Things are warming up both on both the meteorological and birding fronts. The recent rains have filled up the area behind the dike on the KFN property on Amherst Island and every species of common puddle duck was present yesterday with the exception of Wood Duck. The gravel bar was covered with about 2000 Bonaparte's Gulls (quite a noisy and spectacular sight) and hidden amongst them five Caspian Terns. Shorebirds are increasing in variety with five species reported this week: 5 Pectoral Sandpipers were on Amherst April 21st and yesterday there were 5 Dunlin, 1 Upland Sandpiper and 1 Wilson's Phalarope. Six Greater Yellowlegs waded the creek in Odessa on Tuesday.
With respect to raptors the season seems to be winding down. Five Rough-legged Hawks were seen on Amherst last Friday but only one yesterday. The first Red-shouldered Hawk survey of the season produced 21 birds up the Canoe Lake Road on April 21st. There were 2 Long-eared and 1 Short-eared Owl on Amherst on the 21st and a Great Horned was flushed yesterday by a very angry mob of Bluejays only to be sighted about ten minutes later by an equally upset flock of crows.(It must be hard to get a good day's sleep if you're a GHOW). The warbler migration is underway albeit not in huge numbers. With only 3 Yellow-rumped Warblers reported you just know that things are going to pick up. A Nashville was seen on Amherst on the 21st. There were 6 Pine up the Canoe Lake Rd., also on the 21st and another 7 on the Opinicon Rd. on the 27th. Both waterthrushes have been seen (or heard), 2 Louisiana on the Canoe Lake Rd., and a Northern at Opinicon. The Opinicon area also had the year's first Black and White Warbler. Miscellaneous sightings for the week included 10 Common Loons, 6 singing Hermit Thrushes and 25 Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers on the Red-shouldered survey, a Common Moorhen at Camden East on Monday, a Blue-gray Gnatcatcher near Opinicon, 2 Ravens on Amherst, and 2 Black Terns at the Amherstview sewage lagoons, all on the 27th. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
