WEEKLY REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, November 23, 2003
Last Wednesday's torrential downpour provided spring like opportunities for waterfowl watching in at least one location in Prince Edward County. A flooded field on Wesley Acres Road, known by locals as Bucknell's Slough, contained large numbers of CANADA GEESE, gulls, and some ducks including 75 MALLARDS, 3 NORTHERN PINTAIL, and today, 2 GREEN-WINGED TEAL. Also seen in the area during the week were a GREATER YELLOWLEGS and 12 DUNLIN. Two GREATER YELLOWLEGS turned up at Wellington Harbour on November 17th. Earlier in the week, there were 13 MUTE SWANS seen in East Lake and 30 COMMON GOLDENEYES. The population of TUNDRA SWANS at South Bay continues to hover well over the 100 mark, and are expected to remain in this area as they do every year until ice conditions forces them on. There were 48 MUTE SWANS at the west end of Consecon Lake on November 18th. Also present in high numbers at that end of the county were HOODED MERGANSERS, 100 counted just off 12 O'Clock Point at Carrying Place. There were also about 30 this week in the reservoir at Telephone and Wooler Roads, just orth of Carrying Place. Long Point Road on Friday produced 4,000 scaup, likely GREATER, in Prince Edward Bay, along with COMMON MERGANSER, WHITE-WINGED SCOTER, LONG-TAILED DUCKS and 5 HORNED GREBES, while Cressy produced 8 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS on the 18th for an observer down there. There were 21 GREEN-WINGED TEAL at Sandbanks on the 21st. At Hickory Island in West Lake, south of Bloomfield, 12 MUTE SWANS were found having a mid-day siesta, while surrounded by 24 MALLARDS. The mild weather has held back a few DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS with 10 being seen on the 21st at Picton Harbour, and another 3 at Wellington the same day. Birds seen at Point Petre during the week included RED-TAILED and ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK along with a GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULL at Soup Harbour. The mild weather too may have contributed to a late FIELD SPARROW travelling with a flock of TREE SPARROWS on the 21st. No sign of any further CAVE SWALLOWS after the surprise discovery last week of a dead one in a garage at Point Petre. That one has since been collected and is being preserved as a study skin. Backyard birds along with those actively coming to feeding stations included a few nice surprises over the week. The NORTHERN MOCKINGBIRD still shows up daily at 23 Sprague Road, spending much of its time at a heated bird bath. Today it sat on a rail fence beside the house, and not more than 3 metres away on the same fence rail was a NORTHERN SHRIKE, providing an opportunity for comparisons. PINE SISKINS have turned up at feeders near Bongard Road (6), Point Petre (15), Barker Street in Picton (3), 20 at Smith's Bay, and north of the county, one at a feeder on Moira Road east of Stirling. A handful of EVENING GROSBEAKS, mostly females, turned up at a feeder near Bongard Road on November 20 and 23. Other good sightings during the past week included a nice flock of 9 SANDHILL CRANES passing over Huff's Island at 9:30 a.m. on November 22nd, a NORTHERN FLICKER and 125 CEDAR WAXWINGS along Long Point Road on the 21st, a NORTHERN SHRIKE along the Millennium Trail behind the Canadian Tire Store in Picton, a dark phase ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK yesterday south of Demorestville, and a pair of COOPER'S HAWKS that entered one Picton backyard snatching a HOUSE FINCH along the way. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to John and Donn Legate, Joanne Dewey, Art MacConnell, Nick Quickert, David Bree, Lloyd Paul, Henry Pasila, Nicholas Hatfield, Wynne Thomas, Don Chisholm, Don McClure, Joe Victor, Elfrieda Dale and John Blaney for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, November 30th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good birding. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net "Terry Sprague" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm for information on leaving and joining the list. As well as general information and content guidelines.
