It has not been a busy birding week in the Kingston area but a few interesting records are worth reporting. Some diving ducks are starting to appear; a Ring-necked Duck was on Amherst Island on the 25th and 3 Lesser Scaup joined the female Bufflehead at the Amherstview sewage lagoons on the 27th.
Turkey Vultures seem to be on the move with many sightings reported. A Merlin was on Amherst on the 25th along with 7 Northern Harriers and an immature Bald Eagle patrolled the waterfront at RMC on Tuesday. Shorebirds continue to be the most abundant and interesting migrants. Large numbers were at the lagoons last Friday; 200 Lesser Yellowlegs, 150 Least Sandpiper, 150 Short-billed Dowitcher and 5 Baird's Sandpiper. By Sunday the total numbers had decreased somewhat, but the number of shorebird species had risen to twelve, including an Hudsonian Godwit. A birder looking for the godwit on Monday, (it was gone ), found a Golden Plover. The first Sanderling of the fall was on Amherst on the 25th. The southwest pond at the lagoons is now almost completely drained so there is less suitable habitat than there was earlier in August. I received almost no warbler reports this week. The only one of note was a Canada Warbler in a city backyard on Wednesday. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
