Waterfowl numbers have been good all week. The annual fall build up of Tundra Swans has started in Button Bay on Wolfe Island and there was a significant raft of Redheads there on Tuesday as well. The lone Brant was still on Amherst last Saturday and the Eurasian Wigeon in Elevator Bay was last reported on Sunday.
There were only two shorebirds reported this week; a Killdeer at the sod farm on Unity Road on Nov. 11th and a Greater Yellowlegs at Reeds Bay on Wolfe on the 13th. Raptor numbers seem to be more impressive for Wolfe than Amherst but each had their highlights; 5 Short-eared Owls on Amherst last Saturday and 29 Rough-legged Hawks on Wolfe on Tuesday. Northern Shrikes were seen at Elginburg and on Wolfe Island. Winter finches have been widespread but unpredictable. Several feeders north of the city have reported small flocks of Evening Grosbeaks that stop in for a very short visit then move on. There are a few Pine Siskins but their numbers are diminishing and Common Redpolls have yet to show up in any significant numbers. Purple Finches seem to have moved on and the only local Pine Grosbeak was seen over two weeks ago. There are a few birds lingering, which always makes feeder watching interesting. Near Bedford Mills, a Red-breasted Nuthatch, a N. Flicker, and a Red-winged Blackbird were welcome additions to the usual visitors and a Fox Sparrow scratched with several Dark-eyed Juncos under a feeder near Camden East. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605 _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
