WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, May 01, 2008
LINCOLN'S SPARROWS, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS, BLUE-WINGED WARBLER, GRAY CATBIRD, NASHVILLE WARBLER, ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS, BALTIMORE ORIOLES and BOBOLINKS were newcomers to the Prince Edward County scene this past week as spring marches bravely forward despite scattered snow flurries yesterday and bitter winds. The first ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK was seen near Bloomfield on April 24th - not a record early date, but very close, and another showed up at a Glenora area feeder three days later. Also appearing on the scene early was a BALTIMORE ORIOLE on the 25th in Picton, RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRD at a Picton nectar feeder on the 27th, a GRAY CATBIRD on Hull Road on the 24th and BOBOLINKS west of Consecon on the 30th. Not to be beaten was a WHIP-POOR-WILL at Wooler on the 26th calling enthusiastically at 8:30 p.m. At Prince Edward Point, DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS have increased to about 500 offshore now and more continue to arrive daily, 15 TURKEY VULTURES went over on the 29th and up to 8 have been roosting in the woods. Four WOOD DUCKS were seen on the 26th and are likely the ones nesting here, 40 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS were counted on the 29th and LONG-TAILED DUCKS increased to 800 on the 27th. BUFFLEHEADS have mostly gone now and only a small handful can be seen off the lighthouse, a female COMMON GOLDENEYE can be seen most days in the harbour while RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS have built up to 70. The NORTHERN HARRIERS can be seen displaying in the field and the occasional COOPER'S or SHARP-SHINNED HAWK often does a flyby. BONAPARTE'S GULLS have not really built up yet but 200-300 can be seen offshore along with the odd CASPIAN TERN. A GREAT-HORNED OWL was calling on the 30th and a NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWL was seen in a bush on the 27th. The RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has been vocal all week but is rarely seen, and the last few YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS are trickling through now while NORTHERN FLICKERS continue to make their presence known and different flicker intergrades were trapped on the 29th and 30th. BLUE JAYS have started to move and up to 20 a day are going through. A COMMON RAVEN was seen on the 27th. Two PURPLE MARTINS flew over on the 27th and TREE SWALLOWS have increased to about 20 with up to 60 CLIFF SWALLOWS frequenting the lighthouse now. HOUSE WRENS have arrived to breed and are singing everywhere now and WINTER WRENS are still being seen. RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are continuing to arrive and 65 were counted on the 27th, with most birds still being males but the females should start arriving soon. A pair of BLUE-GRAY GNATCATCHERS is setting up territory near the nets and while HERMIT THRUSHES are still arriving, the other thrushes should start to appear within a week or so. Twelve BROWN THRASHERS were counted on the 27th and the local birds are now singing. An early BLUE-WINGED WARBLER was singing for most of the 27th and an early BREWSTER'S WARBLER was seen after the rain stopped on the 26th.The first NASHVILLE WARBLER of the season was seen on the 27th with another seen on the 30th. YELLOW WARBLERS arrived on the 27th as well as did 75 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, 2 PINE WARBLERS, 2 WESTERN PALM WARBLERS 3 BLACK AND WHITE WARBLERS and a NORTHERN WATERTHRUSH. The first LINCOLNS SPARROW of the spring was banded on the 27th and a few SWAMP SPARROWS are moving with up to 3 seen in a day. Eighty WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS arrived on the 27th and the first WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was banded on the 29th. Up to 3 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS can be found in the swamp, and on the 26th and 27th, 160 and 110 PURPLE FINCHES were recorded, PINE SISKINS were seen on the 27th (1) and 1st (3). A female EVENING GROSBEAK was around the Observatory on the 26th and 27th and the first ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAK of the spring was banded on the 1st. PURPLE FINCHES are still migrating through in the county and 30 are at a feeder along Glenora Road, and smaller numbers are at feeders at Cape Vesey, Big Island, and Huff's Island. Nearly every morning this past week at least 3 VIRGINIA RAILS and one PIED-BILLED GREBE have been calling before light from the Big Island Marsh. A COMMON RAVEN was seen at Cape Vesey and more than one are seen daily on the Stinson Block near Consecon. A SANDHILL CRANE was seen today at the corner of Hamilton and Aitkin's Road about half way between Belleville and Trenton. RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are still coming to feeders in Picton and Elmbrook. The party of 30 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS that had been arriving with monotonous regularity to a clump of willows in the Big Island Marsh every morning at daybreak for the past week or more seem to have departed with only the occasional one heard now with RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS. Thirty LESSER SCAUP were present this morning in Muscote Bay, and six COMMON MERGANSERS were present there the previous afternoon. A report of a WHITE PELICAN near 12 O'clock Point came in from two separate observers this week, first seen on April 30th, but it didn't appear to be present when I was there that evening. Birders in that area should keep their eyes open for this bird, since one was in the Belleville area for nearly two months last summer. And a sighting that is currently awaiting further details is a pair of crossbills of undetermined identity coming to a feeder along Highway 33, near Glenora. According to the observer, they have been at the feeders for two weeks. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, Henri Garand, Fred Helleiner, Chesia Livingston, Russ Williams, Cheryl Anderson, S.W. (Tex) Ridder, Fred Chandler, Joanne Dewey, Pamela Stagg, Silvia Botnick, Wendy Fraser, Nancy Fox and Paul Mackenzie for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, May 8th, but sightings can be e-mailed anytime before the new Wednesday night deadline. We seem to ignore AMERICAN ROBINS at this time of the year since they are so common, but our featured photos this week on both the Birding Page of the NatureStuff website and the two photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report are all by Belleville photographer Dave Bell, and show robins caught in the act of being themselves. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County [EMAIL PROTECTED] www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list ONTBIRDS@hwcn.org For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
