WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, May 18, 2003
It was case of the odd couple on Thursday at Prince Edward Point. A SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHER landed on the Observatory lawn along with a KILLDEER, both birds remaining side by side for at least two hours, allowing themselves to be observed at fairly close range. Both took off together, wing tip to wing tip, and disappeared over the harbour, as though mated for life. The offspring should be interesting. A long-billed Killdeer, or perhaps a shortbilled killwitcher. Throughout the week at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area, however, it was normal behaviour for the most part. A total of 158 species of birds was tallied during the week, but there were no spectacular waves or fallouts, although some days did produce good numbers of warblers. Among the highlights were both YELLOW-THROATED and WHITE-EYED VIREOS, YELLOW-BREASTED CHAT (banded), CERULEAN WARBLER, both BLUE-WINGED and GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS, SANDHILL CRANE, BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON, MERLIN, PEREGRINE FALCON, RED-SHOULDERED HAWK, PACIFIC LOON, BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO, SEDGE WREN, GRASSHOPPER SPARROWS and a dependable WHIP-POOR-WILL during the early part of the week in the Point Traverse woods. A small colony of CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS was quite dependable for all observers along with a LINCOLN'S SPARROW that sang periodically west of the banding station. There were guided hikes offered every morning during the week with approximately 90 people in total taking advantage of the service. In addition to local birders present, there were also birders and groups from Kingston, Brighton, Toronto, Guelph, Pennsylvania, Minnesota, and Quebec. David Okines of the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory reported that RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS numbered about 25 per day. Toward the latter part of the week, RED-EYED VIREOS, WILSON'S WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER and TENNESSEE WARBLERS appeared. A few RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are still present along with the occasional GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET. Flycatchers are still few and far between and only the LEAST FLYCATCHER is to be seen around the wooded areas at the moment with the occasional EASTERN KINGBIRD or GREAT CRESTED FLYCATCHER. EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen Wednesday in the open fields west of the harbour, and farther to the west, in the wooded swamp, there was a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. BLUE JAYS are to be seen trickling through most mornings but certainly not in the large numbers that were seen last year at this time. A Gambell's WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was banded on May 13th making a change from the eastern WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS that are usually present. INDIGO BUNTINGS have been seen most days, and on the evening of May 11th, 130 BALTIMORE ORIOLES were seen in the trees and cedars bushes in and to the south of Point Traverse, with one or two birds in each bush. On Saturday, 450 BRANT in five flocks flew north past the point shortly after sunrise. A GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER was seen in the company of a "BREWSTERS WARBLER" on the south side of the harbour for most of the morning and was trapped and banded in mid-afternoon in the Observatory nets. While GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS are a bit of a treat when one appears at Prince Edward Point, in the Deroche Lake area, east of Thomasburg, one observer said there were so many of this species on Wednesday that the species should be a guaranteed breeder in the area. The same observer was owling in the area, and in a dozen stops, had over 20 WHIP-POOR-WILLS and almost as many WILSON'S SNIPE and AMERICAN WOODCOCKS. Birding has been good at Sandbanks Provincial Park too where all species expected for this time of the year have been seen, as well as PINE WARBLER, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER, NORTHERN PARULA and NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. Also present at the Park has been an ORCHARD ORIOLE. Birders visiting the county are reminded to check out Sandbanks as there are some prolific areas out there where good numbers of birds may be found. Most notable of these is West Point, a small peninsula jutting out into Lake Ontario, and accessible by taking Lakeshore Lodge Road at the four-way stop on County Road 12 within the Park. The Woodland Trail, Cedar Sands Trail, Outlet River and mouth, all the campgrounds, and the area in the West Lake Sector known locally as The Pit (where sand was excavated many years ago) are areas worth trying. Other good sightings in Prince Edward County during the past week included 2 GREAT EGRETS on May 11th in flight over Prince Edward Point, SEDGE WREN on Babylon Road, 24 LEAST SANDPIPERS near Wellington, 40 BRANT at Point Petre, 8 AMERICAN PIPITS west of Babylon Road, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER at Point Petre, and a COMMON MOORHEN at Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area. Speaking of Beaver Meadow, that will be the site of Quinte Conservation's evening hike on Monday, commencing at 6:00 p.m. Take County Road 10 (Lake Street) from Picton for five km and turn right onto County Road 11. Follow for one km to conservation area entrance. Bird feeder operators in the area are reporting good patronage with AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES consuming niger seed by the hundredweight, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS and INDIGO BUNTINGS, with one backyard in Bloomfield hosting a pair of EASTERN TOWHEES. Our own feeder has nesting pairs of NORTHERN CARDINALS, BROWN THRASHERS, GRAY CATBIRDS, BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, and DOWNY WOODPECKERS coming regularly to the menu, along with a BALTIMORE ORIOLE that has developed a fondness for watermelon. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), Lloyd Paul, Ken Edwards, Myrna Wood, Bill Aiken, Judy Bell, Joanne Dewey, John Blaney, Donald McClure, Bob Sachs, Evelyn Sloane, Eric Machell, Maureen Riggs and Rob Kellough. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 25th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good birding. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net "Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
