This is the weekly report from the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory for the week of April 15-18,courtesy of Bander-In-Charge Stéphane Menu.
Migration monitoring started on April 15th, this year. All nets were up and running, as well as a couple of ground traps. As the new bander-in-charge, I was excited to be at the famous Prince Edward Point monitoring station and eager to see what the season will bring. Two beautiful male HARLEQUIN DUCKS were seen among big rafts of WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS, BUFFLEHEADS, and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. BONAPARTE’S GULLS were seen in good numbers too. Movements of NORTHERN FLICKERS picked up on the 16th with 150 individuals, as well as AMERICAN ROBINS, with 100 birds that day. A few HERMIT THRUSHES were detected as well. Numbers of GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS were quite low, with a third of birds captured begin females already. Some RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS are already moving through as well, with the ones captured being all males. Five EASTERN PHOEBES were banded in a single day, on the 16th, which is as many as last spring in total. BROWN CREEPERS are moving through in earnest, as they are so far the most banded species, with 41 birds. Early migrants also include FOX SPARROW (one banded on the 15th) and most notably COMMON REDPOLLS, with 2 seen and one banded on the 16th. Previously banded in spring only in 2002 (2 birds) and 2008 (one bird), the latter is definitively the bird of the week, sharing the award with the VESPER SPARROW banded the same day (previously banded only once in spring, with one individual in 2009). Up to 8 NORTHERN CARDINALS have been seen around the station, with already 5 of them captured and duly banded. Despite the inclement weather which forced us to close nets early in 2 of the 4 days of banding, it has been a good start, with 218 birds banded of 23 species and a total of 71 species detected. Elsewhere in Prince Edward County and area, conditions are still fine at the Kaiser Crossroad flooded cornfields to attract at least 8 waterfowl species daily, most notable this week 8 NORTHERN SHOVELERS as well as 800 BONAPARTE’S GULLS. Also present in the wetland this week were 4 GREATER YELLOWLEGS and up to 8 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS. A daily account of spring arrivals can be found on the NatureStuff website, under BIRDING. To reach Prince Edward Point, follow County Road 10 from Milford, or County Road 13 from Black River Cheese, and follow for 17 km to the Prince Edward Point National Wildlife Area. Kaiser Crossroad can be reached by taking Highway 33 (Loyalist Parkway) from Picton to Lake on the Mountain and following County Road 7 to Kaiser Crossroad. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County www.naturestuff.net _______________________________________________ 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/
