The white goose on the penitentiary property cooperated and gave several birders some very good looks. The consensus is that it was in fact a Ross's Goose, but one experienced observer speculated that it might have at least some Snow Goose ancestry. It has not been seen for the last two days. However, the Eurasian Wigeon in Elevator Bay is still present amongst N. Pintail, Am. Wigeon, Mallard, Redhead, Scaup and Am. Coot. A small flock of Hooded Mergansers arrived this week in Gibralter Bay just north of Kingston Mills.
The first Rough-legged Hawk of the season was on Amherst Island last Saturday, along with two Saw-whet Owls in the Owl Woods. There seems to be a significant vole population on the island which bodes well for raptors this winter. Still on Amherst,there were 15 Dunlin, a single Lapland Longspur, a Merlin and five Purple Finch. Other fall migrants mentioned this week included three Fox Sparrows in a Bayridge backyard on the 22nd and two Winter Wrens, a Swainson's Thrush, a Blue-headed Vireo, and an American Redstart in the Gananoque area on the 25th. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
