Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

As predicted in last week's report, and coincident with reports from all
over southern Ontario, Presqu'ile Provincial Park has been inundated
with spring migrant birds, both waterfowl and land birds.  Last
weekend's Waterfowl Viewing Festival, blessed by sunny and calm
conditions, was a great success, and the second of the two weekends of
the Festival will take place on March 22 and 23.

A number of visitors were hoping to find grebes among the waterfowl, but
none could be found until after the weekend, when a grebe thought to be
a Horned Grebe was seen swimming off the government dock on Bayshore
Road on March 18.  Within a few days, the first Pied-billed Grebes
should be appearing.  Two Great Blue Herons were seen flying over the
Park on the morning of March 17.

Swans were the highlight of the weekend for many of the visitors.  On
March 16, all three species normally found in Ontario were visible in
the field of a spotting scope at one time at Salt Point.  Mute Swan
mania, however, gripped the majority of the visitors, who had never seen
such numbers of these attractive birds in such close proximity and were
dismayed to learn that they are not a welcome component of Presqu'ile's
avifauna.

Dabbling ducks have been present in small numbers this week, including
Wood Ducks, Gadwalls, American Wigeons, Northern Pintails, and two male
Blue-winged Teal, the latter, on March 16, being apparently a record
early sighting for the Park.  Thousands of Canvasbacks, Redheads, and
Greater Scaup make up the bulk of the diving ducks.  There are also
small numbers of Ring-necked Ducks, Lesser Scaup, White-winged Scoters,
Hooded Mergansers, and American Coots being seen almost every day.  The
best viewing locations in the past few days have been Salt Point and the
government dock.

Immature Bald Eagles are being seen sporadically, including one that
devoured a duck on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay in full view of a number of
spectators.  A Northern Harrier flew over the Park on March 15.

Several observers saw Killdeers in the Park on the weekend, and an
American Woodcock was seen just a short distance outside the Park on
March 17.

There have been two sightings of an Iceland Gull recently.  One was on
the ice of Presqu'ile Bay on March 16 and another (or the same one) flew
past near the lighthouse on March 19.

Northern Flickers have been seen at various points along Bayshore Road
this week.  An Eastern Phoebe was at the calf pasture on March 17.  One
observer heard a Bohemian Waxwing flying over Jobes' Woods on March 15.

Song Sparrows have been present in good numbers and singing throughout
the week.  An Eastern Meadowlark was at the calf pasture on March 16,
and two landed briefly near the lighthouse on March 17 before moving
on.  The most obvious of the newly arrived land birds have been the
Red-winged Blackbirds, Common Grackles, and Brown-headed Cowbirds that
are moving around in singles and small flocks.  Two male and two female
Purple Finches, the first since last year, have been patronizing feeders
at 85 and 186 Bayshore Road since March 17.

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.  Access to the offshore islands is
restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial
nesting birds there.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

The long-awaited break in the weather predicted for this weekend is
likely to produce a flood of spring migrant birds to Presqu'ile
Provincial Park.  A few have already arrived.

Waterfowl viewing is excellent from several vantage points along
Bayshore Road, as well as the lake shore along Lighthouse Lane.  A
Red-necked Grebe, likely the same bird as the one seen a week earlier,
was seen off Salt Point on March 11.  About 120 Mute Swans have returned
to Presqu'ile Bay after an absence of a few weeks.  Five Tundra Swans
are also present there.  The first two American Wigeons of the year
appeared there on March 12, and the first six Ring-necked Ducks on the
following day.  White-winged Scoters in small groups of up to six
individuals are seen almost every day now, both in the bay and in the
open lake.  A female Black Scoter was in the open lake just west of the
lighthouse on March 13.

One or two immature Bald Eagles have been seen several times this week,
sometimes flying past and at other times feeding on the ice or perched
in a tree.  On March 10, a Northern Goshawk and probably a second one
were seen at 85 Bayshore Road.

A Northern Flicker flew overhead near the lighthouse on March 9.
Although Horned Larks returned to this part of Ontario several weeks
ago, the first one of the year in Presqu'ile Park was a lone bird along
the roadside at the calf pasture on March 12.  As many as 80 American
Robins flew over in a loose flock as if migrating on March 8.  The most
reliable place for seeing that species recently has been on Paxton Drive
just east of Atkins Lane.

The wintering Song Sparrow at 83 Bayshore Road was still there on March
9, and the White-throated Sparrow and two Common Grackles at 186
Bayshore Road were still there on March 13.

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.  Access to the offshore islands is
restricted at this time of year to prevent disturbance to the colonial
nesting birds there.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.


Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Although winter keeps its grip on Presqu'ile Provincial Park, there is a
trickle of new bird arrivals, and the variety that has been here for
most of the winter continues to offer good birding to those with the
patience to spend a day checking out all of the likely areas.

The highlight of the week has been a Red-necked Grebe that swam to and
fro along the edge of the ice in Presqu'ile Bay near the lighthouse on
March 3 and 4.  On one of the milder days when the bay was partly open
(March 2), four Tundra Swans, a Gadwall, eight Canvasbacks, and 150
Redheads were visible from Salt Point.  A small number of White-winged
Scoters can usually be spotted with the help of a scope, between the
Nature Centre and Salt Point.  Both Common and Red-breasted Mergansers
are also to be seen in that area.  The annual Waterfowl Viewing Weekends
are scheduled for March 15/16 and 22/23 at Presqu'ile Park.  There will
certainly be plenty of ducks to be seen, but a change in the weather
will be needed before then for the bay to open up as far inland as the
calf pasture, where viewing conditions are usually very good.  On March
8, a workshop is available at Presqu'ile for $15 to persons 14 years of
age or older to
provide training and assistance in the identification of waterfowl as
well as instruction in their habits.  To register 'phone 613-475-1688.

An immature Bald Eagle was sighted on March 1 and 6, and an adult
Cooper's Hawk was visiting the bird feeder at 83 Bayshore Road on the
latter date.

If the duck watching proves too bone-chilling, a walk through Newcastle
Woods (behind the Nature Centre) offers good prospects of finding one or
more Pileated Woodpeckers.

Some of the American Robins that appeared late last week may have been
new arrivals.  They were single birds in places where they had not been
throughout the winter and were not associating with Cedar Waxwings, as
was the wintering flock.  A Song Sparrow at 38 Bayshore Road on March 4
was also there for the first time this winter, in contrast with the
White-throated Sparrow putting in almost daily appearances at the feeder
at 186 Bayshore Road.

Blackbirds have begun to move around, with a Rusty Blackbird showing up
at a feeder a short distance outside the Park and two Brown-headed
Cowbirds at 85 Bayshore Road on February 27 and 28.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.  From March 10 onwards, Gull Island will be
off limits to protect the colonial nesting birds there.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.


Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

By this date three years ago, many spring birds had reached Presqu'ile
Provincial Park, including a very early American Woodcock.  Needless to
say, that has not happened this year, with the exception of a few water
birds.  That could change any day, but for now Presqu'ile Bay is
completely frozen over for the first time this winter and almost no bare
ground is visible anywhere.

On those days during the past week when there was open water in the bay,
there were still a few dozen Mute Swans and, on February 25, 12 Tundra
Swans.  On February 22, there were three Gadwalls off the government
dock.  The two Canvasbacks reported last week have been joined by
conspecifics, reaching a total of about 60 on February 24.  That number
appears to have dwindled to a mere dozen or so, hugging the ice margin
where the bay opens into Lake Ontario.  The 2000-3000 Greater Scaup that
were feeding in the bay earlier in the week are now congregating in
groups along the shore between Chatterton Point and the lighthouse,
along with a handful of Redheads, White-winged Scoters, Red-breasted
Mergansers, and the regular winter ducks.  On March 8, a workshop is
available at Presqu'ile for $15 to persons 14 years of age or older to
provide training and assistance in the identification of waterfowl as
well as instruction in their habits.  To register 'phone 613-475-1688.

Only one Bald Eagle was sighted this week, an immature, scuttling hopes
that they might once again nest somewhere in the Park.

Ruffed Grouse have been staying well hidden this winter, but one was
flushed not far from where they nested last year.

While most of Presqu'ile Park remains in the grip of winter, Gull Island
is distinctly spring-like, with 10,000 Ring-billed Gulls, as well as
Herring and Great Black-backed Gulls, milling around noisily, where none
was present two weeks ago.  Canada Geese and Snow Buntings were also
present there on February 21.  The island will be off limits after March
10.

Two Northern Flickers, likely the same two that were seen on February
11, were near the campground office on February 24.

The trees and bushes along Paxton Drive near the lighthouse have been
alive for the past few days with several dozen American Robins and over
100 Cedar Waxwings.  A Bohemian Waxwing was also reported among them,
the only report of that species in the Park this winter.  While the
songs of the American Robins these past few bright mornings could hardly
be described as lusty, their combined effect is nevertheless reminiscent
of a dawn chorus.

White-throated Sparrows and Common Grackles are still visiting the
feeders at 83 and 186 Bayshore Road.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

It is remarkable how quickly conditions can change at Presqu'ile
Provincial Park.  Whereas the weekend saw Presqu'ile Bay almost
completely frozen over for several consecutive days, it is now open as
far inland as Salt Point, and both birds and birders have begun to
re-appear after an absence that seldom occurs here.

The concentration of waterfowl at Salt Point on February 20 contained
the following species of interest:  3 Canada Geese, 7 Tundra Swans, a
male Gadwall (the first of that species to be seen at Presqu'ile since
December), 2 Canvasbacks (the first in eleven days), 400 Redheads, 5
White-winged Scoters.  Watching over them were three Bald Eagles (two
adults in the nearby trees and an immature on the ice margin).  A Merlin
seen near the Park entrance on February 16 was the first in several
months.

Apart from the wintering Song Sparrow (at 83/85 Bayshore Road),
White-throated Sparrow (at 186 Bayshore Road), and Common Grackles (at
both of those locations), there have been no unusual passerine birds
reported during the past week.  If southerly winds persist, that can
change as the first spring migrants begin to appear.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Not surprisingly, given the prolonged deep freeze in which Presqu'ile
Provincial Park has been immersed for the past week, the tentative signs
of spring reported last week have all but vanished, and conditions have
reverted to those of mid-winter.

Waterfowl are still the most reliable birds to be found, especially
between Langdon Lane, where the Presqu'ile Bay ice margin has been
located for the past few days, and the lighthouse.  Until February 9,
there were 12 Canada Geese and six Tundra Swans, which may still be
hiding in some sheltered location or surrounded by Mute Swans, which
spend most of these colder days sitting on the ice with their heads and
necks buried in their dorsal plumage.  The three Canvasbacks that were
present at the government dock have also not been seen since that date.
Although their numbers are greatly reduced from a week ago, there are
still Redheads and Greater Scaup to be found with little difficulty.
Two White-winged Scoters can usually be seen just to the right (east) of
the Salt Point lighthouse.  One or two Red-breasted Mergansers are
present on most days.

Bald Eagles, at least two immatures and one adult, have provided
excitement almost every day for both waterfowl and birders.  One adult
on the ice near Salt Point was consuming what seemed to be a duck for an
extended period on February 11, while a number of interested people on
the nearby shore watched with interest.  On February 13, two immatures
were engaged in mid-air combat over an ailing Mute Swan on an ice floe
near the lighthouse.  One of them returned an hour later accompanied by
an adult.  An adult Sharp-shinned Hawk paid a brief visit to a feeder at
186 Bayshore Road on February 7, and two days later another accipiter,
either a large Sharp-shinned or a small Cooper's Hawk, was at 83
Bayshore Road.

Perhaps the most surprising find of the week was a pair of Northern
Flickers that flew over the Park store parking lot on February 11,
causing birders to wonder where they have been hiding all winter.  On
February 7, a Northern Shrike (or more likely two) was seen at widely
separated locations, one near Beach 1 and the other near Salt Point.

A Brown Creeper has been an infrequent visitor all winter to the tree in
front of 186 Bayshore Road, where it was seen most recently on February
7.  American Robins and Cedar Waxwings are also being found in the Park
fairly regularly but not in any predictable location.  In contrast, a
Song Sparrow at 83 Bayshore Road and a White-throated Sparrow at 186
Bayshore Road have remained in those respective locations for weeks
now.  The three Common Grackles that have been wintering on the point
alternate between visits to those two addresses.

The only Snow Buntings that have been reported in the Park since early
January were a small flock on Gull Island on February 11, where they
were feeding in apparent oblivion to the deeply sub-zero winds that
swept across the island that morning.  That may be where the first
Horned Larks of the season will show up when the long-awaited thaw
arrives.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

For the first time in weeks, there has been a noticeable movement of
birds in and around Presqu'ile Provincial Park, with some birds
wandering further afield from their usual haunts and others re-appearing
after an absence of over a month.
The most significant change has been in the abundance of waterfowl,
whose numbers are already approaching the levels customarily seen in
late February or March.

The numbers of Mute Swans and Tundra Swans remain stable at close to 200
of the former and a handful of the latter.  On any given day, with a
good spotting scope, one can pick out at least one or two Tundras in
Presqu'ile Bay, most recently off the government dock, where the ice
margin is now located.  The influx of ducks began on February 1, when
about 400 Greater Scaup could be seen flying in from the east in small
groups and landing in Presqu'ile Bay.  By the next day, when they
continued to arrive throughout the day, the rafts numbered about 2000
individuals and included some 50 Redheads and two Canvasbacks.  Except
for Redheads, of which there are now several hundred, the totals have
stabilized for several days.  Most of them are within a few hundred
metres of the ice edge, but reasonably large rafts can be found anywhere
between there and the lighthouse.  One or two White-winged Scoters can
usually be found in the bay as well, sometimes consorting with Common
Goldeneyes.  A female Hooded Merganser at Salt Point on February 2 was
the first of that species reported at Presqu'ile this year.  In fact,
all three species of mergansers were present on that day.  Up to ten
Red-breasted Mergansers have been seen off the lighthouse earlier in the
week.  The males were aggressively chasing the females.

At least two Bald Eagles, an adult and an immature, continue to be seen
from time to time within a kilometre of the lighthouse.  Less than a
kilometre outside the Park, a light-phased Rough-legged Hawk was seen on
February 6.

The gull flock that spends the days on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay and
commutes to the open lake late in the afternoons has begun to include a
sprinkling of Ring-billed Gulls for the first time in several weeks.  By
the end of the month, they will greatly outnumber the Herring Gulls.  An
adult Iceland Gull was among them on February 6.

On February 3, a Pileated Woodpecker was drumming in Newcastle Woods,
and another responded with loud calls to an attempted Barred Owl
imitation.  The first Northern Shrike seen in the Park since early
January was at the calf pasture on February 2.  A mixed flock of Cedar
Waxwings and American Robins that has been wandering around the Park
from berry patch to berry patch was accompanied on one day by European
Starlings and more recently by the three Common Grackles that had spent
the winter up till now in a more restricted area of the peninsula.

The feeders along Bayshore Road (at least eight different properties
have them) continue to offer the best opportunities on the peninsula for
finding land birds at this time of year, including White-throated
Sparrows and a Song Sparrow as well as several more common species.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

At times when no migration is under way, it is easy for those who go
birding frequently at Presqu'ile Provincial Park to become complacent,
since many of the same birds remain in the same places for weeks at a
time.  The reality, however, is that some of those birds are far from
commonplace in Ontario in mid-winter.

For example, is there any other place where 200 or more Mute Swans can
be seen at one time?  Nor are there many places on Lake Ontario where
Tundra Swans can be seen almost every day.  Yet both of these species,
including up to 14 of the latter on January 24, are "regulars" among the
waterfowl that can be seen from Salt Point.  Usually there are one or
two White-winged Scoters there also, and five were close to shore at the
lighthouse on January 26.

Bald Eagles have been spotted over the outer part of Presqu'ile Bay or
sitting on the edge of the ice on each of the last three days, and two
were seen on January 25.

Pileated Woodpeckers are always an exciting sight, and in Newcastle
Woods, which are exceptionally quiet these days, one can often find one
of these birds by listening for their tapping.

Hand-feeding of Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches has
become ridiculously easy.  One flock that seems to expect such treatment
can be found about 100 metres off Paxton Drive on a ski trail;  follow
the road about one kilometre from the lighthouse until three large
boulders block the entrance to a roadway on the left; continue for
another 200 metres past a semi-open area beyond which the road curves to
the left and then the right; at that point there is a stand of pines and
spruces, where the aforesaid ski trail, marked in orange, heads off into
the woods at an angle of about 30 degrees.

On January 27, a flock of 19 American Robins and 17 Cedar Waxwings was
seen where Atkins Lane joins Paxton Drive.  Even more robins have been
seen on each of the past two days near the bird sightings board and
along the main entrance road near Beach 2.  On January 29, one of the
robins was singing a "whisper song", a portent of louder things to come.

The feeders along Bayshore Road (at least eight different properties
have them) continue to offer the best opportunities on the peninsula for
finding land birds at this time of year, including White-throated
Sparrows and Common Grackles as well as several more common species.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

The Varied Thrush was present at 11:30 on January 24.  Not sure of its
sex, but I suspect a faded male.

(copied instructions with some additions) The bird can be found at Civic
Address # 383 Prinyer's Cove Crescent which is quite far along this road
from #7. It is mandatory that birders park well off the road and not
block any driveways. The bird can be best viewed by approaching no closer than
the back of the double garage [walk along the left side of the garage] where
it can be viewed at the feeder on the RIGHT side of the house.

Directions: From Picton, take Highway 33 for about 10 km to almost the
Glenora Ferry, then turn onto County Road 7 and follow to
Lake-on-the-Mountain and a further 17 km to Prinyer's Cove Crescent
(right on a corner).

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

---

Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Survival has been the highest priority for birds at Presqu'ile
Provincial Park during the past week.  For most of them, it has meant
hunkering down in whatever shelter they can find and coming out to feed
only when there is a slight amelioration in the extreme atmospheric
conditions that have prevailed.  As part of the Brighton winterfest
activities, there will be winter birding workshops (free slide show and
hiking) this Saturday and Sunday (January 25 and 26) from 1 p.m. to 4
p.m.  In all likelihood, weather conditions will have improved somewhat
by then and birds will once again be active enough to provide a bit of
entertainment for the birding public.

The waterfowl in Presqu'ile Bay hide in the lee of hunks of ice and bury
their heads in their dorsal feathers, while seeking out whatever patches
of open water remain, even if that means venturing out into the open
waters of Lake Ontario.  Most visible among them are the 200 or so Mute
Swans, among which was at least one Tundra Swan as recently as January
19.  American Black Ducks and Mallards, which numbered in the hundreds
at the beginning of the month, are down to a few dozen.  There was still
one female Redhead on January 18, but the most recent sightings of
Greater Scaup were on January 20.  The male White-winged Scoter that was
in the Salt Point area on January 19 (a day on which there was quite a
lot of open water) has not been seen since.  This somewhat gloomy report
describes what is almost certainly a temporary situation.  In the past,
large numbers of waterfowl have re-appeared from some unknown location
as soon as there was a break in extreme wintry conditions.

An immature Bald Eagle has been seen in three different locations on
Presqu'ile Point this week:  at the calf pasture on January 19; in a
tree at Salt Point on January 23; just east of the Nature Centre along
the lake shore also on January 23.  It could well be the same bird
moving around.

The flock of 300+ gulls that was roosting on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay
throughout most of this month has dispersed, and only a handful fly by
each day, mostly Herring Gulls with an occasional Great Black-backed
Gull.

A Pileated Woodpecker was seen near the lighthouse on January 23.

A positive effect of the cold weather is that hand-feeding of
Black-capped Chickadees and Red-breasted Nuthatches has become
ridiculously easy.  One flock that seems to expect such treatment can be
found about 100 metres off Paxton Drive on a ski trail;  follow the road
about one kilometre from the lighthouse until three large boulders block
the entrance to a roadway on the left; continue for another 200 metres
past a semi-open area beyond which the road curves to the left and then
the right; at that point there is a stand of pines and spruces, where
the aforesaid ski trail, marked in orange, heads off into the woods at
an angle of about 30 degrees.

A Brown Creeper appears every few days on the ash tree in front of 186
Bayshore Road.  Golden-crowned Kinglets have suddenly become more
visible in the past four days, perhaps because some of them have been
foraging at or near ground level.  They have been seen on each of those
days in four different parts of the Park, indicating, if nothing else,
that some birders are dedicated enough to venture out regardless of the
weather.  A flock of 20 or so American Robins was discovered on January
23 in the pine plantation just east of the Paxton Drive/Atkins Lane
intersection.

White-throated Sparrows and three Common Grackles are regular patrons of
feeders on Bayshore Road, and the flock of American Goldfinches at 186
Bayshore has grown to about 55 birds.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

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Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Since Presqu'ile Provincial Park was closed for five of the past eight
days, including the weekend, there has been little birding activity and
consequently few bird sightings to report.

As the ice cover in Presqu'ile Bay alternates between being frozen
almost to the lighthouse and open almost to the government dock
(according to the prevailing wind direction), the waterfowl are
concentrated either in the Salt Point area or in the open waters of Lake
Ontario.  Only a few dozen aythya ducks, Redheads and Greater Scaup,
have been seen on any given day, but there still are hundreds of the
commoner species.

One Bald Eagle was seen on January 12 and two on January 14.

An adult Glaucous Gull was sitting on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay on
January 12.  Observers have been on the lookout for the Ross's Gull that
appeared earlier in the week just across Lake Ontario from Presqu'ile
but subsequently disappeared when the bay in which it was seen froze
over.  That rare Arctic species could very well drift into this area.

The various feeders in the Park and on Bayshore Road are being
patronized by good numbers of passerines, albeit of limited variety.
Red-breasted Nuthatches are regular visitors to the feeders at the bird
sightings board and at 83 Bayshore Road.   A Song Sparrow put in another
appearance at 83 Bayshore Road on January 10, where there are also two
White-throated Sparrows.  Another of the latter species appears every
day at dawn and at dusk at 186 Bayshore Road.  Three Common Grackles can
often be seen between 83 and 94 Bayshore Road.  Up to fifty American
Goldfinches have been dominating the feeders at 186 Bayshore Road.


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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

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Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

To quote from this week's Maclean's magazine, "it was a week of mixed
signals" at Presqu'ile Provincial Park.  On the one hand, Presqu'ile Bay
froze over almost completely for at least a day, driving away most of
the water birds reported a week ago, and flocks of lingering land birds
appear to have vanished from the Park.  On the other hand, there are
some unmistakable signs that the lengthening photoperiod or some other
stimulus is causing spring-like behaviour among certain species of
birds.

At least some of the Mute Swans that were driven out of the bay could be
seen during the cold weather in the open water of Lake Ontario.  The
subsequent re-opening of the bay as far inland as Salt Point has allowed
them to return en masse to that area, along with one or two Tundra
Swans.  Although the hundreds of Redheads and Greater Scaup that were in
the bay up to a week ago are represented now by only a few dozen, the
number of Canvasbacks, present only in ones and twos until January 8,
were represented by eight individuals on January 9.  On the day after
the bay re-opened, four White-winged Scoters moved in as well.
Long-tailed Ducks have become much more vocal during the past week, and
male Common Goldeneyes all along the shores of the peninsula are
demonstrating to females how well their vernally activated hormones
enable them to toss their heads acrobatically onto their backs.

Three different Bald Eagles have made their presence known to the flocks
of ducks and gulls.  Two of them, nearly adult in plumage but presumably
different birds, were spotted on January 3, one making repeated passes
over Presqu'ile Bay while the other was perched less than an hour later
on High Bluff Island.  An immature bird also disturbed the peace as it
flew over Presqu'ile Bay on January 7.  Two Red-tailed Hawks sitting
side by side on High Bluff Island on January 3 behaved like a mated
pair.

An attempt on January 3 to re-locate the Dunlins that had been
frequenting Gull Island was met with completely ice-covered shorelines
and consequently no success.

Among the gulls that rest every day on the ice of Presqu'ile Bay, there
have been an Iceland Gull and two different Glaucous Gulls.

It was re-assuring this week to re-discover a Barred Owl in Jobe's Woods
after a hiatus of several months during which no sightings were
reported.  The bird was present on two consecutive days, unconfirmed on
the first day because of an unsatisfactory view but highly co-operative
on the following morning.  There and elsewhere in the Park, the silence
that has characterized the woods for weeks if not months is being broken
these mornings by the spring-like drumming of woodpeckers.

A Winter Wren seen in Jobe's Woods on January 6 was almost certainly a
different bird from the four that were found in other parts of
Presqu'ile on the Christmas Bird Count.  For a week now there appears to
be no sign of the flocks of American Robins in any of the berry-laden
haunts where they were so plentiful up until January 2.  Cedar Waxwings,
too, have become much more scarce than a week ago.

The two White-throated Sparrows at 83 Bayshore Road and the one at 186
Bayshore Road continue to put in daily appearances, and the
White-crowned Sparrow previously reported from 83 Bayshore Road has been
seen several times this week, either there or at the feeders next door.
Up to five Common Grackles patrol the area between there and Salt Point.

IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT PRESQU'ILE PROVINCIAL PARK IS CLOSED TO THE
PUBLIC UNTIL JANUARY 13, AND ACCESS TO BAYSHORE ROAD IS RESTRICTED TO
PROPERTY OWNERS DURING THAT PERIOD.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

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Sighting reports originating from the ONTBIRDS mail server network are repeated courtesy of the Ontario Field Ornithologists (OFO).

Birders visiting Presqu'ile Provincial Park this week have found a good
variety of both land birds and water birds.  Ice conditions in
Presqu'ile Bay during most of the week have made it possible to view
hundreds of birds in the water from various vantage points along
Bayshore Road, and feeders in that area have been very active.

In Presqu'ile Bay off the government dock there have been two Horned
Grebes on December 31 and January 1, and three Tundra Swans on December
29.  A drake Northern Pintail accompanied the Mallards at Salt Point on
December 31 and January 1.  The two Green-winged Teal that have been
with the Mallards at Beach 1 were still there on January 1.  A few
Canvasbacks, a Ring-necked Duck, and Lesser Scaup continue to reward
patient birders who are willing to scan the rafts of Redheads and
Greater Scaup in Presqu'ile Bay.  Small flocks of White-winged Scoters
can be seen far offshore in Lake Ontario when viewing conditions are
right, and two individuals are appearing repeatedly off Salt Point.  A
single female Black Scoter was in the company of a handful of Common
Goldeneyes in Lake Ontario east of the Nature Centre on January 1.

Two different Bald Eagles have been seen at Gull Island, one on December
28 and the other on January 1.  Two Sharp-shinned Hawks and a possible
Cooper's Hawk are the only other noteworthy hawks seen in the Park this
week.

Mid-winter is not the season when one expects to find shorebirds, yet on
December 29 there were two Dunlins and a Purple Sandpiper on Gull
Island.  The Dunlins were seen again on December 31 and January 1, but
have eluded some observers.  A Glaucous Gull was sitting on the ice of
Presqu'ile Bay on January 1.

On December 31 a very tame Great Horned Owl at the west end of the High
Bluff campground showed some field marks of the northern race.  Several
reports suggest that there may be more than one, and perhaps several,
Northern Shrikes in the Park.

Although Golden-crowned Kinglets are not uncommon in the denser
coniferous forests of the Park in winter, the one that was seen in the
vicinity of the lighthouse on December 31 and January 2 was unexpected.

The flock of American Robins that has been voraciously consuming
buckthorn berries near the lighthouse parking lot has caught the
attention of many visitors with only a casual interest in birds.  The
most recent sighting of the Chipping Sparrow at 83 Bayshore Road was on
December 31, but four other species of sparrows have been seen there in
recent days, including two White-throated Sparrows, a Song Sparrow, and,
from December 30 to January 1, an adult White-crowned Sparrow.  A House
Sparrow (rare at any time on the peninsula) was also there on December
30.   Common Grackles and a Brown-headed Cowbird are the only blackbirds
found at Presqu'ile this week.

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.  The channel separating Gull Island
from the mainland has almost disappeared, making the island almost a
peninsula.  The channel is only a few metres wide and about 10-15
centimetres deep.  However, when the channel between the island and Owen
Point is frozen, as it has been recently, the ice may be unsafe to walk
on without breaking through.

Questions and comments about bird sightings at Presqu'ile may be
directed to: FHELLEINER@TRENTU.CA.

Fred Helleiner

186 Bayshore Road,
R.R. #4,
Brighton, Ontario, Canada, K0K 1H0
VOICE: (613) 475 5309
If visiting, access via Presqu'ile Provincial Park.

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