WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FOR PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, April 02, 2009
An Australian EASTERN ROSELLA, reported just moments ago, obviously an escapee from someone's home or private collection, was the most exciting bird of the day for a Belleville Wright Avenue resident, but other new arrivals this past week were more expected and more local in nature. New arrivals this week was a very early CASPIAN TERN over the Big Island Marsh on March 28th, and an early VESPER SPARROW along Kaiser Crossroad the same day. Other arrivals during the week included WILSON'S SNIPES (2) on Victoria Road on the 26th, COMMON LOON at Waupoos on the 30th, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT at Consecon Lake on April 1st, and LOGGERHEAD SHRIKE north of Newburgh on the 29th of March. Other new arrivals came in the form of ducks, and among them, NORTHERN SHOVELERS at the Kaiser Crossroad flooded fields on the 28th where at least 7 were seen. Highs this week at the now famous flooded corn fields were CANADA GOOSE (2000), NORTHERN PINTAILS (400), MALLARD (200), AMERICAN WIGEON (60), GREEN-WINGED TEAL (50), SNOW GOOSE (50), and smaller numbers of RING-NECKED DUCKS, GADWALL, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, WOOD DUCKS, and BUFFLEHEADS. Also present there this week, a CACKLING GOOSE. The GREATER WHITE-FRONTED GEESE (4-5) were last reported on the 24th. Other birds seen there during the week taking advantage of the cornfield conference were GREAT BLUE HERON, NORTHERN HARRIER and TREE SWALLOWS. The latter species, as well as EASTERN PHOEBES, EASTERN MEADOWLARKS, WILSON'S SNIPES, BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS, NORTHERN FLICKERS and NORTHERN HARRIERS have increased exponentially since last week's report. WOOD DUCKS also turned up during the week at Consecon Lake, now finally free of ice, and others were seen in the wetlands along Wesley Acres Road at Bloomfield and at Cape Vesey. In Muscote Bay/Bay of Quinte near the mouth of Sawguin Creek, COMMON GOLDENEYE, COMMON MERGANSER, BUFFLEHEADS, and MALLARDS have been present all week. OSPREYS have officially returned to Prince Edward County with the appearance of a resident pair at a nest platform on the corner of County Road 28 and Massassauga Road near Rossmore, once again holding down first place as they have done now for several years, in being the first on the scene each spring Two AMERICAN KESTRELS were seen on hydro wires in Waupoos on the 24th, and another (this week's featured photo on the Main Birding page of the NatureStuff website) showed up along Victoria Road on the 27th. MERLINS were seen at two locations this week. Two were flying along the north shore of Big Island on Wednesday and another two were seen two days earlier in west Trenton where they have nested for the past two years. There was a NORTHERN SHRIKE still hanging about south of Carrying Place on March 30th. An EASTERN BLUEBIRD was seen along Highway 62 near County Road 1 during the week, and at least one COMMON RAVEN continues to call most mornings along Sprague Road, and a PIED-BILLED GREBE gasped its cuckoo-like notes from a marsh at Big Island's Baycrest Marina at 6:30 this morning. As the spring migration deposits new migrants in Prince Edward County, so it does too later in the northern regions of the reporting area. Along Crookston Road near Tweed, EASTERN BLUEBIRDS, TREE SWALLOWS, EASTERN PHOEBE and SONG SPARROWS have arrived. Four WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, likely individuals that wintered somewhere, turned up at Horse Point in the Massassauga area during the week. Winter bird feeders are winding down and the clouds of COMMON REDPOLLS that blanked many feeders in the area are but a memory with none being reported at all this week. However, PINE SISKINS are still present in small numbers, averaging a half dozen or fewer at feeders where any are still present. PURPLE FINCHES were seen at feeders in Picton, Tweed area and Lake on the Mountain, and HOUSE FINCHES, bit of a rarity these days at some feeders, numbered 8 at a Low Street residence in Picton. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES turned up at feeders in Picton and along Victoria Road. A PILEATED WOODPECKER, while not at a feeder, has been doing a number on a dead tree in a backyard east of Lake on the Mountain, and the season's first RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was spotted by a motorist on 401 east of Belleville on March 24th. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Borys Holowacz, Pamela Stagg, Darren Rayner, Anne Potter, Paul Wallace, Garry Kirsch, Kathy Felkard & Mike Burge, Laura Piuerce, Owen Weir, Nick Quickert, Kathleen Rankin, Steve Bolton, Jess Chambers, John Charlton, Beth McPherson, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Fred Chancler, Fiona King, Margaret Kirk, Ted Cullin, Janet Mooney, Russ Williams, John & Janet Foster, Bill Burns, Cheryl Anderson, Joanne Dewey, and Brock Burr for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, April 9th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Featured photo on the Main Birding Page of the NATURE STUFF website of an AMERICAN KETSREL is by Borys Holowacz of Victoria Road. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report include an OSPREY by Susan Shipman of Wellington, and a GREAT BLUE HERON by Garry Kirsch of Belleville. 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/
