This is the weekly report from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory for the week of April 19-25, courtesy of Bander-In-Charge Stéphane Menu.
During the week, the weather was an interesting, mixed bag of everything. There were sun and blue sky, windstorm, rain and pouring rain, and even snow for a short while. In short, it was spring in Canada! An AMERICAN BITTERN was seen shortly on April the 24th in the wetland at the end of the harbor. A BLUE-WINGED TEAL was observed in the harbour on April the 20th. The first CASPIAN TERNS (2 birds) flew along the shore on April the 19th. Two individuals were also seen on the 22nd. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER was around the station on the 24th. No big movements of NORTHERN FLICKERS were observed this week, but 3 FLICKERS INTERGRADE, that is, individuals with a mix of yellow and red feathers, were banded. The first BLUE-HEADED VIREO of the spring was detected on April the 21st and the second one on the 25th. Numbers of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were still low, while RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS were starting to pick up. All birds banded of the latter were male, except for one female on the 25th. A BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHER was enjoying the midges emergence on the 23rd. BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS were surprisingly still around, with a flock of about 30 on the 22nd. The first CEDAR WAXWINGS were seen the next day, the 23rd, with only two individuals. Very few warblers were seen during the week, with some YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS on the 19th, the 21st, and most notably on the 25th (with 6 banded), PINE WARBLER heard on the 21st, and a yellow PALM WARBLER seen on the 22nd. A quite late AMERICAN TREE SPARROW was detected on the 23rd. A FOX SPARROW was banded on the 19th. A good movement of DARK-EYED JUNCOS was evident on the 21st, following two days of stormy weather. Almost three-quarter of the 61 individuals banded that day were second-year females, a good indication that we’re seeing the end tail of their migration. A few PINE SISKINS were seen around the station, with two banded on the 25th. Elsewhere in Prince Edward County and area, there is still good birding to be had at the Kaiser Crossroad flooded cornfields. In addition to numerous species of ducks, DUNLIN, and GREATER & LESSER YELLOWLEGS have been present, and between 50 and an impressive 1,000 BONAPARTE’S GULLS have been there both days as well. A VIRGINIA RAIL was at the H.R. Frink Centre on April 25th and a WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW showed up at 23 Sprague Road, Big Island, near Demorestville on the 23rd. A CAROLINA WREN continues to be present in Belleville and was last heard at Queen Street and Dufferin Avenue. A daily account of spring arrivals can be found on the NatureStuff website, under BIRDING. To reach Prince Edward Point, follow County Road 10 from Milford, or County Road 13 from Black River Cheese, and follow for 17 km to the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. Kaiser Crossroad can be reached by taking Highway 33 (Loyalist Parkway) from Picton to Lake on the Mountain and following County Road 7 to Kaiser Crossroad. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County www.naturestuff.net [email protected] _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
