WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM THE QUINTE AREA for Sunday, January 20, 2002 The week in Prince Edward County and surrounding area started off at a snail's pace, then by mid-week things began to happen. The majority of the reports came from successful bird feeder operators who reported startling success despite conditions remaining fairly open with some snow depth in only parts of Prince Edward County. Everyone has COMMON REDPOLLS with highs of 40 to 60 coming to one feeder in the Barry Heights area of Trenton. A Consecon area feeder has a NORTHERN FLICKER, there are RED-BREASTED NUTHATCHES coming to a feeder in Albury, a WHITE-WINGED CROSSBILL at a Lake-on-the-Mountain feeder, two WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS sampling the menu at a feeder near Fenwood Gardens, and a female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD at a Waupoos area feeder. Other feeders have had some unwelcomed guests, including a MERLIN in Belleville, a Cooper's Hawk in Trenton and a SHARP-SHINNED HAWK on Rednersville Road. The little family gathering of TUNDRA SWANS which appeared at South Bay in early November, has now burgeoned to well over 100, dividing their time between the open waters of upper South Bay and Smith's Bay, in the Morrison Point area. Their numbers have fluctuated from 125 to a high of 151 through the week. Also, in the southeastern part of the county, the HARLEQUIN DUCK which first appeared at Prince Edward Point on November 8th, was still present as of January 13th, where there were also an estimated 30,000 LONG-TAILED DUCKS. Also appearing in large numbers was a rafter of WILD TURKEYS yesterday numbering 120 in a field west of Sidney Street, about a kilometre north of 401 (Belleville). Also appearing in a flock numbering more than a few individuals were COMMON REDPOLLS along Gomorrah Road near Demorestville. A flock there yesterday numbered at least 350 birds. Beaver Meadow Wildlife Management Area on Wednesday produced a GREAT HORNED OWL, 2 RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS a HAIRY WOODPECKER and a PILEATED WOODPECKER. There was also a PILEATED WOODPECKER on Fry Road, and another south of Cressy during the week. RED-TAILED HAWKS during the week were observed at Beaver Meadow and at Big Island. AMERICAN KESTRELS today were found on the corners of Fry Road/County Road 4, Fry Road/County Road 5, Bethel Road/County Road 5, and Bethel Road/County Road 4, almost if deliberately planted there. Other noteworthy sightings during the week included 25 BOHEMIAN WAXWINGS on Babylon Road, a COMMON GRACKLE and 6 EASTERN BLUEBIRDS along Point Petre Road, 60 RING-BILLED GULLS at Outlet Beach, and a GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET in a tree across from Home Hardware in Picton today. Anyone from the Belleville/Picton/Napanee/Trenton areas interested in the 6-week Bird Identification Course that I will be conducting, commencing on February 13th at the Quinte Conservation Conference Room, located in Quinte West, please e-mail me right away as a few openings have become available. The course is $50.00 and will not be repeated until next winter. And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to Bob Sachs (Ontbirds), Jack Lashley, Nick Quickert, Don Craighead, Don Chisholm, Fran Donaldson, Peter Johnson, Jack Evans, Rae O'Brien, Gordon Way and John Charlton. This report will be updated by 8:00 p.m. on Sunday, January 27th. Bird sightings must be in by 6:00 p.m. to be included in the next report. Good winter birding everyone! Terry Sprague Picton, Ontario tsprague@kos.net http://www.naturestuff.net "Terry Sprague" <tsprague@hermes.kos.net>