[Ontbirds]Quinte Area Bird Report for week ending January 10, 2008

[Terry Sprague]

WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE 
WEEK ENDING  Thursday, January 10, 2008


>From one extreme to the other was the summary of our weather over the last 
10 days. From one weekend where heavy snow all but shut down a Christmas 
bird count, to the following weekend when raincoats and rubber boots were 
required, to high winds yesterday when gusts reached 133 km/hr at Point 
Petre. Fortunately, the weather held for the mid-winter waterfowl count on 
Sunday. Some interesting sightings along the Prince Edward County shoreline. 
Members of the Kingston Field Naturalists combing the Prince Edward Point 
area shoreline came up with 17 waterfowl species, among them a HORNED GREBE, 
2 NORTHERN PINTAILS, 30 REDHEADS, 2 SURF SCOTERS, 12325 LONG-TAILED DUCKS 
and a respectable 24550 GREATER SCAUP. Those covering the Waupoos peninsula 
area also found a HORNED GREBE along with 60 GADWALL and 500 CANADA GEESE.

Meanwhile from Trenton to Point Petre, two observers from the Quinte Field 
Naturalists found fewer species at 14, thirteen species of which were all 
checked off at Wellington Harbour. Among the more notables there were 92 
MUTE SWANS, 1 TRUMPETER SWAN #044, 450 MALLARDS, 25 AMERICAN BLACK DUCKS, 3 
HOODED MERGANSERS, and 1 AMERICAN COOT.  Although a thousand CANADA GEESE 
had been present on West Lake earlier, only 8 were present during the count. 
At West Point, 1000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS floated by in one single raft.

Warmer temperatures have compromised ice conditions in many areas, and 
considerable open water is now present. Warm weather and the strong winds of 
yesterday have totally cleared Adolphus Reach and waterfowl there have 
returned in greater numbers. Present this week were CANADA GEESE, MALLARDS, 
mergansers, COMMON GOLDENEYE and a half dozen MUTE SWANS. At Kaiser 
Crossroad, it's spring time there again as mild weather has once again 
flooded the corn fields and hundreds of ducks and geese are exploiting the 
abundant remnants of the harvest during the week, according to one observer.

Two late DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANTS were still at Prince Edward Point on 
Sunday, loafing on the offshore bar. Thirty AMERICAN ROBINS were also 
tallied in the area, and on the same day a MERLIN was seen perched in a tree 
at the corner of Highway 33 and County Road 27 (North Beach Road) at 
Pleasant Bay. A single RUBY-CROWNED KINGLET surprised one observer at 
Massassauga when it stopped briefly at a bird feeder there, and a PILEATED 
WOODPECKER was seen in another backyard at Walmsley Road in the Point Petre 
area during the week. BARRED OWLS continue to make their appearance known in 
local backyards. One showed up in a Waupoos backyard on January 8th, and 
another individual on Mitchells Crossroad continues to decimate the rabbit 
population there in the backyards of at least two residents.

For others its is COMMON REDPOLLS, and there appears to be no shortage of 
them this year. A Stirling resident reports "hundreds" in that town, and 
there are few bird feeders across the region that have any fewer than 30. 
They were the only signs of life at most backyards yesterday as they 
attempted to catch a toehold on feeders that swung madly in the high winds. 
Two AMERICAN CROWS were backyard guests along Belleville's Maitland Drive 
this week along with a BLUE JAY with a deformed beak that has been around 
for several years, and which the feeder hosts have affectionately dubbed 
"Bentley." On Fry Road, 2 RUFFED GROUSE were observed in a backyard nibbling 
on buds beside a house, and two EASTERN BLUEBIRDS turned up at a Ridge Road 
residence, hunting for bugs, and actually finding them during the mild 
weather. At Crookston Road near Tweed, 8 FLYING SQUIRRELS are guests there 
at one tree mounted feeder. Both HAIRY and DOWNY WOODPECKERS  seem to be in 
good supply this year, and some feeders have four or more of each coming 
regularly. A PINE WARBLER continues to be a regular guest at one feeder at 
an undisclosed location in the Trenton area.

Out in the country, it is more the big guys that are being seen. One 
observer from Aurora e-mailed to report 50 or more WILD TURKEYS along one 
road in the county. Eight were seen in a corn field along County Road 6 near 
Picton, and another 8 were counted along Highway 49. A PILEATED WOODPECKER 
was seen Tuesday behind one house along Bradley Crossroad at Lake on the 
Mountain and another was observed flying across Sprague Road today. BALD 
EAGLE reports were down during the reporting period, although there is no 
reason to suspect they have left. An adult bird was seen at Prince Edward 
Point on Sunday, and several continue to course back and forth along 
Adolphus Reach on a regular basis between Glenora and Prinyer's Cove.

And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. 
Our thanks to John Blaney, Brian Credico, Laura Pierce, David Hall, John & 
Janet Foster, Dave Bell, Kathy Felkar & Mike Burge, Donn Legate, Doug & 
Evelyn Sloane, Anne Potter, Ron Weir, Margaret Kirk, John & Margaret Moore, 
Doris Lane, Kathleen Rankine, Bill Hogg, and Fred Chandler for their 
contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on 
Thursday, January 17th, 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 Pine Warbler by Kathleen Rankin that has 
been  a regular at a Trenton area feeder, and another backyard Barred Owl, 
this time in Waupoos, by photographer Laura Pierce. Be sure to check out 
what can happen when a photographer (Dave Bell) becomes creative with a 
photo of a Dark-eyed Junco, on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff 
website.

Terry Sprague
Prince Edward County
tsprague at kos.net
www.naturestuff.net