Surprising as it may seem at this early date, the spring bird migration
has begun at Presqu'ile Provincial Park. Like other places in southern
Ontario, Presqu'ile has had an influx of ducks in the past few days,
quite apart from those that have been in the Park all winter, and a few
other birds have also been on the move.
For the past two days, two TRUMPETER SWANS have been near the government
dock, and the day before that five TUNDRA SWANS were there. Among the
returning waterfowl six GADWALLS were off lookout 4 at Owen Point
yesterday. Four NORTHERN PINTAILS were at Salt Point yesterday, and
another ten were off lookout 4 at Owen Point. Today there were
initially five at the latter location, but another flock of seven flew
in to join them. The most surprising was a male GREEN-WINGED TEAL at
that same location both yesterday and today, three to four weeks earlier
than the previous Presqu'ile record. Perhaps there is even an AMERICAN
WIGEON somewhere in the area. A male RING-NECKED DUCK at the calf
pasture yesterday was also early. Most of the CANVASBACKS that arrived
three weeks ago have apparently left, with only singles being seen on
three of the last seven days. This morning there were not one but two
male BARROW'S GOLDENEYES within metres of each other at the end of
Bayshore Road near the lighthouse.
Two BALD EAGLES were on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay, while a NORTHERN
HARRIER made futile efforts to share whatever they were eating. Another
BALD EAGLE and a PEREGRINE FALCON flew over Bayshore Road. Other
NORTHERN HARRIERS were at Owen Point and High Bluff Island. A MERLIN
was seen on January 22. The first AMERICAN COOT since late December was
at the calf pasture on the early date of January 26. On January 22 a
SNOWY OWL was on the beach and another on Gull Island. One was on High
Bluff Island yesterday and today. On several attempts, birders have
failed to find any, a significant change from earlier in the month,
perhaps attributable to the presence of snow, which makes them harder to
spot. Alternatively, the ice on the east shore of Popham Bay may have
made prey harder to find, in which case they may have moved to High
Bluff Island. Another theory that has been offered is that there has
been too much illegal harassment. Single BARRED OWLS were seen twice
this week, each in a different place.
The best place to find RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS seems to be Bayshore Road
between Langton Lane and the government dock, where there have been a
few sightings in the past week. NORTHERN SHRIKE sightings are regular
just west of there. A COMMON RAVEN was heard on January 20. One might
expect HORNED LARKS to appear soon, as they have done just outside of
Brighton. The CAROLINA WREN that has been wintering at 83 Bayshore Road
has not been reported from anywhere else nearby but was still present on
January 21. Both an AMERICAN ROBIN and a flock of EUROPEAN STARLINGS
showed up today in places where they have not been all winter. The
wintering SAVANNAH SPARROW has appeared several times this week at a
feeder at 102 Bayshore Road, which unfortunately is not visible from the
road. This afternoon it was back where first discovered, 83 Bayshore
Road, where there was also a WHITE-THROATED SPARROW on January 20 and
where a flock of 14 SNOW BUNTINGS appeared briefly on January 21,
apparently returning migrants. The first COMMON REDPOLL of the winter
was at 186 Bayshore Road on January 25.
To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton.
Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid
that is available at the Park gate. Visitors to Gull Island not using a
boat should be prepared to wade through knee-deep water in which there
is often a swift current and a substrate that is somewhat uneven and
slippery. Moreover, there is a great deal of ice on the surrounding
shore. Birders are encouraged to record their observations on the bird
sightings board provided near the campground office by The Friends of
Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for species not
listed there.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: fhellei...@trentu.ca.
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Fred Helleiner
186 Bayshore Road,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.
_______________________________________________
ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial
birding organization.
Send bird reports to birdalert@ontbirds.ca
For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
