WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, February 02, 2003
A very active week in Prince Edward County and area for birds. Patronage
at most bird feeders in the county continues to accelerate as the winter
season moves along. There is an EASTERN TOWHEE visiting at least two
separate feeders on Scoharie Road, and another is coming to a feeder in the
Airport Parkway area east of Belleville. At what has become one of the most
successful feeders in the county at 2800 County Road 1, a total of 3
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS may be seen. The VARIED THRUSH, first seen in early
January at 383 Prinyer's Cove Crescent, continues to delight birders who
come to add it to their checklists. EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were found checking
out feeders during the week at East Lake and on Maitland Drive in
Belleville. Other feeder operators are reporting increases in the numbers of
MOURNING DOVES, TREE SPARROWS, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and BLUE JAYS. But with the
increase also come reports of COOPER'S HAWKS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, AMERICAN
KESTRELS, RED-TAILED HAWKS, NORTHERN SHRIKES, and even a NORTHERN HARRIER
who have come to do a little birdwatching of their own.
A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD was seen today near Caughey Road on Big Island,
and one observer birding Point Petre Road on Friday came across 6 EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS feeding on one side of the road, and directly across the road were
another 6. At Cressy, an EASTERN SCREECH OWL allowed itself to be
photographed as it perched on an antique wagon wheel attached to the side of
a building.
AMERICAN ROBINS are everywhere despite the frigid temperatures of last
week and early this week. Flocks of 150 were seen today on Sprague Road at
Big Island, and smaller numbers along Wesley Acres Road, Massassauga Point,
Ameliasburgh, Mountain View, Point Petre, West Point, Long Point Road and
Little Bluff, as well as Maitland Drive at Belleville. There were 261 CEDAR
WAXWINGS tallied on Long Point Road near Babylon Road on Friday with another
14 seen at West Point. There was a dead LONG-EARED OWL picked up along the
shoreline at Wellington during the week, and another found at the White
Rose Nurseries on Huyck's Point Road two days ago. According to a biologist,
the one in Wellington had died of starvation.
Some interesting ducks in the area. An adult male HARLEQUIN DUCK was
found on Tuesday at Point Petre and seen again on Friday, but could not be
found today, according to the observer. Also of note, a quite significant
flight of GREATER SCAUP occurred throughout the mid-day today at Point
Petre. All birds were seen flying from east to west in groups of 10 - 80,
with approximately 350 birds in total passing by in three hours. Two weeks
earlier, there were at least two BARROW'S GOLDENEYES positively identified,
with a possibility of two others that could not be seen clearly according to
the observers, at Prince Edward Point. Other observers birding West Point
and Long Point noted COMMON GOLDENEYE, BUFFLEHEADS, and LONG-TAILED DUCKS
during the week.
One observer birding Amherst Island on Friday tallied ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS
(2 dark phase, 9 light phase), 7 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 1 COOPER'S HAWK, 10
HORNED LARKS and 1 NORTHERN FLICKER. RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS (60) and a
COMMON GOLDENEYE were also seen.
Among the interesting sightings from the Barry Heights area at Trenton
were 2 each of RED-TAILED HAWKS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and COOPER'S HAWKS,
along with GREAT HORNED OWLS, and PILEATED WOODPECKER.
Although well out of the general reporting area, 9 members of the Quinte
Field Naturalists travelled to Algonquin Provincial Park yesterday, coming
up with 60+ EVENING GROSBEAKS, an undetermined number of WHITE-WINGED
CROSSBILLS (they were everywhere!), GRAY JAYS, PURPLE FINCHES, COMMON
RAVENS, one RUFFED GROUSE and one SPRUCE GROUSE (both along the Spruce Bog
Boardwalk).
Other interesting sightings during the week included an adult BALD EAGLE
at Point Petre, SNOW BUNTING on Long Point Road, and 5 WILD TURKEYS on Ridge
Road at County Road 12.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte
area. Our thanks to Don McClure, John Blaney, Joanne Dewey, John Perry,
Maggie Webster, Marg Wallace, Margaret Haylock-Capon, Albert Bosivert,
Michael Schummer, Lloyd Paul, Richard Koppens, Jayne Burkholder, Judy Bell,
John & Margaret Moore and John Charlton for their contributions to this
week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, February
9th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included
in the next report. Good winter birding !
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.naturestuff.net (updated for February)
"Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
