WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING
Thursday, September 11, 2008
At Prince Edward Point these days, loons are few and far between at the
moment and the only one so far this month was seen on the 10th. Two
RED-NECKED GREBES were seen at the entrance to the harbour on the 6th while
a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON flew over at dawn on the 7th. TURKEY VULTURES
(17) were seen coming in to roost at Point Traverse on the 9th, CANADA GEESE
are starting to head south and flocks of 6 - 12 can be seen daily as they
fly over. The only duck species other than the resident MALLARDS and BLACK
DUCKS seen this week was an AMERICAN WIGEON that flew past on the 8th. The
first OSPREY of the fall was seen on the 6th and 1 - 6 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS
are being seen daily. A WILD TURKEY was flushed from its roost site on the
8th and a RUFFED GROUSE was seen walking under the nets on the 11th.
SPOTTED SANDPIPERS continue to be seen around the harbour but no other
species of shorebirds have been seen during the week. A COMMON TERN was seen
in the harbour on the 6th and a CHIMNEY SWIFT was flying over on the 10th.
FLYCATCHERS have nearly all gone with just the occasional LEAST or
YELLOW-BELLIED being seen, although a GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHER was found on
the 6th. The first BLUE-HEADED VIREO of the fall was seen on the 7th and the
first WARBLING VIREO was seen on the 6th and up to 8 RED-EYED VIREOS are
being seen daily. Occasional RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES are starting to appear
and an EASTERN BLUEBIRD was calling on the 6th. The thrush migration is
starting with single VEERY, GRAY-CHEEKED and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES appearing
almost daily. Twenty-one species of warblers were seen this week including
TENNESSEE'S on the 6th and 10th, 5 NORTHERN PARULAS were found on the 6th
along with 45 MAGNOLIAS, 8 BLACK-THROATED GREENS and 10 WILSON'S. A CAPE MAY
WARBLER was found on the 6th and a PINE WARBLER was seen on the 7th. The
first YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLER was seen on the 6th. Fifteen WESTERN PALM
WARBLERS were seen on the 10th and 10 were seen on the 11th. Ten AMERICAN
REDSTARTS were seen on the 7th and 2 CANADA WARBLERS appeared on the 6th. A
SCARLET TANAGER was banded on the 8th and 2 ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS were
banded on the 10th. BOBOLINKS appear to have moved on south and a total of
185 were banded during this season.
Elsewhere across the Quinte area, shorebird sightings trickle in as they
always do, nothing compared to the concentrations often seen at Presqu'ile
and Amherst Island, to the west and east of us respectively. Two BAIRD'S
SANDPIPERS and 2 SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS showed up on Outlet Beach at
Sandbanks Provincial Park last week, and there were three GREATER YELLOWLEGS
near Huff's Island on the 8th. For kayakers or canoeists, the waters of the
Huff's Island and Massassauga Point area can be quite profitable for birding
some days. A BALD EAGLE was perched in a tree on Grave Island on the 8th,
and a GREAT EGRET was present near Huff's Island. Over 60 MALLARDS are
present most days, GREAT BLUE HERONS, BELTED KINGFISHERS can most always be
depended on, and a dock near shore one day revealed a LITTLE GULL.
Yesterday, at least two PURPLE FINCHES were singing on Grape Island as
though it were spring, and NORTHERN FLICKERS, SPOTTED SANDPIPER, and
AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES were also present along with a GIANT SWALLOWTAIL.
Between Massassauga Point and Belleville, Snake Island in the middle of the
Bay of Quinte, contains a colony of some 50 pairs of DOUBLE-CRESTED
CORMORANTS, the island easily spotted from either shore by its bleakness and
whitewashed dead trees, On Tuesday DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were milling
around the island, with half of them in the dead trees. We were surprised to
see juveniles still hunkered down in one nest and being fed. Obviously, not
all of them are totally successful upon their maiden flight as evidenced by
one hanging quite dead and swinging ignominiously by its neck in the crotch
of a tree.
A juvenile BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was seen Wednesday afternoon foraging
at the mouth of the Moira River in Belleville, and a GREAT EGRET was seen at
the Fox Pond just north of the County and west of Trenton, where a GREAT
BLUE HERON and a GREEN HERON were also present. Another GREEN HERON, present
all summer in Picton Bay, was still there this week. Three adult TUNDRA
SWANS and four juvenile birds were seen during the week near Adolphustown
Park. A BROWN CREEPER was seen near Cape Vesey, a DARK-EYED JUNCO was along
Long Point Road between South Bay and Prince Edward Point early in the week,
a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW near Babylon Road on the 11th, and four EASTERN
KINGBIRDS were near the entrance to the Milford Dump on the 8th.
In backyards and at bird feeders, things seem to be at a slow ebb this week,
with a few people reporting only AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES and COMMON FLICKERS in
abundance. RUBY-THROATED HUMMINGBIRDS are still coming to feeders. And a
little story to finish off this week's report. A young BLACK BEAR (featured
in the online edition of this report) made on group of hikers a bit nervous
on a hike at Rock Dunder near Jones Falls. The group had almost returned to
the parking lot when they sense a presence and turned around to notice a
bear following no more than 30 feet behind, not menacingly but more curious
than anything else. One of the members of the group captured a photo with
the bear still following, then eventually veering off into the bush.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area.
Our thanks to David Okines, John Blaney, Lyle Anderson, Brock Burr, Janet
Foster, Orland French, John Charlton, Henry Pasilla, John & Margaret Moore,
Fred Chandler, Dave Bell, Kathleen Rankine, Doug McRae and Joanne Dewey for
their contributions to this week's report. This week's report will be
updated on Thursday, September 18th, but sightings can be e-mailed anytime
before the Wednesday night deadline. Feature photo on the Main Birding Page
of the NatureStuff website is of the DOUBLE-BREASTED CORMORANT colony on
Snake Island by Terry Sprague. Photos in the online edition of the Quinte
Area Bird Report are of the BLACK BEAR at Rock Dunder by Orland French, and
a family of OSPREYS at Zwick's Park by Donna Fano.
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 [email protected]
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
