WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for Thursday, December 23, 2004
Birders still without a BALD EAGLE on their winter list, should do well
in Prince Edward County, if the Prince Edward Point Christmas Bird Count is
any indication. An amazing 33 BALD EAGLES were tallied during the 24-hour
period on December 18th. Seven were seen on the ice in one group just west
of the Glenora Ferry where they were harassing part of a flock of more than
4,000 COMMON MERGANSERS. Other highlights of the count will be given once
the final tally comes in.
Winter arrived in earnest today with 7 cm of snow, although all traces
of it were soon washed away in a torrential downpour of rain. With the
arrival of colder weather throughout much of the week, patronage at bird
feeders continued on at a frantic pace with continued reports of COMMON
REDPOLLS increasing in numbers at most feeders (there are 50 at a feeder
east of Waupoos) , and still a few scattered appearances of PINE SISKINS.
Some good numbers of NORTHERN CARDINALS at some feeders - 8 at a feeder east
of Lake-on-the-Mountain, and a few other good feeder reports including a
RED-HEADED WOODPECKER on Wilson Road, and 40 TREE SPARROWS and a lone SNOW
BUNTING at a feeder on Crookston Road, south of Madoc. A PINE WARBLER
(confirmed by a photograph) appeared for one day only on November 28th at a
feeder at West Lake. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS are coming to feeders at 23
Sprague Road, and to a feeder at the corner of Sunrise Drive and Sunrise
Court at Massassauga. A PILEATED WOODPECKER is making use of a feeder in
Trenton for the third consecutive winter, and 2 AMERICAN CROWS are gradually
working up the courage to visit a feeder at 23 Sprague Road.
Despite the cold, the ice, and the snow, a few stragglers continue to
appear including a GREAT BLUE HERON at Bloomfield on December 22nd, and a
NORTHERN FLICKER during the week at Point Petre. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS, 4
AMERICAN ROBINS and 36 CEDAR WAXWINGS turned up at 2075 County Road 7, east
of Lake-on-the-Mountain between December 18th and 20th, and NORTHERN
HARRIERS were spotted this week south of Cherry Valley and along Old Milford
Road.
With the sudden freeze up of many of the county's inland lakes,
waterfowl watching has been less than productive, although 300 CANADA GEESE,
50 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 25 BUFFLEHEAD and 12 MALLARDS were present in Monday's
frigid waters at Athol Bay when visibility at most waterfowl viewing
stations that day was hampered by clouds of mist rising off the water.
Today, there was a lone RING-NECKED DUCK in the Glenora Ferry channel. SNOW
BUNTINGS were seen during the week at Point Petre, and along Wooler Road.
One observer commenting on the WILD TURKEY situation in Prince Edward County
encountered 110 birds on single afternoon's drive, with 63 birds near
Mowbray Road, 23 north of Mowbray Road, 3 southwest of South Bay Church, and
21 just north of the Wesley Acres Road. Another 80 birds were reported by
another observer, near Royal Road. And north of the County Line, the
resident flock of 45 WILD TURKEYS are back again off Sidney Street, north of
the 401.
Other interesting sightings during the week included a SCREECH OWL today at
Point Petre, a NORTHERN SHRIKE on December 19th near Prince Edward Point, an
AMERICAN KESTREL near the intersection of County Road 1 & 19, and a maximum
of 72 TUNDRA SWANS today on Smith's Bay (there were 18 at Adolphustown
December 18th), and a BROWN CREEPER and a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW near
Waupoos.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to Bob Mauer, Joe Victor, Barry Pinsky, Albert Boisvert, John
Blaney, Don Craighead, Janet and Fred Chandler, Peter Marshall, Janet
Foster, Rae O'Brien, John Charlton, Angela Mantle, Cheryl Anderson, Donald
McClure, Monica Mills, Joanne Dewey, Laura Pierce, Eric Caley, Don Chisholm,
Wynne Thomas and Lloyd Paul for their contributions to this week's report.
This report will be updated on Thursday, December 30th. Bird sightings may
be forwarded to [EMAIL PROTECTED] at any time before the Thursday 6:00 p.m.
deadline. This report also appears on the NatureStuff website under BIRDING.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
