[Ontbirds]Quinte Area Bird Report for week ending January 24, 2008

[Terry Sprague]

WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE 
WEEK ENDING  Thursday, January 24, 2008

There is a glimmer of hope that one day TRUMPETER SWANS may nest in Prince 
Edward County. Number 044, a male, who arrived at Wellington on December 8th 
of last year, was joined today by a female, Number 052. While 044 has 
travelled from Big Island where it was initially released, to Connecticut 
and back, there is no current information on 052, released in June of 2006 
at Huff's Island, and where it has spent its time. While no visits were made 
to Wellington Harbour this week to check out the waterfowl, one resident 
there says the number of CANADA GEESE fluctuates from a few dozen to in 
excess of 1,000. On Consecon Lake, temperatures dictate where open water 
will prevail, beyond what is normally open near the Norris Whitney Dam at 
Highway 33. This past week, there was some open water just east of the 
Millennium Trail causeway where 25 MUTE SWANS had taken advantage of the 
open conditions. In Prince Edward Bay, along Cressy Lakeside Road, open 
conditions there this week revealed a few hundred MALLARDS, and CANADA 
GEESE.

Tweed area residents, John and Janet Foster peeked out their window early 
one morning this week and noted the pale blur of an owl  perched on a limb 
in a hedgerow near their home. Turning on the outside lights, the silhouette 
revealed itself as a BARRED OWL, which stayed for about 20 minutes. Wildlife 
sleuths along Fry Road determined that the perfect imprints of wings on 
either side of where a meadow vole once ventured, probably belonged to an 
EASTERN SCREECH OWL. SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS appeared at feeders in the Barry 
Heights area of Trenton and at a feeder along Ridge Road where a NORTHERN 
SHRIKE also made an appearance this week. A BALD EAGLE was seen at 
Campbellford on the 22nd, and another near Cape Vesey today. At South Bay, 
one resident there was surprised last week to see five BALD EAGLES (2 adults 
and 3 juveniles) lumbering along the edge of the ice only 12 metres or so 
from their window. A NORTHERN HARRIER continues to patrol the open meadows 
at the west end of Big Island where it has been present all winter.

With the arrival of fresh snow during the week, bird feeders took off once 
again with renewed enthusiasm, although many feeder operators are reporting 
a drop in numbers that never recovered. COMMON REDPOLL numbers across the 
region remain stable, with 30 to 60 at a feeder at Sprague Road, and even 
higher numbers at a few other feeders, while others have reported a drop. A 
HOARY REDPOLL was identified at a feeder on Big Island, west of Caughey 
Road,  and 20 SNOW BUNTINGS were present there today. PINE GROSBEAKS 
continue to appear in small numbers. One was present at a feeder last 
weekend near Shannonville, and three were at a feeder this week in Trenton, 
where other guests there during the week included a female PILEATED 
WOODPECKER, 2 AMERICAN CROWS, and a respectable flock of 21 DARK-EYED 
JUNCOS, and 23 HOUSE FINCHES, the latter representing one of the higher 
numbers of this species reported to date this winter, quite unlike the 1980s 
when flocks of 80 or more at all feeders was average. A SONG SPARROW is a 
now and again guest at a Big Island feeder, and a NORTHERN FLICKER continues 
to visit a feeder in east Picton where it has been present all winter. Three 
BROWN-HEADED COWBIRDS were at a South Bay feeder again this week, where 10 
were present nine days ago. A few feeders in the area still have 
RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES as regulars.

In the interesting and unusual department this week, the silhouette of a 
MOURNING DOVE was spotted this morning in the pre-dawn, comfortably perched 
on a rock in a heated bird bath on Low Street in Picton, presumably enjoying 
the warmer temperatures. From 150 to 200 AMERICAN CROWS were seen in flight 
over the Millennium Trail near Lake Street on Tuesday. And while certainly 
not unusual, six WILD TURKEYS were seen on Wednesday on County Road 7 near 
Rock Crossroad, and 12 AMERICAN ROBINS were seen on Bethesda Road today.

With the Quinte Area Bird Report now being e-mailed to over 2,000 
subscribers (both OntBirds and privately)  and present on two websites 
weekly, it is not the policy of this report to reveal homeowners' 
addresses.To protect the privacy of those reporting birds at their feeders, 
directions to specific addresses will be provided only upon request. Those 
wishing to view feeders mentioned in this report will need to contact the 
owners themselves once this information has been sent. E-mail requests are 
answered the same day, and often within moments of arrival.

And that's it for this week from Prince Edward county and the Quinte area. 
Our thanks to Russ Williams,Janet Foster, Henri Garand, Fred Chandler, Jane 
Hill, Jack Roscoe, Myrna Wood, John & Margaret Moore, Tom Higginbottom, 
Wayne McNulty, Bill Leet, Cheryl Anderson, Donn Legate, Joanne Dewey, Janet 
Mooney and John Charlton for their contributions to this week's report. This 
report will be updated On Thursday, January 31st, 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 a male MALLARD at 
Wellington Harbour by Donald McClure of Bloomfield, and the NORTHERN FLICKER 
by Russ Williams that has been visiting a feeder in Picton since early 
winter. The HERRING GULL portrait by Belleville photographer Dave Bell is 
featured this week on the Main Birding Page of the NatureStuff website.

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