We seem to be in that transition period, between the tail end of fall migration and the onset of winter. Waterfowl numbers are increasing with thousands of Greater Scaup on both Wolfe and Amherst Islands and 100's of Redheads on Wolfe. Red-breasted Merganser numbers are up this week and 10 Tundra Swans on Wolfe last Wednesday are no doubt the vanguard of several hundred that will arrive in the next month. Other waterfowl of note included Bufflehead on Amherst last Sunday as well as 2 Mute Swans and an Am. Coot on Wolfe on Wednesday.
There was a surprisingly good showing of shorebirds on Amherst last weekend; 4 plover species, including 10 Black-bellied, both yellowlegs, a half a dozen Dunlin and a Pectoral Sandpiper. In the Owl Woods were Purple Finch (these were reported from several locations north of the city as well) and Fox Sparrows. There were 20 Pine Siskins in the city and 3 Rusty Blackbirds at Bedford Mills last Saturday and a Barn Swallow at the sewage lagoons on Sunday. Fifteen White-winged Crossbills made a very brief pit stop near Elginburg yesterday. Most of the White-throated and White-crowned Sparrows along with the Yellow-rumped Warblers seem to have moved on to be replaced by Dark-eyed Juncos. The winter raptor picture continues to improve. Last Sunday there were still 2 Rough-legged Hawks as well as numerous N. Harriers and Red-tailed Hawks on Amherst. The Owl Woods has both N. Saw-whet and Long-eared Owls but the number seems to fluctuate from day to day. There certainly is no shortage of birders looking for them. Three more signs of winter: a flock of about 15 Snow Buntings on Amherst last Sunday, 2 N. Shrikes, one at Elginburg on Saturday and the second on Amherst on Sunday, and the first of the season Snowy Owl on Snake Island yesterday. 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
