WEEKLY BIRD REPORT FROM PRINCE EDWARD COUNTY AND THE QUINTE AREA FOR THE WEEK ENDING Thursday, May 18, 2006 The Prince Edward County Birding Festival started on Saturday 13th and it started with a bang at the Point. As the nets were being opened, birds could be either heard chipping or were seen flitting about in the bushes. Large numbers of birds were present and 510 were banded. The bulk species of the day were NASHVILLE (60), YELLOW (150), MAGNOLIA (70) and YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS (300), the other species in large numbers were GRAY CATBIRDS (80), WOOD THRUSH (30) and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS (120). In the Point Traverse Woods just north of the Observatory, birders there walked into a wall of birds with an estimated 25-30 SCARLET TANAGERS present in that woods alone and large numbers of NORTHERN PARULAS, CHESTNUT-SIDED WARBLERS and both BLACK-THROATED GREEN and BLACK-THROATED BLUE WARBLERS. During the week a RED-NECKED GREBE in summer plumage was seen of the point on the 15th, and on the 17th/18th a summer plumaged HORNED GREBE was present. The GREEN HERON is now seen daily around the harbour and a BLACK-CROWNED NIGHT HERON was found on the 17th and was still present today. One of the duck boxes is being used by a WOOD DUCK and the female is sitting on 12 eggs. Up to five SURF SCOTERS can be found sitting on the water off Point Traverse and are mixed in with the WHITE-WINGED SCOTERS. A BLACK SCOTER has been seen with them also. PEREGRINE FALCONS have been seen on the evening of the 11th with another bird seen on the following morning, the 14th saw yet another bird fly by. A SANDHILL CRANE did a double fly by on the 15th. A SOLITARY SANDPIPER was found in the harbour feeding beside a SPOTTED SANDPIPER on the 16th. BLACK-BILLED CUCKOO'S were seen or heard on the 13th and 15th, the latter date having two birds present, and one is also present most days in the Point Traverse Woods. Two RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS were seen at Point Traverse on the 13th and the first WILLOW FLYCATCHER of the year was calling at the end of the harbour on the 14th. LEAST FLYCATCHERS are a daily occurrence now in the bushes and two to three GREAT-CRESTED FLYCATCHERS are to be found daily. Six RED-EYED VIREOS were seen on the 13th and there were a few seen today both in the bushes around the point and in Point Traverse. BLUE JAYS are starting to increase with 125 seen on the 14th and 100 the following day. Two female PURPLE MARTINS flew around the point for an hour on the 15th continuing the small run of this species which is rarely seen down here. Up to 12 HOUSE WRENS are now present and a female GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET was seen on the 15th - 17th.VEERYS are increasing in numbers and SWAINSON'S THRUSHES are starting to be seen, also still appearing are a few HERMIT THRUSHES with three seen on the 16th. On the 12th at least 4 GOLDEN-WINGED WARBLERS and 2 BLUE-WINGED WARBLERS could be found. TENNESSEE WARBLERS are starting to trickle through and an ORANGE-CROWNED WARBLER was trapped today. NORTHERN PARULA'S are putting on a good show this year with 4, 3 and 6 on the 12th to the 14th. YELLOW WARBLERS are now busy building nests even though good numbers of migrants are still coming through. Large numbers of YELLOW-RUMPED WARBLERS are still moving and up to 300 a day have been logged at the point, most of the birds are now second year females indicating that the passage of this species will soon come to a close. BLACKBURNIAN WARBLER is another species that has been moving in good numbers and 25 were recorded on the 16th, a YELLOW PALM WARBLER was trapped on the 12th but few BAY-BREASTED WARBLERS have been seen yet so far. AMERICAN REDSTARTS first appeared on the 12th and by today, the numbers had increased to 35 present. A MOURNING WARBLER was singing near the end of the harbour on the 14th to the 16th, and another was present early this morning in the Point Traverse Woods. WILSON'S WARBLERS are also starting to appear. There were at least 10 SCARLET TANAGERS present on the 12th to 14th in the woods near the Observatory. Up to three CLAY-COLORED SPARROWS are now singing in their usual area below the telephone wires and 30 - 65 WHITE-THROATED SPARROWS are being seen daily. WHITE-CROWNED SPARROWS have started to decrease but a banded GAMBEL'S WHITE-CROWNED SPARROW was still being retrapped on the 15th/16th. ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS numbered 120 on the 13th with 59 of them being trapped, the bushes were awash with them as they flitted about in red, black and white flashes. Yet another local rarity in the form a female HOUSE SPARROW appeared on the 12th but on the 17th a first summer GLAUCOUS GULL was seen off the point and was an addition to the Observatory species list. Observations were a little limited on the 17th and 18th as the Observatory Birdathon team the "Laphroaig Vultures" did their Birdathon. I hope you managed to sponsor someone for this worthwhile effort, if not its not too late to do it, and remember to come down to Milford for the "For the Birds" concert on this coming Saturday evening. Also doing their Birdathon in support of the Observatory on the 16th were the "Kentucky Warblers" checking off a respectable total of 131 species during the 24-hour period. My thanks to birders Don Craighead, Henri Garand and Serge deSousa for helping me in my effort. Elsewhere in the county, bird feeders across the area are reporting both INDIGO BUNTINGS and ROSE-BREASTED GROSBEAKS at their bird feeders as the species continues its migration through the region. A late COMMON REDPOLL was observed on the Loyalist Parkway near Wellington on May 11th, and a CATTLE EGRET was seen near Milford on the 15th. The Prince Edward County Birding Festival wraps up this coming weekend. Every morning at 8:00 a.m., through Saturday, I am leading guided bird walks through the Point Traverse Woods, meeting at the Ducks Dive Charters and Cottages at 5535 Long Point Road (C.R. 13). From Picton, follow County Roads 8, 17 and 16 to County Road 13 at Black River Cheese Factory, then follow 13 south for 26 km. Fill up your car in Picton with gas, and pack a lunch. You're a long way from a Tim Horton's ! And that's it for this week from Prince Edward County and the Quinte area. Our thanks to David Okines, Henri Garand, Serge deSousa, Don Craighead, Pamela Stagg, Bob Riendeau, Fiona King, Doug & Evelyn Sloane, John & Margaret Moore, Bruce Brown, Jayne Burkholder, Judith Gray and Henry Pasila for their contributions to this week's report. This report will be updated on Thursday, May 25th. Bird sightings may be forwarded any time to tsprague@kos.net before the Thursday 6:00 p.m. deadline. This report also appears for a week on the NatureStuff website, under BIRDING, where this week's photo of a CANADA WARBLER waiting out one of the many rains this week at Point Traverse is by Ken Kingdon of Kingston. Terry Sprague Prince Edward County tsprague@kos.net www.naturestuff.net