In many ways, birding at Presqu'ile Provincial Park this week has taken
on the characteristics of winter birding, in that most of the sightings
have been of water birds, and land birds are concentrating around the
bird feeders, although even a good many of those moved on last night.
As well, the number of birders taking advantage of the opportunities
that the Park has to offer is much smaller than it was a month ago.
Nevertheless, there is still plenty of evidence that the fall migration
is far from over.
On the offshore waters, Common Loons and Horned Grebes can still be
found in decent numbers. After a period of almost two weeks with very
few Double-crested Cormorants, there was a sudden influx of hundreds in
the outer reaches of Presqu'ile Bay on October 26 and 27, and a
corresponding increase in the number of gulls that took advantage of
their presence to engage in a "feeding frenzy". Single Great Blue
Herons have been seen three times this week, once near the lighthouse,
once in the marsh, and once just outside the Park gate. Three noisy
Tundra Swans flew over on October 26. There are hundreds of
White-winged Scoters far out in Lake Ontario, best seen from campsite
333, just west of Chatterton Point. A flock of about thirty Black
Scoters has been in Popham Bay since October 22, in precisely the same
location as a flock of similar size that spent some time there last
November. Flocks of Red-breasted Mergansers are appearing in large
numbers, perhaps outnumbering all the other ducks.
A movement of raptors taking place along the north shore of Presqu'ile
Bay on October 27 was close enough to allow identification through a
scope from Bayshore Road. It included 90 Turkey Vultures and two
immature Golden Eagles, a species not often seen at Presqu'ile.
With the exception of Greater Yellowlegs that are frequenting the mud
flats in the marsh, most of the remaining shorebirds (Black-bellied
Plovers, Sanderlings, and Dunlins) are around Gull and Sebastopol
Islands. Before long, the first of the Purple Sandpipers for which
Presqu'ile is noted should be arriving. Among the many Bonaparte's
Gulls that have suddenly arrived, there was at least one Little Gull on
October 25 and two on October 26. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was off
the beach at the start of the Owen Point trail on October 25.
Black-capped Chickadees have been by far the commonest land bird at
Presqu'ile this week. Flocks of them were passing through a week ago,
and good numbers remain. As yet no one has reported a Boreal
Chickadee. Another species that may be on birders' minds in the next
few days is Townsend's Solitaire, since it was exactly four years ago
that one of these western birds showed up in the Park. The only other
thrushes still present are a few Hermit Thrushes and American Robins. A
late Gray Catbird has been feeding on berries behind 85 Bayshore Road,
where there was also an Eastern Towhee and a Fox Sparrow. Several dozen
Snow Buntings on Gull Island dispel any doubt about the forthcoming
season. Three Evening Grosbeaks, the first of the season, were in a
tree on Bayshore Road on October 27.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton.
Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid
that is available at the Park gate. Visitors to Gull Island should be
prepared to wade through shin-deep water in which there is often a swift
current and a substrate that is somewhat uneven. It should also be noted
that, because duck hunting is given priority on Mondays, Wednesdays,
Fridays, and Saturdays, Gull Island, High Bluff Island, Owen Point, and
part of the calf pasture are not available for bird-watching on those days.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
