It has been a great week for owls away from the traditional hotspot of Amherst
Island. The Lemoine Point Conservation Area had a N. Saw-whet, a Barred and a
Great Horned; at the Queen's Biological Station (QUBS), two more Barred and
another Great Horned and E. Screech Owls have stared to call; one near
Battersea last Saturday and a pair in City Park on Monday. There continues to
be a single Snowy Owl on the KFN property on Amherst.
Accipiters seem to have outnumbered buteos this week with Sharp-shinned Hawks
in Bayridge and at Camden East and Bedford Mills. Cooper's Hawks were in
Bayridge and on Amherst. There were also 3 Am. Kestrels on Amherst. All the
Bald Eagles reported this week were north of the city; 8 at QUBS and 2 more at
Bedford Mills.
Waterfowl numbers have begun to increase. Off the south shore of Amherst were
1000's of Greater Scaup, 100's of Redheads as well as 20 Tundra and 2 Mute
Swans, 9 Gadwall and 3 Bufflehead. A dozen Trumpeter Swans were at Chaffey's
Lock on Saturday.
Other good sightings this week include 100 Wild Turkeys at the Sydenham dump, a
Pileated Woodpecker on Wolfe Island, a Belted Kingfisher at Chaffey's, a N.
Shrike on Amherst and 2 Red-breasted Nuthatches at Lemoine Pt. Winter finches
remain scarce; a Pine Siskin at Bedford Mills and two more at Elginburg along
with a male Purple Finch at Camden East were the only ones noted.
Signs of spring are even rarer than winter finches; an Am. Robin at Elginburg,
two more at Bath and a pair of Am. Crows at Bedford Mills (there have been none
there all winter). The Tufted Titmouse is still cavorting with a flock of
chickadees in Bath.
Cheers,
Peter Good
Kingston Field Naturalists
613 378-6605
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