Birders who regularly visit Presqu'ile Provincial Park have commented
that no mega-rarity has been spotted for quite some time. That may have
changed in the past week, as a bird whose identity is still under
investigation spent a day at Presqu'ile. Other than that, the past week
has been quite ordinary, and birding has not been exciting.
The BRANT that has been on the beach recently was still present on
Monday. Both SURF SCOTERS and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS are being seen on
most days. A WILD TURKEY was in the day use area on Friday and seven
were inthe calf pasture on Saturday. The highlight of the week was a
hummingbird that spent all day on Friday feeding on flowers at 83
Bayshore Road. At first it was suspected of being a record late
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD, but careful study at close range led to
suspicions that it might have been the much rarer BLACK-CHINNED
HUMMINGBIRD, which is very similar to that other species in the plumage
represented by this bird. Photographs and videos were taken and they
have been sent to various experts for their opinion as to its identity.
Eight shorebird species were seen in the past week. SEMIPALMATED
PLOVERS had been gone for a couple of weeks, but were back on Friday (3
birds), Saturday, and Sunday. A GREATER YELLOWLEGS, perhaps the first
in over a month, was on the beach this morning. A SEMIPALMATED
SANDPIPER on Sunday and a WHITE-RUMPED SANDPIPER on Friday were the only
ones of those species remaining, at least for now. PECTORAL SANDPIPERS
were on Gull Island on Sunday. A BALD EAGLE sat on High Bluff Island
all morning on Sunday, and a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK flew past the calf
pasture on Friday. A BELTED KINGFISHER and a NORTHERN FLICKER, while
not unexpected, were among birds most of whose conspecifics abandoned
Presqu'ile some weeks ago. A PILEATED WOODPECKER was at the calf
pasture on Tuesday. MERLINS are still being seen. If a hummingbird can
appear in late October and a WHITE-EYED VIREO can appear on October 27
(2015), who knows what other rarities might be present even at this late
date? COMMON RAVENS are now almost a daily sighting. A GRAY CATBIRD
was still present on Saturday. AMERICAN PIPITS were on Gull Island on
Sunday.
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 that is
knee-deep when it is absolutely calm; this does not take into account
any wave action. There
is often a swift current and a substrate that is somewhat uneven and
slippery. 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. However, until the end of this
month birders are allowed to go to Owen Point on hunting days as long as
they do not pass the large sign indicating otherwise. 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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