WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, January 18, 2004
Much better birding conditions this week, especially this weekend, when temperatures were a bit more tolerable. Hawks seemed to be the feature throughout the week. RED-TAILED HAWK sightings in Prince Edward County and surrounding area were so numerous, it is pointless to list them all. Highlighting the list of raptors was a BLACK VULTURE at Prinyer's Cove on January 17th, and is presumed to be the same individual reported in Milford in late December. At the Prince Edward Point Harbour Saturday, there was an immature TURKEY VULTURE sitting low at the side of the road. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK and NORTHERN SHRIKE were found on Old Milford Road, and two more ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS, one a dark phase, were added on Wednesday at Sandbanks Provincial Park. A COOPER'S HAWK, NORTHEN HARRIER and a first year RED-SHOULDERED HAWK were seen on Huyck's Point Road on Wednesday. And bird feeders throughout the region continued to have visits from both SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and COOPER'S HAWKS. In Picton, an unexpected BARRED OWL appeared and disappeared after catching a meadow vole. The BOREAL CHICKADEE is still coming to a feeder in the Rednersville area (photo of bird in the photo gallery at www.naturestuff.net ). A bird feeder at Cressy has a female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD, and feeder operators at Picton, Ridge Road, Bongard Crossroad area, as well as on Airport Parkway east of Belleville in Tyendinaga Township. On Kleinsteuber Road, one over zealous SHARP-SHINNED HAWK mistook a hanging window ornament for prey and crashed violently into a window ending its life. Populations of BLUE JAYS is above normal at many feeders in the county this winter with 20 at a feeder at Wellington-on-the -Lake and 18 today at 23 Sprague Road. And speaking of high numbers, there were 81 MOURNING DOVES at a Belleville feeder on Monday, and 60 HOUSE FINCHES at a feeder on Maitland Drive. HOUSE FINCHES this year appear to be very nomadic with numbers at our feeder at 23 Sprague Road ranging from a peak of 60, with varying numbers each week, and only one male showing up at the feeder today. At MORGANSTON, there is a lone SNOW BUNTING coming to a feeder there. Other interesting sightings to come in over the past week included a NORTHERN FLICKER at Gomorrah Road on Wednesday and another on Long Point Road January 17th, HORNED LARKS at several locations in the county, 4 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS on Babylon Road January 17th, and an adult BALD EAGLE on Adolphus Reach on January 16th. Another BALD EAGLE (IMMATURE) was at Wellington on Wednesday, with yet another at Sandbanks. SNOW BUNTINGS were seen at near Prinyer's Cove (25) on January 17th, and others were spotted on Huyck's Point Road the same day, and several flocks in the Ameliasburgh and Hillier areas, with another flock Wednesday on Huyck's Point Road. Others were observed between Kaiser Crossroad and Cressy Lakeside. Over 100 AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS and 200 DARK-EYED JUNCOS were counted on Long Point Road on January 17th. WILD TURKEYS during the week showed up at Simpson Road, Brewer's Road and Brewer's Lane, Milford Road and Royal Street, with 20 or more birds in each flock. Most down that way have been feeding on staghorn sumac. Others were seen along Lakeshore Road (25), and a small flock west of Wellington. The famous flock at the Sidney Street location, north of Maitland Drive, Belleville, is smaller this year, and hovers at the 30 mark. LAPLAND LONGSPURS were seen on Huyck's Point Road (6), and others along Stinson Block Road. A BELTED KINGFISHER at Cressy Lakeside on January 12th and a COMMON RAVEN near the Thurlow Community Centre on Harmony Road rounds out the miscellaneous reports for the week.. Lots of waterfowl to peruse from the reports that came in during the week. Wellington Harbour on Wednesday had a nice collection consisting of 11 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 32 MALLARDS, 100 COMMON GOLDENEYE, 7 BUFFLEHEAD, 1 COMMON MERGANSERS, 1 LONG-TAILED DUCK, and 257 CANADA GEESE. On Prince Edward Bay during the week, 1,381 LONG-TAILED DUCKS were counted along with 357 COMMON GOLDENEYE, and 56 BUFFLEHEAD. At Petticoat Bay at the end of Brewer's Road, waterfowl seen there during the week were 280 LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 130 BUFFLEHEAD and 292 COMMON GOLDENEYE. Duetta Road produced 91 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and 156 COMMON GOLDENEYE, and Point Petre yielded the same number of LONG-TAILED DUCKS, 71 COMMON GOLDENEYE and 49 BUFFLEHEAD. Early in the week, with strong west winds, Prince Edward Bay opened up almost all the way to McMahon Bluff. However, most waterfowl continued to use the south shore of the county and did not take advantage of the improved conditions in the bay. Once frigid weather returned and the ice built out past Waupoos Island all the way to The Rock (Cape Vesey). Adolphus Reach is now completely frozen, resulting in COMMON GOLDENEYE surging at Long Point and around the False Ducks Islands (Timber & Swetman). Sunday's observations showed large amounts of slush ice all along the south shore of the county with birds feeding between the chunks of floating ice. Just a note that all three columns that I write for the Picton Gazette, Napanee Beaver and the Belleville Intelligencer, are now contained on my website. Conservation Corner (Napanee Beaver, Picton Gazette) can be found by clicking on "Column" from the Home Page, and two separate birding columns in the Picton Gazette and Belleville Intelligencer are located under the "Birding" section of the site. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Michael Schummer, Judy Bell, John Blaney, Albert Bosivert, David Bree, , Silvia Botnick, Nancy Fox, Jayne Burkholder, Paul Wallace, Lloyd Paul, Doris Lane, Donn & John Legate, Joe Victor, Lucille Fragomeni, Bill Hogg and Donald McClure for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 25th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good winter 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.
