Prince Edward County: Wellington to Point Petre ( 72 Species observed)
Decided to do my near weekly beach bird and Little Gull Surveys today.
First off I saw No Cave Swallows or Cattle Egrets today
Gulls/Terns (8 Species)including:
1 Black-headed Gull (adult) foraging with a dozen Ring-billed Gulls at the
mouth of Wellington Harbour. It appeared the gulls were catching small
Gizzard Shads which were getting tossed around in the 5 foot surf.
25 Little Gulls (3 in West Lake at Wellington, 3 in West Lake near Sandbanks
P.P. Dunes day use area, and 19 in East lake)
1 immature Lesser Black-backed Gull on the Outlet beach Sandbanks P.P.
1 Caspian Tern in West Lake at Wellington
Waterfowl 17 species including:
2 Black Scoters ( Point Petre)
8 Snow Geese (2 blue , 6 white) in corn field, Sandbanks P. P. along
county road 12 between West lake campground and Outlet beach area.
7 Cackling Geese with 400+ Canada Geese on the Outlet Beach Sandbanks P.P.
Raptors 8 species:
65 Turkey Vultures, 59 of which were on the outlet beach at Sandbanks P.P.
dinning on dead Common Loons, waterfowl and Brown Trout
2 Ospreys (1 at East lake, 1 at Soup Harbour)
1 Merlin (Picton), Northern Goshawk West Lake area Sandbanks P.P., and 1
Rough-legged Hawk Cty road 2 just north of Wellington
1 Short-eared Owl Stinson Block Road south of Concecon at 6pm
Shorebirds: 5 Sanderling along the Wellington Beach, 13 Killdeer in fields
around Bloomfield.
Passerines:
2 Boreal Chickadees ( 1 at Point Petre, 1 at Outlet beach campground
Sandbanks P.P. campsite 96)
367 Pine Siskins in flocks moving to the northwest through Sandbanks P.P.
Flocks stopping in the park went straight for the white cedar cone crop.
22 Snow Buntings Sandbanks P.P. beaches
Beached Bird/Botulism survey highlights/lowlights
I walked 8km of beach and located 46 fresh bodies (8 species). The most
common bodies were Common Loons with 24 fresh bodies found. The next most
common species located today included Long-tailed Duck, Double-crested
Cormorants, and White-winged Scoters.
Directions:
Wellington is located on Hwy 33 south of Trenton (from Hwy 401 take Wooler
road exit and go south to highway 33)
The boat ramp at the LCBO allows for great views with a scope into West
Lake.
just west of LCBO (<1km) is beach street, This will take you to the mouth of
Wellington Harbour
Sandbanks P.P.
Follow the signs south from Hwy 33 to the main gate.
County road 12 south from Bloomfield takes you to the Dunes day use area,
and the Lake Ontario Beaches.
East Lake viewing (scopes needed) Little Gulls can be seen from the boat
ramp on County road 18 beside the park or further east from the group
camping area.
Point Petre
From Picton follow County road 10 to County road 24 south to the end of the
road.
Tyler Hoar
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