Presqu’ile Bird Report July19th to 25th 2019
HIGHLIGHTS
RUDDY TURNSTONE
STILT SANDPIPER
PECTORAL SANDPIPER
SOLITARY SANDPIPER
JUV LESSER YELLOWLEGS
JUV RED-HEADED WOODPECKER
Southbound shorebird migration has begun in the Park! As the beaches start to dry up slowly numerous sandbars are being exposed leading to ideal habitat for the shorebirds to land on and feed! There is also a good supply of algae with lots of flies and other food for them to feed on. Almost all 12 species of shorebirds seen this week were between beach 2 and 3. At the moment Owen Pt and all lookouts are flooded and any birders wanting to check these areas out will need rubber boots and be willing to donate a fair amount of blood so good luck!
SEMIPALMATED PLOVER 1, KILLDEER 3, RUDDY TURNSTONE 1, STILT SANDPIPER 1, LEAST SANDPIPER 3, PECTORAL SANDPIPER 2, SEMIPALMATED SANDPIPER 8, WILSON’S SNIPE 1, SPOTTED SANDPIPER 5, SOLITARY SANDPIPER 1, GREATER YELLOWLEGS 2 and LESSER YELLOWLEGS 6. Other than the 3 local breeders most of these sandpipers have arrived in the last few days. Of interest was the juvenile LESSER YELLOWLEGS as this seems a little early and all other migrants were adults!
Some good duck sightings this week were 11 LONG-TAILED DUCKS on July 24th out from beach 2 and a COMMON GOLDENEYE on July 19th. There was a SANDHILL CRANE sighting coming from the Park this week involving 2 birds on July 23rd and 4 birds seen exiting the Park flying northeast on July 16th and 17th. There are very few if any summer records for SANDHILL CRANES in the Park!
Amongst the many RING-BILLED and HERRING GULLS there were a few BONAPARTE GULLS around. Single birds around the lighthouse on the 21st and 24th and 3 birds on the beach on July 22nd.
There were 3 LEAST BITTERN sightings this week. Unfortunately one of the birds was dead from a car collision near the Birdhouse. Another sighting was near the causeway just outside the Park and a third bird was heard today while observing shorebirds today at beach 3. There was also a nice viewing from beach 3 of 8 GREAT BLUE HERONS involving a couple of family groups feeding on frogs.
A BALD EAGLE was observed flying over the fingers on July 24th and a BARRED OWL was heard hooting from the north end of the paved part of Newcastle trail were it meets Paxton.
For the third year in a row we can confirm that RED-HEADED WOODPECKERS have successfully bred in the Park as a lucky resident had the pleasure of seeing 2 adults feeding 2 young at a backyard peanut feeder! Young RED-BELLIED WOODPECKERS were also being fed at the same feeder this week!
For those looking for CLIFF SWALLOWS check the wires near the dwellings on Huff Rd. BLUE-GREY GNATCATCHER numbers seemed to have plummeted in the Park making the sighting of a recently fledged bird on the beach 3 access rd a happy sighting! There are many family groups of passerines moving around the Park right now but as of yet no sightings of migrants making their way into the Park.
THANK YOU to all the observers who have forward me or Ebirded their list of bird sightings this week!
Directions: 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 (10 March-10 September).
