WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, January 18, 2007
Cold weather finally brought some action this week. Birds at most feeding
stations has almost tripled in number in some cases, and even birding afield
has been more rewarding. One bird turning up at a feeding station along
County Road 18 near Cherry Valley was a male RED-HEADED WOODPECKER. This is
probably the same individual seen at a feeder near King Road earlier in the
season. Another surprise visitor at a feeder just west of Croydon, north of
Napanee was a FOX SPARROW that turned up on January 14th and again today. In
Belleville, a HERMIT THRUSH is coming to a feeder on North Park Street.
There was a NORTHERN FLICKER seen at Prinyer's Cove on the 15th and a
MERLIN made a surprise visit at a feeder on Low Street, in Picton. Few
feeders across the Quinte area experienced dull days this week. AMERICAN
GOLDFINCHES increased in numbers at our feeders - if you call from a low of
3 per day to 8 being an increase. However, elsewhere, goldfinch numbers have
soared. There have been 60 for several days at a feeder in Thomasburg, and
large numbers are also at feeders east of Milford, and 20 coming to a feeder
on Glenora Road.
A SHARP-SHINNED HAWK swooped through a feeding area at 23 Sprague Road at
daybreak this morning, and a COOPER'S HAWK was identified at a feeder near
Milford, also early this morning. Also enjoying high numbers of at least one
species is a bird feeder operator, located in the Barry Heights area of
Trenton. His count of HOUSE FINCHES yesterday was 58, more reminiscent of
the days when all feeders enjoyed similar numbers shortly after they became
established in the Quinte area. Also coming to his feeders are one PILEATED
WOODPECKER, and a BROWN CREEPER. Anyone with problems separating HAIRY
WOODPECKERS from the smaller DOWNY WOODPECKERS would have had an excellent
opportunity to compare field marks as the males of both species perched
simultaneously about an arm's length away from each other on feeders at a
Big Island location. Feeders at Allisonville are also enjoying some high
numbers of birds, with 40 HOUSE FINCHES there, along with 30 DARK-EYED
JUNCOS, 24 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES and 2 AMERICAN CROWS. Two COMMON RAVENS
and five AMERICAN CROWS are at feeders in the Madoc area, and RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS are coming to a feeder east of Milford. There was a PILEATED
WOODPECKER east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, and the bird feeder on Glenora Road
continues to enjoy good numbers of HOUSE FINCHES, PURPLE FINCHES (6),
DARK-EYED JUNCOS, BLUE JAYS, as well as DOWNY, HAIRY and RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS.
Colder weather and a nice covering of snow, have both made observations of
WILD TURKEYS a little easier. There were 6 on County Road 8 at Waupoos
yesterday just below the old dump, and 12 were near there this morning.
Another 14 paraded through a yard near Madoc, and a fairly dependable flock
( a rafter?) of 15 on Glenora Road. RED-TAILED HAWKS during the week were
seen on Tufftsville Road near Stirling, Wellington, and at Trenton, along
with 4 being reported close to 401 between Belleville and Toronto, and
AMERICAN KESTRELS were spotted near Madoc and north of Belleville along
Philipston Road, along with the dependable kestrel along County Road 2 near
Wellington at the Millennium Trail..
With the water in local lakes and bays becoming stiffer this week, waterfowl
have been adjusting to the new conditions, providing some close observations
in some areas, and absentees in others. West of Wellington this past week,
approximately 50 MALLARDS have been close to shore. Wellington Harbour
itself yesterday contained scaup, COMMON GOLDENEYE, LONG-TAILED DUCKS,
about 45 MALLARDS, 8 COMMON MERGANSERS, a male HOODED MERGANSER, 4 AMERICAN
COOTS, 38 MUTE SWANS and 9 RING-BILLED GULLS, all concentrated in an area of
open water some 100 metres from the government wharf. A small number of
CANADA GEESE also turned up there, but there were about 300 in a field just
north of the village in the area of Swamp College Road. At Muscote Bay at
Big Island, despite the thickening ice, 500 CANADA GEESE continued to be
about. However, the big surprise at Muscote Bay, as observed from 218 South
Big Island Road, was an adult BALD EAGLE, the only one seen this week
anywhere in the county. The bird arrived January 12th and was attracted by
an unidentified carcass on the thin ice that was large enough that the bird
was unable to lift it and carry it away. The bird remained for some time as
it shifted its prey around and picked at the carcass. Nice observation
through anyone's living room window, I would say. At Consecon Lake, 38 MUTE
SWANS were still hanging around despite ice conditions in front of 1167
Lakeside Drive, where there were also MALLARDS and a few AMERICAN BLACKS.
And to solidify the notion that winter has arrived, 25 SNOW BUNTINGS were
seen along Roblin Road, north of Deseronto on Saturday.
This is a condensed version of the Quinte Area Bird Report, containing only
the significant sightings for Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. The
full version can be found on the NatureStuff website, under BIRDING from
the Main Menu.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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Terry Sprague
23 Sprague Road,
R.R. # 1, Demorestville, Ontario K0K 1W0
613-476-5072 (home), 613-848-4549 (cell)
