WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, February 22, 2007
As wet snow fell all day today, it was only the temperature that suggested
March is just around the corner. AMERICAN ROBINS, likely all wintering
individuals, showed up at several areas across the region, in varying
numbers. Singles turned up in numerous locations, small numbers turn up
regularly at a creek on the eastern outskirts of Picton as well as
Lake-on-the-Mountain, a total of 400 was counted in the Prince Edward Point
area on the 20th, and large numbers have also been reported from the
Consecon Lake area and along County Road 1. Other false promises of spring
during the week included 3 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS at Prince Edward Point,
another east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, and NORTHERN FLICKERS east of Picton,
Fish Lake and at Prince Edward Point. BROWN CREEPERS were found at Fish
Lake, Waupoos area and two are still frequenting a feeder along Northport
Road.
For others that got caught up in the unusually mild start to winter and the
copious amounts of open water, it has been a struggle for many who hung
around in larger numbers than normal. MALLARDS are turning up all over the
place, except in water. An estimated 250 can be seen foraging in corn
stubble along County Road 18 just west of the Sandbanks Provincial Park
entrance where WILD TURKEYS were also seen. A hundred or so MALLARDS
continue to breakfast every morning at a Belleville address in the northeast
part of the city. Other ducks and waterfowl species are foraging where they
normally should be, with 6 MUTE SWANS seen in open water in the Waupoos
area, along with 2 NORTHERN PINTAILS. Elsewhere, open water is at a premium.
There are a couple of pockets of open water in Prince Edward Bay near the
Kaiser Crossroad which are packed with mostly COMMON GOLDENEYES, both
species of scaup, GADWALLS, AMERICAN BLACKS, REDHEADS and MALLARDS.
A great week for birds of prey. Topping the list was an adult BALD EAGLE
that perched for several minutes in a tree at Wellington, turning around
occasionally to monitor a photographer making final adjustments on her
camera. Then, as the eagle flew off, a spectacular photo was obtained of the
eagle in flight, which is this week's featured photo in the online version
of this bird report. Our thanks to Susan Shipman for the series of photos.
BALD EAGLES were also seen during the week at Milford (adult on the 12th),
4 along the Waupoos peninsula on the 20th, and two were seen in a back yard
along the Trent River just north of the bridge in Frankford. RED-TAILED
HAWKS have appeared across the region, and NORTHERN HARRIERS showed up this
past week at Sandbanks, Milford, South Bay and one near Cherry Valley. The
Accipiter family was represented by both species commonly encountered at
bird feeders. A COOPER'S HAWK flew into one window east of
Lake-on-the-Mountain while pursuing a junco. It managed to achieve a couple
of feet of altitude, and flew about 75 feet before flapping ignominiously
into a snow drift with its wings outstretched like a glider coming in for a
landing. After 15 minutes or so, the bird elevated itself to a tree branch
where it eventually flew off. COOPER'S HAWKS with less spectacular stage
appearances were seen at Allisonville, South Bay, and Prince Edward Point.
SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS also made appearances at bird feeders at Fish Lake, and
north of the County line at Belleville there were 2 at 89 Maitland Drive and
another in the Thomasburg area. A nice finish to the hawk observations was a
PEREGRINE FALCON near the intersection of County Road 7 and Rose's
Crossroad, east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, possibly the same individual that
had been seen earlier at Amerst Island.
HOUSE FINCHES continue to be represented by high numbers at some feeders
across the region with highs of 30 along Glenora Road, 30 at Allisonville,
26 at South Bay and 20 at a feeder on Bradley Crossroad. Also in good
numbers, although missing from some feeders are AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, with
30 or more at both a Thomasburg feeder and a feeder west of Tweed, and 30 at
a feeder at 2800 County Road 1, but less than a dozen at a Glenora Road
feeder. BLUE JAYS, AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS, MOURNING DOVES and DARK-EYED
JUNCOS (30 at a Harmony Road feeder in Thurlow) have also been reported in
high numbers at many feeding stations. Feeders at Wilson Road, County Road
1, Glenora Road, and Cherry Valley, all have RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS. At a
bird feeding seminar at the H.R. Frink Centre last weekend, a FOX SPARROW
obligingly turned up at a feeder just outside the window, where at least 3
PURPLE FINCHES are also guests. The latter species also coming to a feeder
just north of there where 6 males have been seen along with some females.
Two AMERICAN CROWS are at a feeder in Allisonville, where 100 EUROPEAN
STARLINGS have also dropped in for a visit. The same number of starlings
also made an unscheduled visit to feeders on Bradley Crossroad where
comments about their appearance were less than flattering. Two RUFFED GROUSE
were in a Fish Lake backyard this week, a feeder on Sunrise Court has
upwards of 4 WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and a probable COMMON RAVEN was seen
in one back yard along George's Road. The four PINE SISKINS which
inexplicably turned up during a snow storm last week at Consecon Lake have
not shown up since. Some super success at a Crookston Road feeder near Tweed
where their guests include over 40 BLUE JAYS, 20 or more AMERICAN TREE
SPARROWS, 2 pairs of PURPLE FINCHES, 3 AMERICAN CROWS, 2 COMMON RAVENS, and
a RED-TAILED HAWK, coming to fat that has been placed in a nearby field.
Other species of note reported during the week were 25 WILD TURKEYS south of
Madoc, PILEATED WOODPECKERS in the Waupoos area and south of Madoc, an
ICELAND GULL at Prince Edward Point, and a GREAT BLUE HERON along the
Trenton River at Frankford, a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD with starlings near
Lake-on-the-Mountain, and 37 CEDAR WAXWINGS more than a week ago at
Allisonville. A few more - actually 300 CEDAR WAXWINGS - were counted in the
Prince Edward Point area on the 20th - and not a Bohemian waxwing among them
!
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
