In addition to the arrival of numerous expected spring birds during the past
week, several unexpected rarities spiced up the birding at Presqu'ile
Provincial Park.
Popham Bay, off the west shore of the Park, has become well known as one of
the most reliable places in Ontario, along with Bruce County, to find
Red-throated Loons from late March onwards. As many as eight individuals were
counted on April 3 and seven on April 8. Judging from past experience, the
species will still be present in good numbers throughout this month. Common
Loons can now be found in Presqu'ile Bay with a bit of searching, and, for the
rest of this month, will likely be flying over the peninsula for an hour or two
after dawn each day, provided that weather conditions are suitable. Now that
Red-necked Grebes are showing up in other parts of Lake Ontario, they will
probably appear in Popham Bay soon, joining the few Horned Grebes that are
already there.
A surprisingly early American Bittern was heard in the marsh on April 3.
Usually, their arrival is preceded by that of Great Egrets, which have not yet
put in their usual appearance at Presqu'ile.
Without a doubt, the birding highlight of the past week in the Park has been
the three rare species of waterfowl that were discovered. On April 3, it was a
male Barrow's Goldeneye that was consorting with a group of Common Goldeneyes,
the first in over five years at Presqu'ile. Finding that bird again has proved
problematic and very much dependent on viewing conditions (absence of waves,
heat haze, or fog), but it was still present on April 8, when the only
interference with observation of the bird was its annoying habit of flying off
and landing just out of sight. On the following day (April 4), the same
observer found a male Eurasian Wigeon between 16 and 18 Bayshore Road.
Although that bird may still be present somewhere in Presqu'ile Bay, no one has
been able to find it since its initial sighting. The most recent, and perhaps
the most unexpected, rare duck to show up was a female King Eider that spent
most of the morning of April 8 with a group of White-winged Scoters in Popham
Bay off Owen Point. This is apparently the first time that that species has
ever been found at Presqu'ile in spring.
On April 4, an adult Bald Eagle was spotted from two different vantage points
as it flew over the peninsula. On the next day, another bird that may well
have been an eagle was seen flying low over Popham Bay. On April 3 and 4,
there were three sightings of Rough-legged Hawks, two light-phased and one
dark-phased. The only other noteworthy raptor of the week was a Short-eared
Owl being chased by an American Crow as it flew over Paxton Drive and 71
Bayshore Road on April 6.
An Iceland Gull was sitting on Sebastopol Island on April 3. Bonaparte's
Gulls, sometimes accompanied by Little Gulls, have usually reached Presqu'ile
by this date, but no one has yet reported the species here this year. They
will probably arrive within the next day or so.
A Northern Shrike seen at the calf pasture on the rather late date of April 4
may be the same bird as that seen there sporadically for several weeks. Two
Eastern Bluebirds were in that area on April 6. A very early American Pipit
landed briefly on a lawn at 186 Bayshore Road in a snowstorm at dusk on April 4.
The first Field Sparrow of the season was singing near Beach 1 on April 3, and the first Fox Sparrows were in Newcastle Woods on the following day. The feeders at 186 Bayshore Road were visited by a Common Redpoll on April 2, four Pine Siskins on April 7, and a male Purple Finch, the first since last fall, on April 8.
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. Access to the offshore islands is restricted at this time of
year to prevent disturbance to the colonial nesting birds there.
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.
