WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR Sunday, April 18, 2004
There's nothing like some warmer weather, a few rains, and a bit of thunder and lightning, to bring along a few more migrants. There were several new arrivals during the week. VESPER SPARROWS, PIED-BILLED GREBES, GREATER YELLOWLEGS, SAVANNAH SPARROW , EASTERN TOWHEE and VIRGINIA RAILS were all found at Gull Pond on April 15th. BARN SWALLOWS arrived at Carrying Place April 16th, followed by ROUGH-WINGED SWALLOW and CLIFF SWALLOW at Prince Edward Point the following day. Also new, and seen at Prince Edward Point on the 17th, were BLUE-HEADED VIREO, BROWN THRASHER, and PINE WARBLER (also seen at West Point) and at least 30 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS. A somewhat early GRAY CATBIRD arrived on a Bethesda Road front lawn April 12th. The Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory opened for the spring on April 12th. Small parties of BONAPARTE'S GULLS have been noted moving east along Lake Ontario all week, and one flock on the 16th contained an adult LITTLE GULL. WILSON'S SNIPE are displaying daily over the area and offshore up to 8,000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and 60+ BUFFLEHEAD can be seen most days. HERMIT THRUSHES appeared on the 15th (another was at West Point on the 18th), and a SHORT-EARED OWL was hunting over the area that evening. The 16th saw the first YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS appear, with 20 being found the following day. A few FOX SPARROWS and AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS are still to be seen in the bushes. Numbers of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS are being seen throughout the county right now, and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS have also been noted at West Point and at Napanee. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES were reported at feeders during the week in Bloomfield and on Sheba's Island. PURPLE FINCHES were seen in Picton, Sheba's Island, Bloomfield and at Prinyer's Cove where a feeder there also hosted an EVENING GROSBEAK. PINE SISKINS appeared in Napanee and at West Point. All over in suitable areas AMERICAN WOODCOCK and WILSON'S SNIPE have been heard performing their nuptials. Rains during the past week have made the fields on Kaiser Crossroad a bit more conducive to waterfowl where at least a thousand birds can still be seen, comprising MALLARDS, NORTHERN PINTAILS, AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, AMERICAN WIGEONS and a few CANADA GEESE. About 50 RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS were present in Prinyer's Cove today. COMMON LOONS were seen during the week at Big Island and Point Traverse. Little Bluff Conservation Area had 7 HORNED GREBES on April 14th. Other good sightings during the week were WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS in Napanee and at a feeder in Bloomfield where there were also a few early WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS. OSPREYS outside of the immediate Quinte area have been noted on nesting platforms at Hastings, Villiers, Keane, and on Highway 28, south of Peterborough - seven in total. A SHORT-EARED OWL seen at Sandbanks on April 15th, a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK at Gull Pond, BELTED KINGFISHERS at Point Petre and on Gomorrah Road, and EASTERN BLUEBIRDS at Consecon Lake and Milford, round out the spring reports for this past week. Our thanks to Walter Frey, Karen Stenhouse, Lloyd Paul, Angela & Dave Mantle, David Okines, Molly Mulloy, Beth McPherson, Don Craighead, David Bree, John & Margaret Moore, Doris Lane, Wynne Thomas, Bruce Ripley (Ontbirds), Fred Chandler and Don McClure for their contributions to this week's report. This report also appears on the Birding page at www.naturestuff.net and will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, April 25th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday evening to be included in the next report. Good spring birding. Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net
