Not much new in the way of birds locally. The wet weather seems to have discouraged both birds and birders. Amherst Island reported five species of owl albeit in much lower numbers than earlier in the winter; there were only 5 Snowy Owls down from a high of 19 in mid January. Sharp-shinned and Cooper's hawks were seen near Gananoque and Camden East and there were Bald Eagles at Bedford Mills and along the Kingston waterfront. The Peregrine Falcon continues to roost on Botterell Hall at Queen's. N. Harriers have moved on with only one seen on Amherst a week ago.
It was a good week for woodpeckers; the regular Red-bellied on Amherst was seen again and another showed up near Gananoque on Tuesday and Wednesday. There was a Pileated near Camden East and another at Bedford Mills along with a N. Flicker. A Brown creeper has been regular at Bedford Mills most of the winter and another arrived at Camden East on Wednesday to glean bits below the suet feeder. The finch picture is somewhat confusing; at some feeders, but not all, the number of Pine Siskins is down and the number of Common Redpolls way up. The Bedford Mills feeder has 35 Am. Goldfinch, most others only a few. Purple Finches remain widespread but in ones and twos. There were 2 Pine Grosbeaks and a Hoary Redpoll as well as a single Bohemian Waxwing on the Canoe Lake Road on Wednesday. In the miscellaneous department; N. Shrikes on Amherst and the Florida road, a Great Blue Heron at Gananoque, and a Glaucous Gull in the Amherst ferry channel. The two dozen or so Rusty Blackbirds and a Song Sparrow continue to patronize a Howe Island feeder. The White-crowned Sparrow continues to visit near Elginburg and the city's first Am. Robin was reported last Sunday. 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
