WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, October, 18, 2007
At Prince Edward Point this past week, a RED-THROATED LOON flew past on the
16th and a few COMMON LOONS are going past as well. The DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANT numbers are dropping rapidly and only about 500 remain offshore
most days now. TURKEY VULTURES (120) were seen on the 14th and 54 CANADA
GEESE flew over that day as well. AMERICAN WIGEON are not common down here
but 5 flew past on the 17th and a RING-NECKED DUCK was swimming just
offshore on the 15th. Although there are not many GREATER SCAUP offshore yet
there were 1000 seen on the 14th, but 50 or fewer is the norm. WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS have been increasing during the week and 300 have been seen feeding
just offshore for the last two days.
Thirty SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS were counted on the 14th along with 28 RED-TAILED
HAWKS, and the first RED-SHOULDERED HAWK of the fall. Owling has continued
to be very good with 421 NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS trapped during the week and
includes a record breaking 236 on the night of the 12th/13th. We are now at
1162 SAW-WHETS banded for the fall with still another two weeks to go. Up to
3 BARRED OWLS have been seen nightly and 7 have been trapped during the
week. On the 16th, a LONG EARED OWL was trapped and had also been heard the
night before. YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS were trapped on the 13th and 14th
and HAIRY WOODPECKERS have started to move with up to 3 a day being seen.
BLUE JAYS have almost finished moving with only 20 - 50 a day being seen
although there were 155 on the 14th. The 14th saw a flock of 38 AMERICAN
CROWS slowly make their way across the field. BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES
continue to move with the best day this week being 100 on the 17th and 120
on the 18th. Fifteen WHITE-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were seen on the 14th with up
to 10 seen most days since. The 12th saw 100 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS and 75
GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS being observed, although numbers remain below
average for this time of the year.
A single GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSH remains in the area and up to 20 HERMIT
THRUSHES are seen daily. A few AMERICAN ROBINS have started moving and 48
were seen on the 14th, 230 seen on the 17th, and 80 were present on the
18th. CEDAR WAXWING numbers are starting to pick up and 50 were seen on the
16th, and on the 17th a small group of 15 feeding at the end of the woods
had a nice BOHEMIAN WAXWING in with them; this is the first one seen here in
the fall while the Observatory has been open, and usually they arrive just
after the Observatory is closed for the fall. An ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was
trapped on the 14th and one or two NASHVILLE WARBLERS are hanging on, as are
a few BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, and 200 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS were
counted on the 12th, but 15 or fewer daily is more normal this week. A PINE
WARBLER was trapped on the 12th and later in the afternoon four more
unbanded birds were seen feeding on the front lawn. A late BLACKPOLL WARBLER
was banded on the 14th.
One to three FOX SPARROWS a day are being seen or banded and the number of
WHITE-THROATED and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS being seen has dropped to only a
few of each. A few blackbirds are moving and 70 RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were
counted going over on the 14th, and 17 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were seen on the
12th, and 8 were seen on the 14th. Six PINE SISKINS were on the feeders on
the 12th and first thing on the 15th there were 6 EVENING GROSBEAKS on the
feeders but they quickly flew off, but fortunately returned mid-morning and
5 of them were trapped and banded.
Elsewhere across Prince Edward county, the bold and the beautiful were in
the news this week. SANDHILL CRANES, presumably different individuals, have
appeared east of Milford on October 13th (3), and another two at Cressy the
following day, while the Milford individuals were still present. Last
weekend, a Massassauga Road resident was surprised to see a colourful
newcomer to his backyard which turned out to be an ORANGE-FRONTED PARAKEET,
native to Mexico, and most probably an escapee from a private collection.
Bird feeders across the region are experiencing high numbers of DARK-EYED
JUNCOS as the species continues to migrate through the area. RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES, also moving through, have shown up at many feeders this past
week, but it is still a bit too early to get a feel for what the winter may
bring in the way of boreal species. While predictions indicate that the
majority of PINE SISKINS departed Ontario some time ago in search of cone
crops east and west, and that fewer than a handful are apt to visit feeders
in this area this coming season, one observer in Stirling was alarmed to
have at least 30 crowding around two niger seed feeders. Down in the Bay of
Quinte area, only a few select feeders have the predicted two or three
coming to dine. Predictions that EVENING GROSBEAKS may move south this
winter are beginning to come true at some feeders with a female at a feeder
on the 17th at 2800 County Road 1 in the Bloomfield area, several being
heard at Green Point Wednesday, and there were two at a feeder along Glenora
Road earlier in the month and, of course, the 8 at Prince Edward Point
mentioned earlier in this report. PURPLE FINCHES continue to make
appearances in small numbers at feeders across the region. And EASTERN
BLUEBIRDS that nested near Mowbray Road this summer, and enticed to the
backyard with offerings of mealworms, returned this week, obviously wanting
more. A local farm feed dealer in Picton now stocks mealworms in response to
the initial demand by this one resident. Other EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen
this week on Walmsley Road. The term "hordes" seems appropriate when
describing the clientel at a feeder along Glenora Road where guests there
include 20 PURPLE FINCHES, 20 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 3 RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKERS, 4 HAIRY WOODPECKERS, 6 DOWNY WOODPECKERS, WHITE-CROWNED
SPARROW, 2 RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES, and high numbers of BLACK-CAPPED
CHICKADEE, DARK-EYED JUNCOS, and BLUE JAYS.
Do RED-TAILED HAWKS occasionally behave like vultures? Occasionally they do,
according to references, and at least one observer near Miller Road in the
County, witnessed one feasting on a freshly killed raccoon along the
roadside this week.
Just to remind us that our warm weather of the past is on the wane and
colder weather is in the offing, a single SNOW GOOSE was seen mixed in with
a group of a couple dozen CANADA GEESE recently at Pleasant Bay, and on the
13th, three blue phase SNOW GEESE appeared with a gaggle of 20 CANADA GEESE
in the same body of water. COMMON LOONS are still being heard here and there
in the area. Between 400 and 500 MALLARDS and RING-NECKED DUCKS continue to
be present in Muscote Bay, and this week four TUNDRA SWANS tuned up. Three
BLACK SCOTERS were observed in the Long Reach area of the Bay of Quinte near
Green Point yesterday.
A roadside HERMIT THRUSH was seen at Crofton on the 16th, and a late BARN
SWALLOW was seen flying over the Brighton Sewage Lagoons the same day. BROWN
CREEPERS are still around, and one was seen at Cape Vesey on the 17th.
In the Stirling area, there has been no lack of migrant activity as one
observer there described roadsides and meadows seething with migrants, among
the more notable observations being lingering LEAST FLYCATCHER,
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS, GRASSHOPPER SPARROW, and an AMERICAN BITTERN.
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), Rosemary
Smith, Gerald Walker, Dale Northrup, Fred Helleiner, Lyle Anderson, Fred
Chandler, Ken & Shirley Joyce, Fiona King, Silvia Botnick, Joanne Dewey,
Henri Garand, Anne Potter, Judy Kent and Cathie Stewart for their
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, October 25th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m., Thursday deadline. Featured photos this week in the online
edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report include a YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER by
Cathy Boucher, and a photo by Judy Kent of one of the seven BARRED OWLS that
were banded this week at Prince Edward Point. A close-up of photo of the
BARRED OWL by Judy Kent appears on the Main Birding page of the NatureStuff
website.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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