WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR Sunday, May 16, 2004
The big news this past week was the appearance of a male PAINTED BUNTING at a feeder in Cherry Valley, south of Picton. The bird appeared on the afternoon of May 12th, feeding on deck of their home. The bird was still there by evening, when I received news of the sighting, but efforts to locate the bird again the following day failed and the bird has not been seen since. A photograph of the bird was e-mailed to me on Thursday. This now brings the Prince Edward County bird list to 340 species. Things at Prince Edward Point this weekend were almost as colourful as Cherry Valley's painted bunting. At least two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were found today in the Point Traverse woods and along the roadside between there and the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory. Twenty-five species of warblers were present this weekend at the Point with YELLOW-RUMPED, CHESTNUT-SIDED, MAGNOLIA, YELLOW, and AMERICAN REDSTARTS leading the names for numbers. Also present were TENNESSEE, both BLUE-WINGED AND GOLDEN-WINGED, BAY-BREASTED, BLACKPOLL, CAPE MAY and CANADA. A HOODED WARBLER was also present early in the weekend. A female SUMMER TANAGER was banded Friday afternoon. At least 2, perhaps 3, CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS are singing on territory in the field behind the Observatory and an AMERICAN WOODCOCK was seen by one observer behind the Observatory as well. The area around the lighthouse contained ORCHARD ORIOLE, CAPE MAY WARBLER, CANADA WARBLER, several BLACKPOLL WARBLERS and a small number of INDIGO BUNTINGS. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS called from several locations, and a BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was observed on her nest near the harbour. At the Ducks Dive Charters and Cottages where I am staying in my trailer until May 23rd, 2 GREEN HERONS landed in an apple tree only metres from my trailer and remained there for fully 30 minutes while I ate my breakfast within plain view of them. Out on the lake, at least 200 LONG-TAILED DUCKS are still present. Banders at Prince Edward Point had their hands full on May 10 when 549 birds of 41 species were banded. Some of the highs included 116 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 81 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, 72 NASHVILLE WARBLERS, 60 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, and 31 BLUE JAYS. Other notables in the day's list were 8 VEERYS, 9 WOOD THRUSHES, 7 OVENBIRDS, 7 SCARLET TANAGERS, 6 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, and singles of MOURNING DOVE, HAIRY WOODPECKER, HOUSE WREN, GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLER, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, WILSON'S WARBLER, and EASTERN TOWHEE. These spectacular banding numbers coincided with a strong movement of passerines through the Point that day. There were 21 species of warblers found that day by other observers as well as YELLOW-THROATED VIREO, PINE SISKIN and PURPLE FINCH. A BREWSTER'S WARBLER was seen there on May 13th, and a SANDHILL CRANE was heard calling on Wednesday. A late ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK continues to be present in Prince Edward County, with the most recent sighting coming from Point Petre on Friday. A BALD EAGLE was seen flying over Highway 62 near Christian Road on Monday, and a MERLIN turned up at a Hill Street residence on Tuesday. Other good sightings during the week included 50 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS on Soup Harbour this week, 3 SOLITARY SANDPIPERS at Babylon Road on Tuesday, a WHIP-POOR-WILL for several nights at the Ducks Dive Cottages at Prince Edward Point, and a BARRED OWL at Vanderwater Conservation Area , north of Belleville on May 10th. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Bruce Ripley, Wendy Sharpe, Cathy Anderson, Ken & Shirley Joyce, Fred Chandler, John & Margaret Moore, Jack & Carol Lashley, Terry Slatter, Doris Lane, Lloyd Paul,, Brian & Gloria Durell and Wynne Thomas. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. Sunday, May 23rd. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good spring birding. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net
