WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR Thursday February 05, 2009
As winter refuses to release its icy grip on Prince Edward County and area, this has resulted in continued brisk activity at many feeding stations across the region. Conversely, observation of waterfowl is more difficult due to the lack of open water. In many typically excellent waterfowl viewing locations along the County's south shore, there are fields of ice as far as the eye can see. Wellington Channel is barely open and Monday, there were only 6 MUTE SWANS. Two optimistic TUNDRA SWANS flew over Log Cabin Point at East Lake on Saturday, and 3 COMMON GOLDENEYES have been hanging around the icy ferry channel at Glenora. At the foot bridge in Belleville this week, the open Moira River contained 100 MALLARDS, 8 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 3 CANADA GEESE, 2 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, and a single LESSER SCAUP. But to see ducks well and truly, one should travel apparently to Cobourg where photos from there which arrived by e-mail during the week, depicted the shoreline absolutely covered in masses of wintering ducks, primarily MALLARDS. Regardless of the temperatures, HORNED LARKS continue to trickle into the County with scattered groups being seen fairly regularly now along roadsides and in open fields. Six EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were on County Road 4 between Fry Road and Bethel Road Sunday and there were another 3 on Zion Road in Thurlow the following day. An EASTERN TOWHEE was at a feeder along Kleisteuber/Parks Road near West Lake a weekend or two ago, and a NORTHERN FLICKER has been present along George's Road, consuming berries off a backyard vine. Lots of PILEATED WOODPECKERS reported this week, a few of them coming to feeders A FOX SPARROW has returned to a feeder east of Lake on the Mountain and a SONG SPARROW turned up at a feeder on Murney Street in Belleville last week. A BROWN CREEPER makes occasional visits to a feeding station at Barry Heights in Trenton. WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS appear to be a little more plentiful this season than in past winters and currently there are four at a South Bay feeder, and singles at feeders along Fry Road and 23 Sprague Road, and three in Allisonville. And what can we add that hasn't already been said about AMERICAN ROBINS? There are few roadsides in the County these days that don't produce little groups of 20 to 40, exploiting the bountiful crops of buckthorn and red cedar berries. Better them than me as I have tasted buckthorn berries! Fifty SNOW BUNTINGS were seen on the Adolphustown side of Glenora Ferry last week, and other isolated flocks numbering no more than 30 or so have been present on County Road 4 near Fry Road, County Road 1 (Scoharie), Stinson Block, Rosehall and along Salem Road. A very lonely PINE GROSBEAK continues to appear along North Big Island Road near Baycrest Marina where it first showed up January 6th, sometimes alternating between there and Sprague Road. Three PINE GROSBEAKS (2 happy males and a female) were present near the east end of White's Road near Smithfield on Monday. COMMON REDPOLLS and PINE SISKINS continue to be present at many feeders in only ones and twos, and in large flocks at others, while still others have none. There are at least 50 COMMON REDPOLLS at a feeder near the junction of Fry and Gagne Roads and 40 PINE SISKINS are regulars at a Trenton feeder as well as at a Belleville feeder. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were reported at feeders along George's Road (2), and Consecon. Two HOARY REDPOLLS are still regulars at a Lake on the Mountain feeder. Lots of COOPER'S HAWKS and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, but a Huyck's Point feeder hit the jackpot this week when a BARRED OWL dropped in to do a little birdwatching of its own, not unlike the BARRED OWL on Amherst Island that has been helping itself to both BOREAL and NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS. A Crookston Road area feeder near Tweed has among its clientel, no fewer than 27 WHITE-TAILED DEER. The prize for the most unlikely feeder guest goes to a Massey area resident according to an e-mail circulated by Minden area resident Ron Pittaway who tells of a BOBCAT watching the feeder like a house cat. Among the suet balls and sunflower seed feeders, hangs a beaver carcass for this recent addition to the yard list. A little out of our area to be sure, but certainly worth reporting and concluding this week's Quinte Area Bird Report on a humorous note. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Peter Sporring, Garry & Elaine Kirsch, Myrna Wood, Mary Minigan, Mike Burge & Kathy Felkar, Fred Helleiner, Paul Wallace, Donald McClure, Judy Kent, Bernadette McCabe, Doris Lane, Pamela Stagg, Serge de Sousa, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Judith Gray, Janet Mooney, John & Margaret Moore, Beverley Thompson & Nik Enz, John Charlton, Rob Pinilla, and Glenn Helm for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, February 12th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Peter Sporring is our featured photographer in this week's online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report, and on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website, showing a sample of his winter guests. Please take a few moments to view these photos as they are spectacular! Terry Sprague Prince Edward County [email protected] www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
