WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, September 27, 2007
It was a busy week in Prince Edward County as the fall bird migration
continues, and birders become increasingly active. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW
sang a perfect rendition of its spring song outside my office window this
morning, and others were reported this week from the Barcovan area and Fry
Road. Across the region, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS have been showing up at
both bird feeders and away from the backyards, as have DARK-EYED JUNCOS.
EASTERN PHOEBES, GRAY CATBIRDS, SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, NORTHERN HARRIER,
YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER and "tons" of BLUE JAYS were all seen in the
Stinson Block area at Consecon early this week. RUSTY BLACKBIRDS that were
first observed at Dug Hill Road near Trenton on Tuesday, increased from 8 to
30 the following day.
At Carrying Place yesterday there were good numbers of migrants including
NORTHERN FLICKERS, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS, AMERICAN ROBINS, BROWN
CREEPERS and both species of kinglets. Point Petre was more disappointing
mid week, although 15 AMERICAN KESTRELS were noted as well as lots of
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, BLUE JAYS with a COMMON YELLOWTHROAT, 3 PALM WARBLERS
and an immature BALD EAGLE tossed into the mix.
There was action too this week at Prince Edward Point, when 85 CANADA GEESE
dropped into the harbour for two days on the 23rd and 24th with a few small
groups going over. Four GADWALL were near the lighthouse on the 24th as was
a COMMON GOLDENEYE. That same day there were four GREEN-WINGED TEAL in the
harbour, and small groups of up to 3 GREATER SCAUP have been seen offshore
as have up to 6 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. The first COMMON MERGANSERS of the
fall were offshore on the 22nd, and 3 BLACK SCOTERS flew past that day as
well.
An OSPREY floated over on the 23rd and BALD EAGLES were seen on the 23rd (2)
and 26th (1). SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS (38) went over on the 22nd and a
RED-SHOULDERED HAWK was seen on the 23rd. A COOPER'S HAWK and yet another
BROAD-WINGED HAWK (5th of the fall) were banded on the 23rd. Six AMERICAN
KESTRELS were seen on the 22nd. A SEMIPALMATED PLOVER was on the beach on
the 23rd as were 5 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and one LESSER YELLOWLEGS, and there
have been up to 9 KILLDEER present all week feeding on the exposed weedy
rocks. Other shorebirds seen during the week were a SOLITARY SANDPIPER on
the 25th, 2 SPOTTED SANDPIPERS on the 24th and also on that day were 2
SANDERLING, 4 LEAST SANDPIPERS and a BAIRD'S SANDPIPER.
A YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was feeding in the trees on caterpillars on the 23rd
and two EASTERN SCREECH OWLS were calling on the 24th. Its that time of the
year again for NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS to start moving through the Point and
this has been the best ever September for them since owl banding began in
2000. Thirteen were trapped on the 20th and 35 on the 23rd, the 24th saw 65
banded and there were 21 the next night; numbers have been low since but the
total so far is a very good at 146. A WHIP-POOR-WILL was banded on the 26th
and another was flushed on the 24th. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS are moving
and 9 were trapped on the 27th. A YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was banded on
the 24th and a late TRAILL'S FLYCATCHER was trapped on the 26th, and there
was a late GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER seen on the 24th. BLUE HEADED VIREOS are
starting to be seen more frequently and up to 10 have been present in a day.
BLUE JAYS are also picking up and peak counts during the week were 3000 on
the 25th and 2000 the next day. A COMMON RAVEN was floating over the area on
the 23rd for a couple of hours and was calling almost non-stop. WINTER WRENS
peaked at 8 on the 24th and 12 on the 27th with a HOUSE WREN being seen on
the 25th. GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS are being seen daily after the first was
noted on the 21st and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS continue to trickle through as
well.
An EASTERN BLUEBIRD flew over, calling on the 23rd. Thrush numbers are
picking up and there were 25 GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES present on the 27th, and
there have been up to 10 SWAINSON'S and 7 HERMITS present all week. A WOOD
THRUSH was banded on the 26th. On the 23rd an AMERICAN PIPIT was feeding on
the beach. WARBLERS continue to trickle through in small numbers and there
were 3 NORTHERN PARULAS seen on the 21st and 13 species have been seen
during the week. A very early FOX SPARROW was trapped on the 24th and there
were at least 3 LINCOLN'S SPARROWS present on the 27th. WHITE-THROATED
SPARROW numbers have been around 20 a day all week but there were 75 present
on the 24th. The first WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS of the fall appeared on the
21st and have been seen almost daily since. A late ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK
was banded on the 24th and a flock of 85 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS stopped in briefly
on the 23rd. Up to 150 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are being seen daily and we have
now banded over 1100 of them so far this fall. Two PINE SISKINS were on the
feeders on the 27th.
At Sandbanks, a birder there found 3 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS and 3
BLACK-BELLIED PLOVERS. Over on the west side of the county, and a bit
beyond, Barcovan at Wellers Bay produced 4 PIED-BILLED GREBE and a couple
COMMON LOONS. Following the GREAT EGRETS around can be as frustrating as
keeping track of the WHITE PELICAN was when it appeared in the Bay of Quinte
area in August and much of September. There was a GREAT EGRET at Barcovan
this morning, and as many as 16 have been present in the Sawguin Marsh at
Highway 62. They disappeared, and on Friday, 13 suddenly turned up at Dead
Creek in Carrying Place, but an hour later they were gone, and the same 13
were back at Sawguin Creek. Two GREEN HERONS were present this morning at
Barcovan and there was also one at Beaver Meadow earlier in the week where
a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, and a WINTER WREN
were also seen.
At Salmon Point, a wayward MERLIN had a head-on collision with a window,
fell to a lower section of the roof below where it lay for 30 seconds,
whereupon it righted itself, and flew off, this time in a different
direction. A COMMON RAVEN continues to make daily circles over, or near, 23
Sprague Road, and another was observed on Lakeside Drive at Consecon Lake
feeding on a road killed squirrel. A NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD appears early most
mornings at 23 Sprague Road, but is seldom observed again during the day.
PURPLE FINCHES have been at many feeders across the county (15 on Glenora
Road), and a leucistic PURPLE FINCH is coming to a feeder on Low Street in
Picton. Our first sign of winter this week was seen on George's Road where a
handful of AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS turned up, certainly our earliest date for
the arrival of this popular species.
A GREATER YELLOWLEGS was feeding on the Big Island shoreline of Muscote Bay
twice during the week. EASTERN SCREECH OWLS continue to be heard at Big
Island and Cape Vesey. Tweed area nature film makers, John and Janet Foster
have said in one of their documentaries, "The best ending to a wildlife
story is a mystery" and we end this week's story with such a mystery,
involving a fully fledged HOUSE WREN near Carrying Place being attended by
an adult. A late nesting perhaps?
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), Nick
Quickert, Pamela Stagg, Rosemary Kent, Rob Williams, John Charlton, Cheryl
Anderson, Judith Gray, Laura Pierce, Nancy Fox, Ted Cullin, Kathy Felkar &
Mike Burgess, Henri Garand, John & Margaret Moore, Silvia Botnick and Fred
Chandler for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be
updated on Thursday, October 4th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time
before the 6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos this week in the
online version of the Quinte Area Bird Report include a DARK-EYED JUNCO by
Elena Petrcich of Kanata, and a GREATER YELLOWLEGS (photographed at P.E.
Pt.) by Peg Hauschildt. Photo of the AMERICAN KESTREL on Long Point Road on
the Main Birding page of the NatureStuff website is also by Peg Hauschildt.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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