WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE
WEEK ENDING Thursday, January 03, 2008
Well, you just never know who will show up for breakfast! We have heard
stories over the last two weeks of owls perching in the vicinity of feeders,
but at the H.R. Frink Education Centre, north of Belleville, a BARRED OWL
has actually been coming to a feeder ! The bird started arriving two weeks
ago and using the platform feeder beside one of the outdoor classrooms as a
convenient perch. The H.R. Frink Centre is located 9 km north of Belleville,
off Highway 37 at 381 Thrasher Road. Outdoor Education Coordinator Paul
Taylor says the owl is quite comfortable having people come close to it for
pictures as long as they are quiet and polite. While the chances are good
the owl may be around for observers through the weekend, the resumption of
school groups on January 8th will likely be more than the owl can handle. A
photo of the owl is in the online edition of this report on the NatureStuff
website (link at bottom of report)
In another display of arrogance, a COOPER'S HAWK was using a feeder in
Bloomfield as a handy observation point on December 31st. Windows this past
week were also favoured by other predators. A NORTHERN SHRIKE was spotted
sitting on a trellis just outside a window on George's Road, and east of
Lake-on-the-Mountain, a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK was posing in a maple tree right
outside a bedroom window. Another SHARP-SHINNED HAWK at another location
east of Lake-on-the-Mountain spent time on a feeder pole there, and later
the same day a RED-TAILED HAWK even tried its luck at the MOURNING DOVES.
Several Ridge Road residents reported Accipiters at their backyard feeders,
and one resident at the west end had both COOPER'S and SHARP-SHINNED the
same day. Lots of BALD EAGLES reported during the week, and it is difficult
to determine how many there really are in the county this winter as they
seem to be showing up everywhere. Four adult birds were at Glenora Ferry
yesterday. Two at Lake-on-the-Mountain were seen soaring on the thermals
above the escarpment and went into their grabbing and tumbling routine. An
increasing number seem to be turning up north of the county. One was seen in
Eldorado last week and it, or another, landed in a tree beside a winter
retreat south of Madoc this week.
The Presqu'ile Provincial Park Christmas Bird Count this season was almost
destined not to happen. Cancelled from December 16th due to the season's
first major snow storm, it was rescheduled for New Year's Day, only to have
another major snow fall arrive. One party called it quits after driving
across someone's lawn, believing it to be the road. However, the few hardy
(or foolhardy) individuals who did persevere managed to ferret out a few
things, two of which came to my attention this evening - a RING-NECKED
PHEASANT on Victoria Road in Prince Edward County (within the count circle)
and a NORTHERN FLICKER was found at Barcovan. Another NORTHERN FLICKER was
seen at Smith's Bay on the 30th, one was on a suet feeder in Picton today,
and three were seen on the Belleville Christmas Bird Count, all three north
of the County line. The bird count December 28th, resulted in 8850 birds of
53 species, among the more notable being a GLAUCOUS GULL at the Norris
Whitney Bridge, 3 EASTERN SCREECH OWLS in Ameliasburgh, 146 BOHEMIAN
WAXWINGS, BARRED OWL, NORTHERN GOSHAWK, 9 PILEATED WOODPECKERS, and 1
CHIPPING SPARROW at a feeder. Eleven species enjoyed all time highs, among
them COOPER'S HAWK (8), MOURNING DOVE (1481), NORTHERN SHRIKE (7), PINE
GROSBEAK (43), and COMMON REDPOLL (304). A BROWN CREEPER turned up at
Morrison's Point on the weekend. A COMMON RAVEN was seen at
Lake-on-the-Mountain on January 2nd. Another is a regular visitor to a
feeder on Crookston Road in the Tweed area. An interesting feeding station
indeed which also attracts 22 RED SQUIRRELS, 1 GRAY SQUIRREL and 2 FLYING
SQUIRRELS.
Nine RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS were found at Huff's Island on December 28th.
RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS (6) were also seen yesterday at South Bay in company
with about 50 RUSTY BLACKBIRDS. Despite the frigid temperatures during the
past two days, several GREAT HORNED OWLS can be heard calling most nights.
Two appear to be showing signs of holding down territory in a wooded area in
Bloomfield behind the Mill Pond where they have been calling softly to each
other for several days. The sudden dip in temperature caught a large gaggle
of CANADA GEESE off guard as they woke up this morning, frozen in Prinyer's
Cove. A few had already worked themselves free when first observed, and by
late afternoon, all 600 had generated enough heat from thrashing around to
free themselves. Adolphus Reach is still open for the most part and
waterfowl here is abundant with CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS, COMMON GOLDENEYES,
mergansers, and a few MUTE SWANS. Prince Edward Point can be rather
forbidding at this time of the year, but observers there on the 30th found
RED-BREASTED MERGANSERS, COMMON GOLDNEYES, BUFFFLEHEADS, REDHEADS,
WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS and LONG-TAILED DUCKS. Smith's Bay on the 30th had 14
TUNDRA SWANS and 12 MUTE SWANS. Sandbanks' West Point, also fresh on any
winter's day, produced 200 LONG-TAILED DUCKS and BUFFLEHEADS on the 31st.
Bird feeders across the region continue to do brisk business with nearly all
feeders enjoying good success with COMMON REDPOLLS, one feeder on Glenora
Road with a respectable 100 coming daily. PINE SISKINS are also at a few
feeders, and one feeder east of Lake-on-the-Mountain has 20. RED-BREASTED
NUTHATCHES are regulars at feeders in Picton, Lake-on-the-Mountain and
Wellington. Fifty SNOW BUNTINGS are coming to a feeding area near the west
end of Big Island. A flock of 100 COMMON REDPOLLS continue to be in that
area of South Big Island Road where they can be seen almost daily,
occasionally passing over the same feeders, dropping off 20 or so from the
flock as they tumble by.
On the Obituary page this week, a male NORTHERN CARDINAL smashed into a
bathroom window off Highway 62 near Jericho Road, and on Big Island, a DOWNY
WOODPECKER collided with a window there, losing both feathers and
consciousness. The feeder host placed the bird in a flower pot and after
warming itself in the sun for 30 minutes, the bird carried on its way.
And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte Area.
Our thanks to John & Janet Foster, Mike Batty, Henri Garand, Carolyn Barnes,
Wayne McNulty, Suzanne Pierson & Tom Higginbottom, John Wilczynski & Bea
Papiz, Sandra Dowds, Rosemary Kent, Bill Leet, John Blaney, Pamela Stagg,
David Bree, Sergio de Sousa, Dave Shannon, Bruce Ripley, Marilyn
Holland-Foster, Evelyn Sloane, John & Margaret Moore, Henry Pasila, Bill
Hogg, Silvia Botnick, Russ Williams and Nick Quickert for their
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on
Thursday, January 10th, but sightings can be e-mailed any time before the
6:00 p.m. Thursday deadline. Featured photos in the online edition of the
Quinte Area Bird Report include the BARRED OWL at the Frink Centre feeder by
Paul Taylor, and 2 BALD EAGLES performing an aerial display above
Lake-on-the-Mountain, taken by Steve McIntyre. Bill Leet's photo of the
CANADA GEESE frozen in Prinyer's Cove appears on the Main Birding Page of
the NatureStuff website.
Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
www.naturestuff.net
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