WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for Thursday, December 30, 2004
It's difficult to imagine a report filled with typical winter bird sightings
when rain is teaming down on this early Friday morning. However, even as I
filled the bird feeders this morning when it was just becoming light, at
least four separate groups of SNOW BUNTINGS passed over, and that's the way
it has been all week. A flock of 300 was seen December 27th in a field
adjacent to North Big Island Road near the west end of the island. Other
similarly large flocks were spotted during the week on Scoharie Road east of
Highway 33 in the Consecon area, another flock of 300 birds between County
Road 2 and Highway 62, both on Christmas Day, and another large flock on
County Road 1 near Highway 62. One flock along Highway 62 at Victoria Road
contained a LAPLAND LONGSPUR on December 27th, the day of the Belleville
Christmas Bird Count.
Some interesting sightings on that count included a single CHIPPING SPARROW
visiting a feeder on Victoria Road, 2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS - one in the
Ameliasburgh area and another at the extreme south end of the dead end
portion of Marsh Road on Huff's Island. NORTHERN HARRIERS were seen on
Huff's Island Road and along County Road 14. A stop along County Road 14
when some movement was noted in a couple distant trees, yielded the only
BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS (18) on the count, mixed in with about 65 CEDAR WAXWINGS.
The same tree contained a NORTHERN CARDINAL, numerous AMERICAN ROBINS and a
RED-TAILED HAWK. Due to ice conditions resulting from very cold temperatures
prior to the count, waterfowl numbers were down, and only 46 species of
birds were tallied, compared with 51 species in 2002, and 53 species in
2003.
Results were also down on the Prince Edward Point Count on December 18th
with a total of 71 species seen, and some obvious ones such as great blue
heron, red-necked grebe, surf scoter, northern flicker, horned lark and
yellow-rumped warbler being missed this year. However, their absence was
more than made up by record highs of BALD EAGLES (33), TUNDRA SWAN (127),
BLACK SCOTER (12), COMMON GOLDENEYE (4296), COMMON MERGANSER (7023), WILD
TURKEY (56), AMERICAN WOODCOCK (5) and PINE SISKIN (82). Somewhat
surprising, compared to other years, were the low numbers on the count of
AMERICAN ROBIN (only 3) and SNOW BUNTING (1).
COMMON REDPOLLS continue to dominate the scene at many bird feeders in the
Quinte area with highs of 20 to 30 commonly being reported. Some good
numbers of PINE SISKINS too with a flock of 30 at Prinyer's Cove during the
week, and a flock of 50 encountered along Kaiser Road. A NORTHERN FLICKER is
still coming to a feeder on Glenora Road, and another is working its way to
a feeder in Trenton. COOPER'S HAWKS have been doing a bit of birdwatching of
their own at feeders on Victoria Road, Trenton, Big Island, Bloomfield and
South Bay. NORTHERN SHRIKES appeared at feeders on Highway 62 at Jericho
Road, and at Elmbrook. And a feeder at 1605 County Road 10 in Cherry Valley
has had an EASTERN TOWHEE for several days. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are
coming to feeders in Bloomfield and on Sheba's Island. At Smith's Bay, a
WHITE-THROATED SPARROW is a regular visitor there. And while some of us jump
up and down with excitement whenever a NORTHERN CARDINAL appears at a
feeder, there are no fewer than 10 coming to a feeder on Glenora Road.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS have been seen at feeders during the week at 23
Sprague Road on Big Island, Gray's Lane at Cherry Valley, as well as at a
feeder at the junction of Sunrise Drive and Sunrise Court in the Massassauga
area. In Picton, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK had its own private bird feeder,
harassing ROCK PIGEONS in downtown Picton on the 27th.
Across the County Line, there are 3 COMMON RAVENS coming to large hunks of
fat placed out along an old farm lane at one residence on Crookston Road
south of Madoc, where an immature GOLDEN EAGLE was also spotted circling
overhead, likely attracted by the activity. There were 40 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS
seen at Queensboro near Madoc, and a GREAT GRAY OWL was seen along the
Kinlin Road east of Tweed late this week. Down in Adolphustown, there is a
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER visiting a feeder there, and a GREAT BLUE HERON flew
by on Christmas Day and Boxing Day. One of the county's apparently very
common BALD EAGLES made its way across the Adolphus Reach and was spotted in
a tree near the park, followed three hours later by a GOLDEN EAGLE.
With most lakes and bays in the area now frozen solid (there was a truck on
the Bay of Quinte on Monday!), waterfowl have taken a back seat this past
week, although 750 BUFFLEHEADS were seen along Cressy Lakeside Road on
Monday, and a female HOODED MERGANSER was at the Wellington Harbour jetty,
also on Monday.
Just a reminder that registrations are now being accepted for the 6-week
(one evening/week) Bird Identification Course which I am conducting at Quite
Conservation, commencing February 1st. Registration is limited to 20 people,
and we already have 10. Further details, including cost, can be obtained by
e-mailing [EMAIL PROTECTED] .
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to Bob Maurer, Lyle Vanclief, Sergio de Sousa, Jenny Goodall,
Henry Pasila, Brian & Gloria Durell, John & Janet Foster, Doris Lane, Rae
O'Brien, Joel Ellis, Doug McRae, Nancy Fox, Joanne Dewey, Silvia Botnick,
Bill Hogg, John Charlton, John & Margaret Moore, Peter Marshall, and Donald
McClure for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be
updated on Thursday, January 6th. Bird sightings may be forwarded to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] at any time before the Thursday 6:00 p.m. deadline. This
report is also posted for a week on the NatureStuff website under BIRDING.
Drive carefully this New Year's Eve, and best wishes to everyone as we step
into 2005.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
