Birders visiting Presqu'ile Provincial Park this week are finding very
few birds except in the remaining patches of open water in Presqu'ile
Bay and at the various bird feeders in the Park and along Bayshore Road.
Only one TRUMPETER SWAN could be found this week, largely because most
of the hundreds of swans have their heads tucked under their wings while
hunkered down on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay (or perhaps because there
/was/ only one!). The female CANVASBACK mentioned in last week's report
was still present on Friday and Saturday, and the male RING-NECKED DUCK
was there from Friday to Sunday. A group of 18-20 REDHEADS was there on
the weekend, the first since early January. The first two WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS in a fortnight were off the government dock today. For the
second consecutive week, a RUFFED GROUSE was seen, and this morning five
WILD TURKEYS showed up. In a few recent years, when waters elsewhere in
the Great Lakes region have frozen over, as seems likely to happen with
the persistent cold weather this winter, RED-NECKED GREBES have found
their way to open water in late January or February. No one has
reported any at Presqu'ile yet, but that may happen again, as it did on
January 30 last year. A few BALD EAGLES, as many as three on one day,
have been present throughout the past week. The wintering
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK mentioned in last week's report has not apparently
entered the Park, but on Tuesday could be seen from the Park gates in a
tree behind "The Gates" art gallery. On January 23, four gull species
were on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay before being flushed by a BALD EAGLE:
one RING-BILLED GULL, a few dozen HERRING GULLS, an adult LESSER
BLACK-BACKED GULL, and an immature GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL. There were
single sightings of SNOWY OWL and BARRED OWL in the past week.
A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER seen a few days ago was the only one this
winter, in striking contrast to the past two winters. A PILEATED
WOODPECKER was near the campground office on Monday. A NORTHERN SHRIKE
was present on Saturday. A COMMON RAVEN was heard on Monday. A flock
of CEDAR WAXWINGS, the only ones this month, was seen yesterday. The
PINE WARBLER that has been a regular at the bird feeder near the
campground office was seen every day this week, usually rewarding
birders by appearing with some frequency. Two WHITE-THROATED and one
WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW continue to patronize the feeders at 85 Bayshore
Road. The flock of COMMON GRACKLES that had been there in the first few
days of January had apparently disappeared until Tuesday, when two of
them re-appeared. While the specific identity of a lone redpoll that
spent a few days earlier this month at 186 Bayshore Road was never
established to everyone's satisfaction, an unambiguous HOARY REDPOLL
appeared there with a flock of COMMON REDPOLLS on January 23. The first
PINE SISKIN since late December was at the Park office bird feeder on
January 26.
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” can walk
across
the gap from Owen Point without special footwear. Ice conditions may
make for slippery walking. 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] <mailto:[email protected]>.
--
Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road
Brighton, Ontario
K0K 1H0
613-475-5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park
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