Birding at Presqu’ile
Provincial Park has been made difficult during the past week by slippery
walking conditions and by the fact that Lighthouse Lane and Paxton Drive remain
closed to vehicular traffic. Clean-up of those roads will begin next week,
but in the meantime they are open to pedestrian traffic. Moreover,
Presqu’ile Bay and Popham Bay have been frozen over on most days, thus making
waterfowl observation possibilities sporadic.
One of two interesting
sightings this week was of a white phase SNOW GOOSE that flew over towards Presqu’ile Bay on
December 31 but could not be re-located. On the one day when Presqu’ile
Bay was open to the government dock (December 29), the ducks had gathered there
by the thousands, including the first 15 CANVASBACKS of the "spring” and close
to 3,000 REDHEADS. There were also 8 LESSER SCAUP and 9 WHITE-WINGED
SCOTERS. Now that the bay is completely frozen over, not one of those
ducks remains, though they may be in the open water of the lake near High Bluff
Island, awaiting the next shift in the wind to a westerly direction, which will
clear out much of the bay ice.
There were two RUFFED GROUSE sightings
this week. One wonders whether the two WILD TURKEYS that were at the calf
pasture in mid-December are still in the Park, and, if so, whether they will
discover one of the bird feeders along Bayshore Road, as one did in a previous
winter and as a RUFFED GROUSE has done this winter.
The other unusual
record was an anonymous report of a RED-THROATED LOON. Since that species
is rarely seen at Presqu’ile in winter, details of the observation should be
submitted to the Park Office. An adult BALD EAGLE was
on the ice of Presqu’ile Bay on December 29 and was seen in flight on January
1.
Although, to my knowledge, only one person was intrepid enough to
visit Gull Island this week, and that person was wearing cleats on her
boots. There were two sightings of a NORTHERN HARRIER there, one
identified from Owen Point, as was a ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK on High Bluff Island.
December 29 was the best day for gulls in recent weeks. On the ice off
the government dock were RING-BILLED, HERRING, GLAUCOUS, and 25 GREAT
BLACK-BACKED GULLS. In addition an ICELAND GULL and a LESSER BLACK-BACKED
GULL were at Owen Point. SNOWY OWL sightings continue on the offshore
islands.
BARRED OWLS were seen twice, including one flying around over a
cottage in broad daylight. The most reliable
locations for finding RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS are at 83 and 186 Bayshore
Road. The occasional drumming of HAIRY WOODPECKERS has been a welcome,
spring-like sound. A PILEATED WOODPECKER was heard in Newcastle
woods. Flocks of AMERICAN ROBINS in the sky on December 29 (a total
of about 60 birds) were the most recent sightings of that species, leading to
speculation that they might have decided to vacate the Park in favour of other
locations with more abundant or less ice-covered food. One observer saw a
flock of 110 SNOW BUNTINGS flying over Owen Point. A SONG SPARROW
continues to visit the feeders at 186 Bayshore Road and another possible
sighting was at Owen Point. A WHITE-THROATED SPARROW continues to visit
the feeders at 83 and 85 Bayshore Road, where a COMMON GRACKLE is also present.
To reach Presqu'ile
Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are
shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate.
Visitors to Gull Island should exercise extreme caution. The entire approach to
the island is covered with glare ice, and footing is dangerous.Birders are encouraged
to record their observations on the bird sightings board provided near the campground
office by The Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for
species not listed there.
Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.
Fred Helleiner
