WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, September 25, 2008
As might be expected, the tempo of the fall migration is starting to pick up at Prince Edward Point, so we will start our weekly report there and gradually work our way west across the county. A RED-THROATED LOON was seen on the 21st and 1 or 2 COMMON LOONS are being seen daily. TURKEY VULTURES are increasing and peaked at 57 on the 24th. CANADA GEESE (150) flew over on the 21st, and 8 AMERICAN WIGEON were seen at the entrance to the harbour with the MALLARDS on the 22nd. A single RED-BREASTED MERGANSER was seen on the 19th and others joined it during the week, and the flock near the lighthouse numbered 87 on the 24th. A third year and a second year BALD EAGLES were seen on the 19th and 22nd respectively. Two RED-TAILED HAWKS were present on the 23rd/24th and 5 AMERICAN KESTRELS were present in a kettle of TURKEY VULTURES on the 23rd. Three BONAPARTE'S GULLS were seen on the 22nd but few gulls are being seen on the lake at the moment. An EASTERN SCREECH-OWL was banded on the 19th and the first NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL of the fall was trapped on the night of the 21st/22nd. Six were trapped on the 23rd/24th and numbers should continue to increase as we get nearer October. A GREAT HORNED OWL was calling on the 23rd/24th as well. The first YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS, two of them, showed up on the 22nd and the number of NORTHERN FLICKERS are slowly increasing. An OLIVE-SIDED FLYCATCHER was seen near the Observatory on the 21st but did not hang around. EASTERN WOOD-PEWEES have been seen on two dates and a YELLOW-BELLIED FLYCATCHER was banded on the 22nd. EASTERN PHOEBES arrived on the 19th and 1-2 a day have been seen since. BLUE HEADED and RED-EYED VIREOS continue to move in reasonable numbers and a PHILADELPHIA VIREO was trapped on the 24th. BLUE JAYS are moving in earnest now and peaked at 1200 on the 24th, a COMMON RAVEN was calling on the 24th as well. The numbers of BROWN CREEPERS is slowly increasing as are GOLDEN and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS with peaks of 30 GOLDENS on the 23rd and 12 RUBYS on the 24th. SWAINSON'S and GRAY-CHEEKED THRUSHES continue to pass through in small numbers. Fifteen species of warblers were noted this week and the first ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER arrived on the 22nd with another bird seen the next day. A NORTHERN PARULA was banded on the 23rd, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS appear to have moved on but YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are starting to show up now with up to 20 being seen daily. BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLERS (20) were seen on the 22nd, as was a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER. BLACKPOLL WARBLERS are declining in numbers and single AMERICAN REDSTARTS have been seen daily during the week. Two WILSON'S WARBLERS were seen on the 20th. CHIPPING SPARROWS are starting to be seen again and the first SONG SPARROW for nearly two weeks was found on the 24th. WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are increasing and a peak of 25 occurred on the 24th. A WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was seen along Babylon Road and DARK-EYED JUNCOS are starting to be seen at the Point and along the roadway in. A single ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen on the 22nd. AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES are starting to move through in good numbers and up to 120 a day are going over, but very few are visiting the feeders and most seem to prefer to feed in the cedar trees. On September 21st, two members of the Kingston Field Naturalists tallied a respectable list at Prince Edward Point with some of the highlights being 200 BRANT in flight, 1 AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, 3 immature BALD EAGLES, 6 RED-EYED VIREOS, 1 WINTER WREN, and an AMERICAN WOODCOCK. Among the warblers checked off were NORTHERN PARULA, 35 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, BAY-BREASTED, NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH, COMMON YELLOWTHROAT and both BLACK-THROATED GREEN and BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS. Three COMMON RAVENS were also noted by the duo. Elsewhere across the county, many sightings reflect what was seen at Prince Edward Point. As many as four COMMON RAVENS circled daily above the Woodlands Campground at Sandbanks Provincial Park all week, calling incessantly as they did so. A SANDHILL CRANE flew over on the campground on Tuesday, and a PEREGRINE FALCON was seen at West Point late this afternoon. At least three HORNED GREBES and well over 100 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were present today in Athol Bay at the Park. The migration of BLUE JAYS was ongoing throughout the week at the Park, and one flock this morning contained over 80 individuals. About a half dozen EASTERN PHOEBES were present during the week, and a TENNESSEE WARBLER was seen on Monday, along with RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS, a YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, and a PILEATED WOODPECKER was present there for much of the week. Eight WILD TURKEYS were seen by several observers during the week along County Road 12, near the four-way stop. There was a GREAT EGRET at Northport on the 15th, and two GREEN HERONS and two GREAT BLUE HERONS were in the Horse Point area of the Bay of Quinte on the 22nd, where a COMMON MOORHEN, 2 WOOD DUCKS, 2 LEAST SANDPIPERS, a pair of MUTE SWANS, an AMERICAN BITTERN and four BELTED KINGFISHERS were also seen. Obviously a good place to bird if you have a canoe or kayak. Back on terra firma, a PINE WARBLER was seen at Horse Point along with YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS which are turning up everywhere right now. Two PALM WARBLERS were noted at Jackson's Falls, east of Milford on the 24th. EASTERN SCREECH-OWLS continue to call nightly at several locations, and at 2800 County Road 1, one was calling there, along with GREAT HORNED OWLS and a BARRED OWL. Two kilometres south of Black River along County Road 13, one motorist came upon an adult BALD EAGLE consuming a road killed rabbit. KILLDEER continue to be seen in flocks of various sizes, and 20 were noted bellying up to a water hole near the Milford Dump along Old Milford Road on the 23rd. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are obviously basking in the balmy temperatures and several nectar feeders were still enjoying patronage as of Wednesday. Other sightings during the week involved a MINK at the west jetty of the Wellington Channel, a SMOOTH GREEN SNAKE near Lake on the Mountain, and a WHITE-TAILED DEER that bounced off the grill guard of a Jeep Cherokee at late one night at Sandbanks. The driver, confident that the deer was okay, and the grill guard had done its job admirably, was shocked next morning to see two perfect hoof prints, so detailed as to even reveal the toe marks, in the fender of the car where the deer got the last laugh as it gave one final lunge to escape its attacker. At Cape Vesey, a resident there constructed a Herpetarium, consisting of a sheet of roofing, supported on 6 bricks in a grassy meadow., and it didn't take long to arouse the interest of a seething mass of 15 GARTER SNAKES of various sizes. Canadian film makers John and Janet Foster who are to be guest speakers on October 25th at the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory's fund raising dinner have returned from Waterton Lakes, Alberta where they were busy filming BLACK BEARS every day feeding heavily on a good crop of berries in the meadows, and beside the Red Rock Canyon Road, massive bull ELKS (7 at one count) round up their harems in the evenings, BISON in the huge paddock and splendid mountain scenery every way they pointed their camera. "Life does not get much better than this!" they commented. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines, Pauline Sprague, Joanne Dewey, John Blaney, Barry Pinsky, Fred Chandler, Brock Burr, Pamela Stagg, John and Janet Foster, John & Margaret Moore, Rosemary Smith, Nancy Fox , Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, and Ron Weir for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, October 2nd, 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 fall plumaged WARBLING VIREO doing some people watching. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Birding Report are of a BLACK-THROATED GREEN WARBLER and a NORTHERN PARULA, both in fall plumage. All photos are by Adam Penson. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. 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