WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA
for the week ending Thursday, April 21, 2005
The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory opened up for the spring 2005
season on Monday when 81 birds were
trapped. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was seen on the Sunday along with two AMERICAN
KESTRELS, and small numbers of LONG-TAILED DUCKS are present offshore and
have peaked at 5000 on the 16th. A COOPER'S HAWK was seen on the 18th and
NORTHERN GOSHAWK on the 10th/11th. A SANDHILL CRANE flew over on the 9th and
KILLDEER have already laid their first clutch of eggs. A group of three
CACKLING GEESE flew over in a flock of 75 CANADAS on the 9th. The first
LITTLE GULL of the year went past on the 14th with BONAPARTE'S GULLS which
numbered 450 on the 20th and will increase in the next few days.
A NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was trapped on the 13th and GREAT HORNED OWLS are
calling most nights. A Flicker Intergrade was caught by a male MERLIN on the
17th. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS have been here since the weekend but only up
to four in a day have been seen. A BLUE-HEADED VIREO was caught on the 20th
and a COMMON RAVEN flew over calling on the 19th hotly pursued by the local
crows. TREE SWALLOWS were also present from the start of the banding season
and the first ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW was seen on the 14th, the first CLIFF
SWALLOW on the 15th and BARN SWALLOW on the 18th. Although no huge arrivals
so far, kinglets have been putting in an appearance with the 17th holding
the peaks of 70 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and 85 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS. A
BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was found on the 20th and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD female
stayed for about an hour on the 18th.
HERMIT THRUSHES arrived on the 11th and 20 were present on the 18th, 100
AMERICAN ROBINS were in the area on the 17th and breeding Robins are
defending their nesting areas against the migrants. Two YELLOW-RUMPED
WARBLERS were seen on the 10th and up to seven a day have been seen since.
Single PINE WARBLERS have been seen on the 16th, 19th and 20th. EASTERN
TOWHEES arrived a week earlier than last year. FOX SPARROWS have been seen
in good numbers this spring and up to 10 have been seen in a day, the 23
caught so far is twice our best previous year. A few WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS
have been seen and should increase in numbers in the next few weeks.
A visit to the Point Traverse Woods (Prince Edward Point) by the writer on
April 19th, yielded the first NASHVILLE WARBLER and the first BLACK-THROATED
GREEN WARBLER of the year, along with three PINE WARBLERS, several
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, and a single BROWN CREEPER. Foraging for insects
along the cliff face were BARN, TREE and ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOWS, and plenty
of CLIFF SWALLOWS could be seen hovering around the Prince Edward Point
Lighthouse, from across the harbour. An adult BALD EAGLE was seen west of
the Point, and a COMMON RAVEN was seen at the corner of Whattam Road and
Babylon Road, likely the same one that was seen by bird banders at the
Observatory the same day. Another COMMON RAVEN was seen on April 15th flying
over the Jackson's Falls Schoolhouse Bed and Breakfast, also being pursued
by COMMON CROWS.
Early spring records continue to be broken in Prince Edward County. A
confirmed sighting of a male and female BALTIMORE ORIOLE was received from
the Cressy area on April 13th and 14th, and yet another early EASTERN
KINGBIRD made an appearance in Prince Edward County, this time at Big Island
on April 19th, as a successor to the two that turned up near Rednersville on
April 12th (mentioned in last week's report). Two SANDHILL CRANES appeared
in fields east of County Road 10, just south of Mowbray Road, on April 16th,
no doubt the same individuals that hung around the same location last year
from September until November. MARSH WRENS were heard calling in the Big
Island Marsh on April 15th, and the same day a PIED-BILLED GREBE was seen in
the channel just off the causeway.
Other migrants noted through the week were HERMIT THRUSH and RUSTY BLACKBIRD
at Prince Edward Point on April 18th, and FOX SPARROW at Sheba's Island on
the 16th, and BROWN THRASHER at Carrying Place on the 17th, and at Big
Island today. Nesting or transient OSPREYS were observed at Green Point
Road, Rossmore, and at one of two nesting platforms in the Wellers Bay marsh
near Edward Drive. A report of two nesting platforms occupied also came in
from the village of Hastings area. PURPLE MARTINS are also settling in at
martin houses on Big Island, Consecon and Belleville. Two WOOD DUCKS were
seen at Trenton on Saturday. EASTERN BLUEBIRDS are checking out
accommodations at Thomasburg, Stirling and Madoc, and in Prince Edward
County near the junction of Highway 62 and Jericho Road.
WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are turning up now with reports of them at Big
Island, Prince Edward Point, Bongard Crossroad area, Trenton and Thomasburg.
As these migrants appear, typically winter birds continue to linger, among
them AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS at feeders on Big Island as well as Maitland
Dive just north of Belleville. ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS during the week were seen
at Prince Edward Point on the 17th, and another on Vanderwater Road east of
Thomasburg on the 15th. PURPLE FINCHES numbering a half dozen or fewer, are
visiting feeders at 23 Sprague Road, 2075 County Road 7, Picton and on
Vanderwater Road (Thomasburg).
With at least four species of warblers and one vireo present at Prince
Edward Point now, and record early arrivals of BALTIMORE ORIOLES and EASTERN
KINGBIRDS, it is anyone's guess what will show up next. One local resident
is monitoring his hummingbird feeder for arrivals of this species which he
notes are already on the other side of the lake.
Prince Edward County residents are gearing up for the Prince Edward county
Birding Festival, scheduled for May 13 to the 23rd. As in the past, I will
be leading guided bird walks every morning at 8:00 a.m. in the Point
Traverse Woods. I also have the pleasure of being this year's guest birder
for the Baillie Birdathon in support of the Prince Edward Point Bird
Observatory and would appreciate your donation. Details on sponsoring me can
be found at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory website at
www.peptbo.ca . More details on the Birding Festival can be found at
www.thecounty.ca/birding .
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), John
Charlton, John & Margaret Moore, Joe Victor, Trudy Kitchen, Judith Gray,
Judy Bell, Doug & Evelyn Sloane, Chelsia Livingston, Helen Graham, Joanne
Dewey, Lloyd Paul, Serge de Sousa, Jess Chambers, Nick Quickert, Wendy
Sharpe, Molly Mulloy, Russ Kitchen, Shirley & Ken Joyce, Susan MacKay, and
Lyle Anderson for their contributions to this week's report. This report
will be updated on Thursday, April 28th. Bird sightings may be forwarded to
[EMAIL PROTECTED] at any time before the Thursday 6:00 p.m. deadline. Good
spring birding everyone.
Terry Sprague
Picton, Ontario
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
