POSTED | July 26, 2018 - Bill Gilmour
Birding Report
Presqu’ile Birding Report for the week of 20th July to 26th July 2018
HIGHLIGHTS: YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO, WHIMBREL, RED KNOT, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, CAROLINA WREN
This week the first real push of shorebird migration came in with the weather front this week. Few passerines have moved into the Park but lots of breeding birds are moving around in family groups!
Although few ducks are being reported in the Park an immature male COMMON GOLDENEYE seen out in the lake in front of Nature Centre on July 25th was a good find. A family group of WILD TURKEYS were foraging in the Calf Pasture.
A YELLOW-BILLED CUCKOO was first heard and then seen on July 26th off the paved part of the Newcastle Trail and another heard only was at the Lighthouse earlier in the week.
The highlight of the week was the first push of shorebirds starting on July 22 and continuing today. A BLACK-BELLIED PLOVER was among the group that landed on Salt Pt on July 22nd. 6 SEMIPALMATED PLOVERS July 22nd a high of 9 KILLDEER today were on the beaches. Although there are a few July records the WHIMBREL seen today is a bit early. 2 RED KNOTS were seen by Park Staff on High Bluff Island today. SANDERLINGS have been on the beaches with a high of 30 birds today. LEAST SANDPIPERS and SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS both came in July 22nd and continue today. One of the SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPERS spotted had a dark blue flag with ID# HA9 was first banded in Brazil in 2015. 9 SHORT-BILLED DOWITCHERS were among the group that landed on Salt Pt on July 22nd. The only other shorebirds reported were LESSER YELLOWLEGS with a high of 4 birds July 23rd. A single SOLITARY SANDPIPER was reported from the Brighton Constructed Wetland today.
A BARRED OWL was heard on July 25th near the Nature Centre. A RED-HEADED WOODPECKER was seen July 21st and again on July 26th coming for peanuts at 83 Bayshore was joined today by an adult and immature RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER. Many family groups of DOWNY, HAIRY and NORTHERN FLICKERS are also being seen in may locations in Park. A GOLDEN-CROWNED KINGLET was heard today and can be found in most conifer tracts in Park.
A CAROLINA WREN has been seen all week at the Lighthouse. This bird has been very quiet and takes sometime and effort to find leading some to believe it could be on a nest.
HOUSE FINCHES, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and PURPLE FINCHES have been showing up in increasing numbers this week at residential feeders in Park. The first crack in the fall migration of warblers was a TENNESSEE WARBLER picking insects off an oriole feeder at 83 Bayshore. Other local breeding warblers such as YELLOW WARBLER, BLACK-AND-WHITE, BLACKBURNIAN, AMERICAN REDSTARTS and COMMON YELLOWTHROATS are starting to move around Park.
Once again I would like to thank the Park Staff and all those who have taken the time to report their sightings.
Presqu’ile Provincial Park is located on the north shore of Lake Ontario, just south of the town of Brighton. It can be reached from either Hwy. 401 or Cty. Rd. 2 and is well signed. A Park map can be found in the information tabloid available at the Park gate. Presqu’ile’s two offshore islands – Gull and High Bluff – support a large multi-species colonial bird nesting area and access is not permitted during the breeding season.
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