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Dear Fred:
Do you recall any reports in the park of American Robins this week? Location?
About how many?
Thank you
Don Davis
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
From: Fred Helleiner <[email protected]>
To: birdalert ontbirds <[email protected]>; Alker Peter
<[email protected]>; Bree David <[email protected]>; Helleiner Fred
<[email protected]>
Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2016 5:18 PM
Subject: [Ontbirds] Presqu'ile Birding Report for Week Ending February 4, 2016.
It should come as no surprise to anyone familiar with current
record-breaking weather conditions at Presqu'ile Provincial Park, as
elsewhere in southern Ontario, that an influx of migratory birds,
primarily waterfowl, has occurred this week. Much of Presqu'ile Bay is
now ice-free. Comfortable birding conditions have also brought a minor
influx of birders, who have found a good variety of birds.
A mere three kilometres from Presqu'ile, an unprecedented flock of
ROSS'S GEESE for the past four days has put observers on the lookout for
those birds to wander into the area generally considered to be the
Presqu'ile birding area. TRUMPETER SWANS have been seen on most days.
Six adults were present on Monday and an immature bearing wing tag
number R81 was present for a few days and is likely still nearby. Ten
GADWALLS were in Popham Bay on Sunday. Among the thousands of REDHEADS
and GREATER SCAUP in Presqu'ile Bay are at least a dozen CANVASBACKS, a
number that has been growing slowly all week and will likely continue to
do so as the Waterfowl Viewing Weekend in March approaches. No more
than two RING-NECKED DUCKS and a few LESSER SCAUP have been detected in
the huge flocks. The four WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS reported last week at
Salt Point were still there on Monday.
BALD EAGLES are a daily sighting, with at least five different
individual birds among them. Most commonly they are perched near the
edge of the remaining ice on Presqu'ile Bay. Other hawks seen this week
were RED-TAILED HAWK, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK (two), AMERICAN KESTREL, and
MERLIN. Two ICELAND GULLS were in Presqu'ile Bay on Tuesday. Yesterday
two SNOWY OWLS were on High Bluff Island and one on the ice of
Presqu'ile Bay. Today one was sitting on a duck blind in the marsh. On
two consecutive days, there were BARRED OWL sightings, one of them
apparently attracted by imitations of their call.
A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER continues to frequent the area between 81 and
85 Bayshore Road and likely a bit further afield. HORNED LARKS,
probably early migrants, were reported on February 1 and 2. EUROPEAN
STARLINGS have been around a limited area of the Park all winter, but
today a flock descended on a feeder where they have not been all
winter. In northern Ontario, that species is often considered to be the
first migrant to return in the spring. A small group of CEDAR WAXWINGS
was at the calf pasture yesterday. Two HOUSE SPARROWS again paid a
visit to the feeders at 186 Bayshore Road.
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 may need to wade through water that is knee-deep when calm and
is sometimes obscured by a layer of ice. They may also encounter a
slippery coating of ice on the rocks. Ice cleats are recommended.
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
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
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Send bird reports to [email protected]
For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit
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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 including how to unsubscribe visit
http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
Posting guidelines can be found at
http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdsguide
