WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for the week ending Thursday, March 31, 2005
At 5:30 Thursday morning, there was a cacophony of sound from seemingly
thousands of geese on Muscote Bay on the southwest shore of Big Island. At
6:00 a.m. an estimated 4,000 lifted from the open waters and headed in a
northeasterly direction, passing directly over our house in a series of
separate skeins. Heavy CANADA GOOSE movement was similarly noted elsewhere
in the County Thursday, a migration that started in earnest Wednesday
morning when advancing flocks were heralded by the appearance of two white
phase SNOW GEESE on Big Island. Elsewhere in the County, Canada Geese have
been migrating in similar large numbers since March 26th.
CANADA GEESE were also the order of the day at the flooded Kaiser Crossroad
corn fields east of Waupoos on Wednesday where some 2,000 CANADA GEESE were
taking advantage of the flooded conditions as well as the drier areas of the
extensive corn field. With them were 600 MALLARDS, 300 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 80
AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS and 6 TUNDRA SWANS. Conditions there are much better
than earlier anticipated as it was earlier feared that this spring's lack of
snow melt and rainfall would result in much lower numbers than what are
currently being encountered. There is still a considerable amount of ice in
the fields, so current conditions should continue here at this popular site
for some time to come. On Thursday, there were 4 AMERICAN WIGEON and 2
GREEN-WINGED TEAL in with the waterfowl.
The flooded field on Wesley Acres Road south of Bloomfield, known locally as
the Bucknell's Slough, will not likely fare as well however this spring, as
this field tends to be drained fairy quickly for agricultural purposes.
However, on Wednesday, there were three dozen NORTHERN PINTAILS and 8 WOOD
DUCKS here, along with the usual species expected at this time of the year.
East of Pleasant Bay, a flooded field there offered up the first NORTHERN
SHOVELER of the year and several thousand CANADA GEESE. The wetlands of
Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area near East Lake also did very well on
Wednesday with 3 AMERICAN WIGEON, 7 WOOD DUCKS, 100 HOODED MERGANSERS, 8
COMMON MERGANSERS, 1 RING-NECKED DUCK, MALLARDS and CANADA GEESE in the
relatively small amount of water that is free of ice.
As the waters of West Lake, East Lake and Prince Edward Bay continue to give
way to spring temperatures, waterfowl observation in these bodies of water
is becoming more difficult as ducks become more spread out. There were
plenty of COMMON MERGANSERS in Prince Edward Bay on March 30th, interspersed
with RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS and GREATER SCAUP. North of the County, 12
HOODED MERGANSERS were present on Tremur Lake, just off Wooler Road on March
26th.
Spring migrants to make their debut this past week were several EASTERN
MEADOWLARKS, to join the already present KILLDEER, SONG SPARROWS, GREAT BLUE
HERONS, TURKEY VULTURES and TREE SWALLOWS. Two WILSON'S SNIPE were found on
Fry Road on March 29th. A WINTER WREN turned up on March 30th at Cressy
Lakeside Road, and GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were seen at Big Island and
Smith's Bay on March 31st.
NORTHERN HARRIER reports were far too numerous to mention, as were reports
of TURKEY VULTURES, GREAT BLUE HERONS. RED-TAILED HAWKS during the week
included one dependable individual at Fenwood Gardens, four in the Milford
and South Bay area, one on Brummel Road, and one near Heron Lane at County
Road 8. There is an AMERICAN KESTREL at Mountain View with dibs on a nesting
cavity in the church steeple where a pair has nested in previous years.
A BELTED KINGFISHER, likely a migrant, was seen in Milford on March 27th, a
female RING-NECKED PHEASANT was spotted east of Warkworth strolling beside
the road, and 8 CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen at 2800 County Road 1 near
Bloomfield. Two DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were seen in flight over Consecon
on March 29th. Bird feeders in some areas are still doing very well, while
others in the area have come to a standstill. A feeder on Glenora Road still
has 60 COMMON REDPOLLS, 20 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 10 PINE SISKINS and 2
RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. GREAT GRAY OWLS sightings in the County appear to
have come to an end for the winter with the last two individuals being seen
along Lakeshore Road at Sandbanks Provincial Park March 17-18.
Birders in the area were saddened to hear of the passing of Rita Chapman of
Prinyer's Cove this week. Rita and her husband Fred hosted the varied Thrush
at their feeder on Prinyer's Cove Crescent from January 7th to April 16th in
2003. Those who wish to send a card can do so by sending it to R.R. # 4,
Picton, Ontario K0K 2T0.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to Laura Pierce, Doris Lane, Fred Chandler, Janet Foster, Monica
Mills, Mike Carmody, Serge deSousa, Susan MacKay, Shirley & Ken Joyce, Judy
Bell, Peter Marshall, John Walmsley, Lloyd Paul, Donald McClure, Theresa
Taylor, Fred Helleiner, Silvia Botnick, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Trudy
Kitchen, Don Craighead, Molly Mulloy, Albert Boisvert, Don Chisholm, David
Bree and Nancy Fox for their contributions to this week's report. This
report will be updated on Thursday, April 7th. 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 at
www.naturestuff.net under BIRDING, and our thanks to Peter Sporring of
Belleville for his photo of an AMERICAN WOODCOCK for this week's website
report.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
