WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, October 13, 2005 Cooler, rainy weather during the past week has certainly not deterred the warbler migration any as there are still plenty members of this family still lingering about, although in limited numbers. Wellington had a female CAPE MAY WARBLER on the 9th, and a female turned up on the 13th at a residence south of Cherry Valley, which also had a western PALM WARBLER, 1 BLACK-THROATED BLUE, a PINE WARBLER and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER. At the Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory, a good arrival of birds there on the 12th resulted in the banding of 434 birds, including a TENNESSEE WARBLER, 7 NASHVILLE WARBLERS a NORTHERN PARULA, 200 YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS, a BAY-BREASTED WARBLER and a WILSON'S WARBLER. Also banded that day were 30 BROWN CREEPERS, 230 GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLETS and 300 RUBY-CROWNED KINGLETS. A yellow PALM WARBLER was trapped and an AMERICAN REDSTART was seen on the 9th. DOUBLE-CRESTED CORMORANT numbers are starting to drop and are now down to a maximum of 200 on the shoal just out from Prince Edward Point. Four RED-NECKED GREBES flew by the Point on the 11th, a BLUE-WINGED TEAL was seen on the 12th, and 2 GREEN-WINGED TEAL on the 9th. The Scaup flock offshore had increased to 800 by the 13th and WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS numbered 150 that day as well. Up to 10 REDHEAD can be found in the harbour most days and the first mergansers are starting to appear. There was a good raptor movement on the 11th when the following were seen - 180 SHARP-SHINNED HAWKS, 20 COOPER'S HAWKS, 5 NORTHERN GOSHAWKS, 10 RED-TAILED HAWKS, 2 AMERICAN KESTRELS and the first 2 RED-SHOULDERED HAWKS of the fall. A scattering of shorebirds this week at Prince Edward Point included a PECTORAL SANDPIPER and a DUNLIN on the 7th, and 3 WILSON'S SNIPE on the 13th. Twenty-five TREE SWALLOWS flew over on the 11th and today a further 25 were seen. Sparrow numbers are increasing with peak counts for the week of 35 CHIPPING SPARROWS on the 10th, and the first 2 FOX SPARROWS on the 12th. Of course, at this time of the year, the most abundant species is the DARK-EYED JUNCO, and there has been a good number of these around this year, and today an estimated 1000+ were present. Up to 8 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS have been frequenting the area and today a late SCARLET TANAGER was trapped. Bird of the week in the nets was a VESPER SPARROW, which is only the second one ever banded here. However, it is not only Prince Edward Point where DARK-EYED JUNCOS have been seen. They are literally blanketing Prince Edward County and surrounding areas right now as large numbers of them migrate through, and scattered numbers of these are showing up at bird feeders. There are 20 coming to a feeder at Point Petre, and 60 at a feeder near Glenora, and 30 at a feeder near Thomasburg. Also appearing at feeders this week have been PURPLE FINCHES which have also been heard and seen on Sprague Road and along the Millennium Trail in the Bloomfield area. One feeder on Glenora Road has 6, along with 4 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS, 3 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS, 2 YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKERS, 35 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES, 30 BLUE JAYS, and 20 BLACK-CAPPED CHICKADEES, along with 7 WILD TURKEYS that are also in the area. A feeder on Victoria Avenue in Belleville has 20 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. BALD EAGLES this week were observed on Wesley Acres Road on the 9th (1 adult), and another was seen the same day at Cherry Valley. The McNabb Towers (Belleville) PEREGRINE FALCON is still in the area and was last seen on the air conditioning unit on the 11th floor on October 9th. GREAT HORNED OWLS have been calling at Big Island and at Point Petre, and an EASTERN SCREECH OWL was seen today in the village of Bloomfield. A juvenile SHARP-SHINNED HAWK has been harassing birds at a feeder on Maitland Avenue on the north side of Belleville, which on one occasion, was seen to capture a sparrow, whereupon it took its prize to the backyard bird bath where it dunked the sparrow a few times, before flying off with it. Kettles of hawks have been noted by one observer flying over the West Lake/Sheba's Island area, and 35 TURKEY VULTURES were noted yesterday circling just northwest of the junction of Mitchel and McKinley Crossroads and County Road 17. Other noteworthy sightings during the week included a SPOTTED SANDPIPER at Sheba's Island on the 6th, 10 TREE SWALLOWS over Consecon Lake marsh on the 10th, and a PILEATED WOODPECKER on Wesley Acres Road on the 9th. Across the border, up to 4 EASTERN MEADOWLARKS have been seen all week in pasture fields along Lahey Road, south of Madoc. And in Trenton, two HERMIT THRUSHES were seen in one backyard eating the berries of a lantana bush. Fallout from Presqu'ile's colony of GREAT EGRETS often makes its way into the Prince Edward County area where individuals continue to be seen along the Bay of Quinte shoreline across from Trenton. And north of Trenton, one was seen on the 11th at the Fox Pond off Wooler Road. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines (Prince Edward Point Bird Observatory), Bob Maurer, John & Margaret Moore, Sue & Nick Fibbiani, Peter Marshall, Silvia Botnick, Judith Gray, Judy Bell, John Charlton, Fred Chandler, Susan MacKay, Eileen Robbins, Trudy Kitchen and Barry Pinsky for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, October 20th. Bird sightings may be forwarded to tsprague@kos.net any time before the Thursday 6:00 p.m. deadline. This report also appears for a period of seven days on the NatureStuff website under BIRDING where this week's featured photo is a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK, taken by Dave Bell of Maitland Avenue in Belleville. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County tsprague@kos.net www.naturestuff.net