Report from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory for the week of
October 08 - 14 courtesy of manager David Okines.
Eighty TURKEY VULTURES WERE seen on the 12th; otherwise fewer than 7 a day
have been seen all week. MALLARDS increased to 20 on the 13th and a
GREEN-WINGED TEAL was seen on the 9th. Offshore up to 1000 GREATER SCAUP
have been seen as have up to 150 WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. The 13th saw the
first 8 LONG-TAILED DUCKS of the season go past and 15 RED-BREASTED
MERGANSERS were also seen that day.
Raptor numbers have dropped to almost none since the 9th. Two shorebirds
were seen this week, a LESSER YELLOWLEGS flew over calling in the 11th and
a SEMIPALMATED PLOVER was on the beach near the lighthouse on the 13th. A
BARRED OWL was banded on the 9th and NORTHERN SAW-WHET OWLS had a big push
all week, a total of 571 were banded with a peak of 155 on the 10th,
including a few seen in the bushes. There were four days this week with over
a hundred seen. A BELTED KINGFISHER was seen on the 12th and a RED-BELLIED
WOODPECKER was seen on the 10th. It looks as though HAIRY WOODPECKERS have
started to move with a peak of 4 seen on the 13th.
Up to 6 EASTERN PHOEBES have been seen in a day. BLUE-HEADED VIREOS have
dropped to 5-7 a day and RED-EYED VIREOS were last seen on the 9th. Small
groups of BLUE JAYS continue to move with peak counts of 350 on the 8th and
250 on the 12th. What would fall be without a few BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES
around, and they have definitely been moving this week; over 230 have been
banded and up to 350 a day have been seen going over. A late HOUSE WREN seen
on the 9th is the only record for this October.
GOLDEN and RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS continue to move with a peak count of 250
GOLDENS on the 10th and 55 RUBYS on the 9th. The first EASTERN BLUEBIRD of
the fall flew over on the 8th and a late SWAINSON'S THRUSH was banded on the
10th. HERMIT THRUSHES have numbered 20 or fewer all week and a few days
have had AMERICAN ROBINS starting to move, with 70 seen on the 8th and 75
counted on the 13th. An AMERICAN PIPIT was seen on the 8th.
Only five species of warblers were seen this week, NASHVILLE, BLACK-THROATED
BLUE, YELLOW-RUMPED, western PALM and a single PINE WARBLER on the 10th.
YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS peaked at 50 on the 10th, all the other species had
a maximum of 2 seen in a day.
Four CHIPPING SPARROWS were seen on two dates, The only SWAMP SPARROW for
this October was banded on the 11th, WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS numbered 50 on
the 8th but have decreased since. Fifty WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS were seen on
the 11th but other than that fewer than 25 a day are being seen. DARK-EYED
JUNCOS peaked at 40 on the 8th and 9th. An EASTERN MEADOWLARK flew over on
the 9th while 65 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS were counted on the 9th as well. The first
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD in over a month was seen on the 13th. Finally, another
HOUSE SPARROW was seen on the 11th, rare at the Point.
For more more sightings, be sure to check out the Quinte Area Bird Report on
the Main Birding page at www.naturestuff.net. And for more news from the
Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, be sure to visit their website at
www.peptbo.ca .
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
tspra...@kos.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/
