WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK
ENDING
Thursday, September 04, 2008
Migrating birds as well as a few of the local residents just cruising the
neighbourhood, have been delighting many backyard observers this past week.
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES have staged an encore at some local feeders, after being
absent for a time, and BALTIMORE ORIOLES have also joined remaining
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS at nectar feeders. Late blooming weigela, mock
orange and phlox near Lake on The Mountain have attracted a female hummingbird
there, and mid-week, one butterfly bush at Bloomfield had an assortment of
butterflies including AMERICAN LADY, 2 MILBERT'S TORTOISESHELLS, A COMPTON'S
TORTOISESHELLS, 3 MONARCHS, and 4 GIANT SWALLOWTAILS, as well as a GREAT
SPANGLED FRITILLARY on a nearby cedar hedge. Sounds like some of the bushes at
Prince Edward Point in spring when the warbler migration is at its peak. Three
caterpillars of the less frequently encountered PROMETHEA MOTH were seen in
North Marysburgh Ward of Prince Edward County. Lloyd and Bernie McCabe of
Cobourg were delighted when a pair of NORTHERN CARDINALS nested nearby and were
anxiously awaiting to see the kids. Instead, the male cardinal was observed at
a bird feeder at their front door with only one offspring, and it was a
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD! CEDAR WAXWINGS have also been flocking and two dozen
were seen at the end of August in Bloomfield.
What do you call a flock of cormorants? Depending on your source, it can be a
gulp, or a solitude. On Muscote Bay for the past week to 10 days according to
several observers, it has a been a large flight involving anywhere from a few
hundred birds to over 1,500 with many of them concentrating in the Sawguin
Marsh area below Mountain View and extending beyond Massassauga Point. Also
gathering, although not as spectacularly, have been COMMON LOONS, primarily in
the Adolphus Reach areas involving up to two dozen individuals. As the fall
migration eases into high gear, migratory birds are turning up everywhere.
Passing through a Bloomfield backyard yesterday were BLACKPOLL, BAY-BREASTED,
MAGNOLIA and NASHVILLE WARBLERS, and AMERICAN REDSTART, as well as a
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH. Another backyard in Waupoos had a BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER.
Ten WILD TURKEYS were seen walking across a field in the Stinson Block west of
Consecon. There was a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON at Cressy on August 30th, and a
WHIMBREL was seen at Sandbanks a few days ago.
At Prince Edward Point, it's still fairly quiet, but the birds are finally
starting to trickle through at last, according to bird bander David Okines. A
few TURKEY VULTURES are starting to move through on the thermals but raptor
migration has been slow, but of note is that 1 - 3 MERLINS are being seen
daily. A GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen among the MALLARDS on the 4th, and
BLUE-WINGED TEALS were seen on the 30th and 3rd. September saw a slight
increase in SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and 10 were seen on the 3rd. SPOTTED SANDPIPERS
are often found around the harbour and 5 were found on the 4th, but no other
species of shorebirds were found during the week. Up to 30 BONAPARTE'S GULLS
can be seen offshore but little of interest is being seen on the lake yet. A
BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO was trapped on the 1st, and COMMON NIGHTHAWKS are much less
common this year and apart from 26 on the 31st, there are generally only 4 - 5
being seen each night.
Single CHIMNEY SWIFTS were seen on the 29th and 30th and only 1 or 2
RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are being seen in a day. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER
was sitting in the treetops on the 30th. Most of the flycatchers are still
being seen and YELLOW-BELLIED is the most common of them, an EASTERN PHOEBE was
present on the 4th, but EASTERN KINGBIRDS have not been seen since the 29th.
RED-EYED VIREOS are moving in good numbers and the first PHILADELPHIA VIREO of
the fall was trapped on the 4th. The swallows have mostly gone but the 3rd saw
20 TREE SWALLOWS, 40 BANK SWALLOWS and 40 BARN SWALLOWS go over. A BROWN
CREEPER was banded on the 1st; meanwhile a few VEERYS and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES
are starting to migrate. CEDAR WAXWING numbers at the Point are fluctuating
from 40 - 120 daily, and along Babylon Road there are more than 200 present.
Seventeen warbler species were seen during the week. New warbler species for
the fall were WESTERN PALM WARBLER on the 3rd, BAY-BREASTED WARBLER on the
30th. BLACKPOLL WARBLERS are starting to move in reasonable numbers and 20 were
present on the 2nd. MAGNOLIA WARBLERS numbered 25 on the 29th and 3rd, 13
BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS were noted on the 1st. AMERICAN REDSTARTS numbered
8 on the 3rd and a MOURNING WARBLER was banded on the 3rd. Different SCARLET
TANAGERS were seen on the 31st and 1st. BOBOLINKS continue in their good run
with 73 banded during the week. Bird of the week was a juvenile CAROLINA WREN
that was banded on the 3rd and is only the second fall record.
In keeping with the caterpillar theme, at least 7 PANDORA SPHINX
caterpillars (two light green ones, two dark brown ones and the rest light
brown) all about 3 inches long and a WAVED SPHINX caterpillar can be seen
behind the Observatory. The GIANT SWALLOWTAIL caterpillars are now about 3/4 of
an inch long.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines, Kent Hawkins, John Charlton, Chesia Livingston,
Suzanne Pierson & Tom Higginbottom, Laura Pierce, Bernie McCabe, Heather Heron,
Justin White, John & Margaret Moore, Henri Garand, Bill Leet, Cheryl Anderson,
Henry Pasila, Ted Cullin and David Bree for their contributions to this week's
report. This report will be updated on Thursday, September 11th, but sightings
can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Feature photo on
the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website is of a sizable flock of
DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS taking off from Muscote Bay by Henri Garand. Photos
in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report are both by Bernie McCabe
of Cobourg showing a NORTHERN CARDINAL feeding a BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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