Since Presqu'ile Provincial Park was closed for five of the past eight days, including the weekend, there has been little birding activity and consequently few bird sightings to report.
As the ice cover in Presqu'ile Bay alternates between being frozen almost to the lighthouse and open almost to the government dock (according to the prevailing wind direction), the waterfowl are concentrated either in the Salt Point area or in the open waters of Lake Ontario. Only a few dozen aythya ducks, Redheads and Greater Scaup, have been seen on any given day, but there still are hundreds of the commoner species. One Bald Eagle was seen on January 12 and two on January 14. An adult Glaucous Gull was sitting on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay on January 12. Observers have been on the lookout for the Ross's Gull that appeared earlier in the week just across Lake Ontario from Presqu'ile but subsequently disappeared when the bay in which it was seen froze over. That rare Arctic species could very well drift into this area. The various feeders in the Park and on Bayshore Road are being patronized by good numbers of passerines, albeit of limited variety. Red-breasted Nuthatches are regular visitors to the feeders at the bird sightings board and at 83 Bayshore Road. A Song Sparrow put in another appearance at 83 Bayshore Road on January 10, where there are also two White-throated Sparrows. Another of the latter species appears every day at dawn and at dusk at 186 Bayshore Road. Three Common Grackles can often be seen between 83 and 94 Bayshore Road. Up to fifty American Goldfinches have been dominating 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. The channel separating Gull Island from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a peninsula. The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15 centimetres deep. However, when the channel between the island and Owen Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk on without breaking through. Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be directed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] -- Fred Helleiner 186 Bayshore Road, R.R. #4, Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0 VOICE: (613) 475 5309 If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Fred Helleiner <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
