I worked the island today for 7 hours and recorded two snowies (east end of island) , one saw-whet and three long-eared owls (in owl woods) + 3 kestrels, 25 red-tailed and 14 rough-legged hawks ... no sign of the boreal owl ... one interesting observation was watching a raven chasing and driving a red-tailed hawk out of the air and forcing it to the ground ... lots of other birders on the island but I didn't hear how they did ... btw the road into the owl woods was driveable but won't be if the temperatures go above freezing ... lots of ice on the road near the entrance to the woods so be careful driving/walking.
Directions: (from Bruce Dilabio) Amherst Island: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side of the Lower Forty Foot Road. To reach the Owl Woods, turn left (east) at the four-way stop sign by the general store and drive 3.4 km along Front Rd. to the (seasonal) Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. is across the road from house #2320. Drive along Marshall Rd. to the mid-way point, where there is an "S" in the road (1.2 km, look for the K.F.N. kiosk which had owl observing ethics). Park in the gravel lane or off the road edge. Geoff Carpentier Ajax, Ontario _______________________________________________ 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/
