial Park appears to be
slightly ahead of schedule, which is not surprising, given the recent
weather and the fact that Presqu'ile Bay is almost totally ice-free and
that there is next to no snow on the ground.
CANADA GEESE have been migrating overhead all week. Among the flocks
there is always the possibility of finding SNOW GEESE, especially early
in the season. Dabbling ducks are returning in good numbers, including
AMERICAN WIGEONS, NORTHERN PINTAILS, and GREEN-WINGED TEAL. It seems
likely that somewhere among them there is already a EURASIAN WIGEON.
There are thousands of diving ducks in Presqu'ile Bay, sometimes on the
south side, where they can easily be seen from Bayshore Road, but often
much farther out. The majority are CANVASBACKS, REDHEADS, and GREATER
SCAUP, but among them are RING-NECKED DUCKS, WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, and
HOODED MERGANSERS. All in all, the prospects are good for seeing many
ducks on March 17/18, when the annual Waterfowl Viewing Weekend takes
place, but the majority may not be within easy viewing distance.
For several days an adult BALDEAGLE was perched in the willow trees at
the outer tip of the "fingers". NORTHERN HARRIER and RED-TAILED HAWK
are the only other hawks found in the past week in the Park. An
AMERICAN COOT was in the marsh on March 6. An AMERICAN WOODCOCK was
flushed near Owen Point on March 7. Both SNOWY and BARRED OWLS were
seen today. Birds seen this week that have been present all winter
include RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, NORTHERN SHRIKE, BROWN CREEPER, and
SAVANNAH SPARROW. A few PINE SISKINS have been around this week.
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 water of unknown depth, in
which there is often a swift current and a substrate that is somewhat
uneven and slippery. Access to the offshore islands is restricted
after March 9 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.
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/
