Almost all local reports this week were from Amherst Island and as expected most of these were shorebirds. Last Friday; 2 White-rumped Sandpipers and 100 Ruddy Turnstones; on Sunday a single Whimbrel. Monday had 3 Black-bellied Plover, 8 Semipalmated Plover, 80 Dunlin, 5 Ruddy Turnstones, 350 Semipalmated Sandpipers and 1 Sanderling. By Tuesday this had changed to 12 Black-bellied and 8 Semipalmated Plover, 14 Dunlin, 30 Semipalmated and 2 Least Sandpipers. Today 2 Short-billed Dowitchers, 2 Sanderling and 80 Semipalmated Sandpipers.
Still on Amherst a variety of good birds. Brant are still moving through albeit in smaller numbers; 50 last Friday, another 50 on Monday and 40 more today. There were some excellent passerines on Friday; a Gray-cheeked Thrush, a Philadelphia Vireo and a male Summer Tanager. Other passerines of note were an Olive-sided Flycatcher and a Mourning Warbler today. There were also some late waterfowl reported this week; a Red-throated Loon, a Red-necked and a Horned Grebe as well as 2 Long-tailed Ducks on Sunday and a Redhead on Monday. Two Common Terns were seen on Tuesday. On the mainland only a few noteworthy sightings; two Yellow-billed Cuckoos on the Opinicon Road last Sunday, a Peregrine Falcon at Conway on Tuesday and another Olive-sided Flycatcher near the Goodyear Plant at Napanee yesterday. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
