Land Birds:
Land bird species and bird numbers are under-whelming in the Kawartha Lakes
so far this season. Winter conditions arrived this week; it was -8 C this
morning with 5 cms of snow on the driveway. A drive around the back roads
yields few birds and, with some exceptions, the feeders feature only the
basics: Blue jay, Junco, White-breasted Nuthatch, Black-capped Chickadee,
American Tree Sparrow, Mourning Dove and Downy and Hairy Woodpecker. About
half the feeders have no American Goldfinch and the other half have only 3
to 10 with some visiting only sporadically.
No Evening Grosbeak, Purple Finch or any other winter finches reported. One
House Finch has shown up near Fenelon Falls and Red-breasted Nuthatches are
coming to 2 feeders north of Bobcaygeon/ Fenelon Falls.
Cedar Waxwings were seen today in downtown Bobcaygeon-- a flock of 50
eating Mountain Ash berries. 3 American Robins were reported this week.
Only two flocks of 30 Snow Buntings reported so far... on Monck Road between
Uphill and Sebright earlier this week and 20 or so south of Lindsay today.
A Northern Shrike frequented a feeder at Uphill this week, the only one
reported to me. A Red-winged Blackbird was at the same feeder today.
5 Bald Eagles were reported on Lake Dalrymple, 2 adult and 2 sub adult in
one group of 4 earlier in the week and 1 single yesterday.
An adult Bald Eagle circled above downtown Fenelon Falls last Saturday, Nov
23 and individual birds are being reported around farms.
A Gray Jay and a Ruffed Grouse are frequenting a feeder north of Fenelon
Falls. A Common Grackle was there all week but did not appear today. A
near-by feeder had 3 Red-winged Blackbirds all week but not today.
A Rough-legged Hawk was reported by two different observers on two different
days north of Bobcaygeon/ Fenelon Falls.
A feeder in Lindsay had a Song Sparrow and a White-throated Sparrow earlier
this week.
And, of course, Wild Turkeys in the bean fields.
Water fowl:
Lake Dalrymple (Carden) is 90% covered with a skim of ice this morning and
locals are hoping the 2 young Common Loons hatched late (in July) have made
it out in time.
A good selection of waterfowl-- principally hundreds of Common Merganser--
was observed on Monday, Nov 25, on open water on Sturgeon Lake on County
Road 24 approaching Bobcaygeon. Other Waterfowl: Hooded Merganser,
Bufflehead, Wood Duck, Common Golden-eye, Green-winged Teal, Ring-necked
Duck, Greater Scaup, Lesser Scaup, Trumpeter Swan, Double Crested Cormorant,
White-winged Scoter and, surprising to me, Common Eider. The duck hunters
see 2 or 3 COEI every year at this location. I am told that this stretch of
water stays open longer because of a current. The duck hunting season is
still open.
Dan Bone, Fenelon Falls.
Kawartha Lakes (formerly Victoria County) stretches from Ponty Pool in the
South to Queen Elizabeth II Wildlands Provincial Park in the North. It
spreads from Carden in the west to Bobcaygeon in the East. Lindsay is the
largest urban centre. Kawartha Lakes includes the geographical features of
the northern shield and the southern farmland landscape of the St Lawrence
Lowlands.
The Land Between, where these features mix, supports a great variety of
species.
It is a 1.5 to 2 hour drive north east of Toronto.
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