[Ontbirds]Quinte Area Bird Report for week ending January 03, 2008

[Terry Sprague]

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
tsprague at kos.net
www.naturestuff.net