Bald Eagles put in many appearances in the last few days. There were 18 tallied last week in the Ivy Lea area and there were several seen on the lakes north of Kingston. The thaw probably produced a little more open water and also exposed some deer carcasses that had been buried in snow. Other raptors of note; Cooper's Hawks at Barriefield and Bedford Mills and an Immature N. Goshawk at Camden East. High counts for the week on Amherst Island: 3 Am. Kestrels on the 13th, 5 N. Harriers on the 14th and 18 Snowy, 3 N. Saw-whet, 3 Boreal and 1 Barred Owl as well as 25 Rough-legged, 30 Red-tailed Hawks and a Peregrine Falcon on the 15th.
There is nothing new in the way of waterfowl but gull numbers are up along the ferry channels. Amherst had 8 Great Black-backed Gulls on Saturday and there was a single Glaucous at both Amherst and Wolfe on Tuesday. Belted Kingfishers were seen at Chaffey's Lock and at Collin's Bay. The finch picture remains much the same locally but for a huge increase in the number of Common Redpolls; several feeders reporting over 200. Pine Siskins are still abundant, but number in the dozens rather than the hundreds. As expected there are a few Hoaries mixed in. Purple finches remain in very low numbers. There has been a flock of a half dozen Pine Grosbeaks feeding on crabapples all week in the Glenburnie area and another 4 were seen near Lyndhurst on Wednesday. Cedar Waxwings were reported from Bedford Mills (15 on Saturday) and the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area (17 on Tuesday). Two flocks totaling 80 Bohemian Waxwings were spotted in the Lyndhurst area. Other sightings include 20 Wild Turkeys and a N. Shrike at Chaffey's, N. Shrikes at Lyndhurst and Wolfe Island, Ring-necked Pheasants, a Common Raven and a Yellow-rumped Warbler on Amherst, 3 Trumpeter Swans at the Narrows Lock, and a N. Flicker at Camden East. The Brown Creeper and Red-breasted Nuthatch remain at Bedford Mills. Try as I might to give some signs of spring; it is difficult given the recent six inch dump of snow and this morning's -8C. Nevertheless, Am. Robins are more widespread and some are even trying to be vocal (no dawn chorus yet) and a few Canada Geese ventured north of the 401 looking in vain for open water. 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/
