WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, November 15, 2007
Winter finches continue to trickle in, tantalizing operators of bird feeders
with thoughts of higher numbers as winter draws even nearer. EVENING
GROSBEAKS are coming to feeders in many locations, most staying only a
minute or so, then disappearing, never to be seen again. PINE SISKINS that
have arrived at other feeders seem to be staying put, with over 20 at a
feeder east of Lake-on-the-Mountain, 8 at Waupoos, and lesser numbers at
several other feeders across the region. COMMON REDPOLLS, predicted to be
here this winter, remain undecided as to what number will ultimately end up
establishing themselves at feeders. There were three in with a flock of
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES at Prince Edward Point on the 13th, and a lone
individual stopped at a feeder along Ridge Road, southwest of Picton.
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES seem to be really hanging in there, and at least 14
feeders had this species during the week, and one was at 23 Sprague Road,
but turned up its beak at the 22 feeders that were available there to suit
its every taste.
Other feeders during the week, as might be expected, had their fair share of
visits from both COOPER'S HAWKS and SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS and a feeder at
South Bay had a NORTHERN SHRIKE drop by to case the joint, but it decided to
try elsewhere for an easy meal. A SONG SPARROW is coming to one feeder in
Picton and WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen at a feeder in Stirling.
At least five FOX SPARROWS were still present in the Point Traverse Woods at
Prince Edward Point on Tuesday, remnants from an earlier 30 or so that were
found during the Kingston Field Naturalists Fall Roundup 10 days earlier.
There was quite a flurry of activity in those same woods for a few moments
as DARK-EYED JUNCOS, 15 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 30 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 25
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS and the earlier mentioned 5 FOX SPARROWS mingled in
the prickly ash and other shrubs along the cliff edge. Several SNOW BUNTINGS
flew over and about 30 CEDAR WAXWINGS fed near the top of a deciduous tree
near the east bank. At least six separate RUFFED GROUSE exploded from the
thickets, one by one, each one totally unexpected. A few HORNED GREBES were
still present in the open water between the Point and Timber Island and 52
MALLARDS were counted in the harbour, the water so low there that some
boaters almost need a ladder to get from the government wharf down to the
deck of their boat. At Little Bluff Conservation Area, a RUBY-CROWNED
KINGLET and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET perched side by side on a sumac branch
at eye level less than two metres from me, but not long enough to focus the
camera before they went their separate ways.
An owl at Prince Edward Point described by one seasonal resident, was quite
likely a BARRED OWL. The day was warm and sunny with nary a breeze, and any
hope of a passing golden eagle was dashed. Immature BALD EAGLES during the
week showed up along Glenora Road, there was another along Highway 49 just
north of Picton, one was spotted along Sawguin Creek, and the adult bird in
the Morrison's Point/South Bay area is also still around. A ROUGH-LEGGED
HAWK was seen hovering over a field along County Road 7 east of
Lake-on-the-Mountain early in the week. A few lingering TURKEY VULTURES are
still being seen most days over Picton. It is interesting the landmarks they
pick to circle over - the municipal office in town on more than one occasion
as well as one of the local senior citizens buildings, both occurring this
spring! An EASTERN SCREECH OWL was calling from The Big Swamp at 2800 County
Road 1 near Bloomfield during the week, and another one is spending the off
season in a wood duck nesting box at Fish Lake where the residents there can
view it from the kitchen window as it peers out of the entrance hole.
Not surprisingly, given the balmy weather this past week, GREAT BLUE HERONS
are still about, and several county residents have RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS
still coming to their feeders. At least it isn't over 60 BROWN-HEADED
COWBIRDS as I had last year at this time and which remained through the
entire winter. A few surprises thrown into the mix this week. A CAVE SWALLOW
showed up on the weekend north of Brighton, and although a wee bit out of
the reporting area, while I was parked along the roadside at Coe Hill, south
of Bancroft one day last week, two GRAY JAYS landed on the fence beside the
car, during the same time as several invisible PINE GROSBEAKS called from a
grove of conifers a short distance away. In the Cloyne area, and good
example of "autumnal recrudescence", there were two COMMON RAVENS putting on
a spectacular aerial display for one passerby, bouncing off each other with
lots of aerial harmony and vocalizations. Also responding to this autumn
phenomenon, 3 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS were seen checking out a nesting box along
Picton's Ridge Road, the same location where a nest had been started by a
pair of HOUSE SPARROWS,obviously very turned on by the warm temperatures.
Across the region, WILD TURKEYS are making themselves a little more obvious
as they glean the harvested fields. There were 18 south of Picton on
Tuesday, and one Madoc area resident said they were all over the place back
there with at least three sightings of birds ranging in numbers from 20 to
50 in the region, including one flock near the former Two Loons Restaurant,
and 50 or so in the Spring Brook area. COMMON LOONS are still on Consecon
Lake, East Lake, Wellers Bay and at Prince Edward Point, and 20 TUNDRA SWANS
were counted on South Bay at day break on the 13th. Over a thousand geese
are currently present on West Lake. The SANDHILL CRANES that had been
reported earlier from the Milford and Cressy areas seem to have departed,
the one at Cressy last seen on November 11th.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to Ted Cullin, Eric Caley, Pamela Stagg, Cheryl Anderson, Laura
Pierce, Mark Gomes, Robin Lunn, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Mia Lane, Tom
Higginbottom, John Charlton, Judith Gray, Donn Legate, Cathy Stewart, Fred
Chandler, Nancy Fox, Doug & Evelyn Sloane and Paul Wallace for their
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, November 22nd, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos this week in the online edition
of the Quinte Area Bird Report include EVENING GROSBEAKS at a feeder at
Cressy by Paul Wallace and a RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH at a Waupoos feeder by
Laura Pierce. The photo on the Main Birding Page of a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK
consuming a mourning dove is by Dave Bell of Belleville.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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