WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, January 28, 2009
Say it isn't so! The first spring migrants with 15 cm of snow yesterday and frigid morning temperatures for much of the week? What would appear to be a northward movement of HORNED LARKS has been noted this week across Prince Edward County, with 50 seen on Bethel Road near Demorestville on the 22nd, and smaller numbers also showing up regularly since that date. COMMON CROWS (24) at Jackson's Falls Road mid-week likely represent wintering individuals as well. While suggestive of warmer weather in the offing, a few other species also represent individuals that have been present for much of the winter. Among them have been a NORTHERN FLICKER at a feeder along George's Road, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS at South Bay (3), Allisonville (2), and Big Island (1), a BROWN CREEPER in Trenton, and a SONG SPARROW along North Big Island Road. The FOX SPARROWS reported last week at Lake-on-the-Mountain and Allisonville did not appear at feeders there this week. And six EASTERN BLUEBIRDS showed up at a residence along Babylon Road yesterday. Meanwhile both PINE SISKINS and COMMON REDPOLLS fluctuate in numbers with highs of 80 PINE SISKINS in both the Barry Heights area of Trenton, 60 on Belleville's Murney Street, and 20 in west end Belleville, and large flocks of both species coming daily to feeders along Fry Road, and 20 COMMON REDPOLLS on Tripp Road. About 80 finches comprising PINE SISKINS, HOUSE FINCHES, COMMON REDPOLLS and 4 PURPLE FINCHES have been at feeders in Allisonville, and there are two HOARY REDPOLLS east of Lake-on-the-Mountain among the 33 COMMON REDPOLLS there. COMMON REDPOLLS are reported to be increasing steadily in numbers in the Belleville area. At Bradley Crossroad, 50 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES have been counted swarming a backyard feeder. At Waupoos, an Oregon form of the DARK-EYED JUNCO was reported at a feeder in that community. The only WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILLS seen involved a flock of 12 on Ridge Road exploiting the cones of a discarded Christmas spruce tree, and four that remained for 5 minutes in a Trenton backyard. A RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER has been at Waupoos, another is near Picton and there have been at least 2 in the Ameliasburgh area. Certainly far fewer RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES around this winter, with the only report this week being one at a feeder in Bloomfield. The only ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS seen this week were along Hamilton Road in Quinte West, Massassauga Road in Prince Edward County, and another over A & P in Belleville. A BARRED OWL has been hanging around a feeder on Crookston Road near Tweed, and both SHARP-SHINNED and COOPER'S HAWKS were seen at Barry Heights in Trenton. RED-TAILED HAWKS appeared along County Road 2 near Wellington, corner of Walmsley and Bond Roads near Milford, Mountain View, Trenton, and Cold Creek Road. An AMERICAN KESTREL appears most days along County Road 2, north of Wellington. PILEATED WOODPECKERS during the week were seen along Lakeside Drive at Consecon, Lake-on-the-Mountain, Trenton, and one was working on a suet bar in a backyard along Wallbridge Road in Quinte West. WILD TURKEYS this week were a bit more cooperative than in past weeks with a nice rafter of 100 in a field on County Road 17 two kilometres north of County Road 16 near Black River, 50 closer to County Road 16 (likely part of the same group), 30 south of Picton, and 8 along County Road 14 near Demorestville. The only waterfowl reported this week involved a half dozen MUTE SWANS at the Norris Whitney Dam at Consecon Lake on Friday. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Mike Burge & Kathy Felkar, Garry Kirsch, Brock Burr, Nathan Naslund, Pamela Stagg, Anne Potter, Virginia Cresswell-Jones, John Charlton, Carol Perlberg, Frank Artes & Carolyn Barnes, Jess Chambers, Donn Legate, Janet Foster, Donna Fano, Marilyn Holland-Foster, Rosemary Smith, Laura Pierce, Margaret Kirk, Ted Cullin, Brian & Gloria Durell, Doris Lane, Steve Bolton, and Heather Heron for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, February 5th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the Wednesday night deadline. Despite the dearth of waterfowl reported this week, our featured photos in the online edition of the Quinte Area Bird Report and on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website are all of waterfowl observed earlier this month at Barcovan by photographer Derek Dafoe. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County tspra...@kos.net 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
