The local winter listers have been out in force so there were a considerable number of sightings reported this week.Waterfowl highlights included 10 Hooded Mergansers, 2 Ruddy Ducks, a N. Shoveler, a Ring-necked Duck, and the Eurasian Wigeon still in Elevator Bay last weekend. There were 50 Tundra Swans in Hay Bay last Friday and another 14 on Wolfe Island on Sunday. Also on Wolfe on Wednesday were 80 Redheads and a Common Loon. A Lesser Black-backed Gull was found in Elevator Bay last Sunday. Raptor numbers on Wolfe are quite good; 45 Rough-legged Hawks, 20 Red-tails, 12 N. Harriers, 6 Am. Kestrels, and a Cooper's Hawk were seen on Wednesday along with 14 Short-eared Owls, 1 Long-eared, a Screech and a Great Horned. Sharp-shinned Hawks put in appearances at the Cataqui Golf Club, Nov. 30th, Bedford Mills, Dec. 2nd and 3rd, and Camden East, Dec. 6th. Winter finches are widespread but only Common Redpolls are abundant. There were 20 at Bath on Monday, 12 on Wolfe Island Wednesday, 24 at Camden East and 102 at Bedford Mills yesterday. A Red Crossbill on Wolfe on Sunday, 6 Pine Siskins in Bath on Monday, 11 Pine Grosbeaks in Amherstview on Tuesday, and 15 Evening Grosbeaks at Bedford Mills yesterday completes the finch tally. The list of "other birds" is quite extensive; 3 Killdeer, 2 at Bath and 1 at Millhaven, 17 Bohemian Waxwings at Bedford Mills- Dec. 1st, 4 flocks of Snow Buntings on Wolfe and a Hermit Thrush north of Millhaven- Dec. 2nd, a White-crowned Sparrow at Bedford Mills and the best bird of the week, a Tufted Titmouse at a feeder in Bath- Dec. 3rd, 1 N. Shrike at Camden East and on Wolfe Island, 2 more Shrikes, 18 Horned Larks, 2 Lapland Longspurs, a Red-winged Blackbird, and a Savannah Sparrow- Dec. 5th. Still visiting feeders are the Red-breasted Nuthatch at Bedford Mills and the Common Grackle at Camden East. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
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