Despite the busy time of year there has been a lot of local birding activity over the Christmas period. First an update on the Kingston Christmas count (Dec. 14th); it was initially reported that the total was in the mid 80's but due to an incorrect tally it was actually in the mid 90's. With two parties not at the post-count dinner and several feeder watchers reporting over the next few days the final tally came to 106 species (ten-year average is 105) and 35,743 individuals . High counts included Mute Swan 12, Long-tailed Duck 371, Common Merganser 6381, Bald Eagle 32, Glaucous Gull 8, and Eastern Bluebird 6. Blackbirds were conspicuously underrepresented. The most unusual species were the male Eurasian Wigeon and an Eastern Towhee.
Amherst Island (their Christmas count is tomorrow) continues to produce large numbers of raptors. A Boreal owl is still present as are a few N. Saw-whets, several Long- eared, Short-eared and Snowy Owls. There are lots of Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks as well as N. Harriers. Unusual for Amherst were 2 Red-shouldered Hawks on the 22nd and an adult Golden Eagle on the 23rd. Wolfe Island is less productive this winter however there were 8 Snowy Owls seen today. There are a few Rough-legged and Red-tailed Hawks but they seem to be confined to the underbirded east end of the island. No harriers were seen at all. Bald Eagles were reported from Charleston Lake P.P., Howe Island, Wolfe Island and Adolphus Reach. Waxwings and winter finches have all of a sudden become more abundant. Cedar Waxwings were seen at Bedford Mills, Enterprise and Camden East. There were 100+ Bohemian Waxwings at Bellrock yesterday. Common Redpolls have been seen at Bellrock, Camden East, Amherst Island, and the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area. A Hoary Redpoll was reported at a feeder with Commons on the Canoe Lake Road. Pine Siskins were at Gananoque, Camden East and Amherst Island. There were 17 Pine Grosbeaks near Verona yesterday and a singleton on Wolfe Island today. White-winged Crossbills continue to make erratic appearances; twice at both Charleston Lake P.P. and Amherst Island. There is still enough open water that waterfowl numbers remain significant. All the bays have frozen so the Tundra Swans are gone and the number of Canada Geese is down. However there are lots of Mallards, Blacks, Redheads, Greater Scaup, Long-tailed Ducks, Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, all three mergansers and Am. Coots. There was a Barrow's Goldeneye and 4 Mute Swans near Adolphustown on the 20th and 26th respectively. A White-winged Scoter was at Bath on the 26th and a Black Scoter on Amherst today. A Horned Grebe at the Lafarge Plant on the 20th and a Red-necked Grebe on Amherst today were certainly unexpected. Gull sightings have been lacklustre although there was an Iceland on the ice on the Cataraqui River near Barriefield today. Lingering birds for the winter listers include a Double-crested Cormorant at Lemoine Pt. on the 20th, a Great Blue Heron on the penitentiary property on the 21st, N. Flickers at Charleston Lake P.P. and Howe Island, Am. Robins at Wilton and the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area, 3 E. Bluebirds at Millhaven on the 30th, a Song Sparrow, 2 Rusty Blackbirds and a Red-winged Blackbird on Howe Island and White-throated Sparrows in Barriefield, near Gananoque, and on Churchill Cres. In the city. Happy New Year 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
