WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR Sunday, March 28, 2004
With the arrival of spring this past week, came the arrival of several spring migrants in response to the warmer weather. Hundreds of SONG SPARROWS greeted birders at the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area on Saturday. Also new on the spring scene was a small flock of TREE SWALLOWS at Glen Miller on March 24th, 4 yesterday at Beaver Meadow, and about 75 today over the Trent River below Number 1 dam at Trenton. Other new arrivals have included EASTERN MEADOWLARKS on March 19th at Scoharie Road, and another one today on Ridge Road. A somewhat early FIELD SPARROW for Prince Edward County turned up on Friday at 2800 County Road 1 near Bloomfield, and EASTERN PHOEBES have been heard singing today at Prinyer's Cove, at Prince Edward Point yesterday, and along Township Road 10 south of Napanee on Wednesday. NORTHERN HARRIER reports have been so numerous, it is unnecessary to specify their locations, and what is likely new arrivals of TURKEY VULTURES have arrived to join the 10 or so that wintered in Prince Edward County. There was a NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD at the end of Downs Avenue in Picton on Thursday and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD on Chuckery Hill Road at Lake-on-the-Mountain examining a nesting box two days ago. Other birds now seen in increasing numbers include RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, COMMON GRACKLES, KILLDEER and GREAT BLUE HERONS. This week marks the end of another season for Project FeederWatch. On opening day, a NORTHERN SHRIKE was at our feeder which was not seen again all winter, but reappeared this weekend for the closing date for our feeder survey. There was COMMON REDPOLL still at our feeder yesterday as though serving as a reminder that winter could return. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are visiting feeders at 2800 County Road 1, and at Glenora Road near Picton. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, a dependable species at Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area, south of Picton, started the 2004 season off at this locati on on Saturday where spring was definitely in the air with the calls of spring peepers, wood frog and chorus frog, and a basking garter snake. This popular wetland yesterday hosted seven species of waterfowl including WOOD DUCK, CANADA GEESE, 14 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 70 MALLARDS, 16 HOODED MERGANSERS, 14 COMMON MERGANSERS and a MUTE SWAN. The Kaiser Crossroad fields are still producing poorly due to low water levels with only 500 NORTHERN PINTAILS present today, and a few MALLARDS and CANADA GEESE. There has been no recent update on the Wesley Acres Road site where a flooded field there often harbours large numbers of waterfowl. Other sightings of note during the week were NORTHERN SHRIKES at Valley Road and Huyck's Point Road, 100 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS at Prince Edward Point, PILEATED WOODPECKER at Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area, and two separate reports of partial albino RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS in the Picton area and north of Kingston. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Nancy Fox, Doris Lane, Donald McClure, Paul Thompson, Silvia Botnick, John Waddingham, Anne Anthony (Ontbirds listserv), Don Craighead, John & Margaret Moore, John Charlton, Jack & Carol Ashley, Donn and John Legate, and Cheryl Anderson for their contributions to this week's report. This report also appears on the Birding page at www.naturestuff.net . This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 5th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good spring birding. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net
