It's that time of year when one can concentrate on the "good" birds because
there are so many more than just a few weeks ago. The highlight of the week was
a Black Vulture west of Waupoos in Prince Edward County last Sunday. Turkey
Vultures were plentiful; one out Montreal Street on Monday and then 3 at RMC
and 10 on Amherst Island on Wednesday. Osprey are back in numbers as well; one
near Kingston Mills on Monday and 3 at Adolphustown on Tuesday. A
Red-shouldered Hawk was at Perth Road Village last Saturday and a Merlin at
Bedford Mills on Tuesday. There is a pair of Peregrine Falcons back on the
Princess Towers at the corner of Princess and Division Streets where they
nested last year.
A few more Great Blue Herons have arrived; one at Bedford Mills last Friday and
another out Hwy 15 on Monday. A Sandhill Crane flew over Bedford Mills on
Tuesday.
Hay Bay had 14 species of waterfowl last weekend including 2 Cackling Geese, 13
Mute Swans, 40 Redheads and about 3000 Greater Scaup. There were 40 Ring-necked
Ducks at the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area last Friday, 4 Wood Ducks at
PEPt and 3 more at Bedford Mills on Tuesday, and a single white Snow Goose
sailed over Camden East yesterday in formation with a flock of Canadas.
Other new arrivals were a Golden-crowned Kinglet at Gananoque on Friday, 2
Eastern Bluebirds at Battersea on Sunday, 12 Tree Swallows on Howe Island and 3
Rusty Blackbirds at Hay Bay on Tuesday and Eastern Phoebes at three locations
on Wednesday. A Savannah Sparrow was on Amherst on Wednesday and a N. Flicker
was at Camden East yesterday.
Winter birds seem to be in short supply; numbers of Dark-eyed Juncos and Tree
Sparrows have diminished and the olive-drab winter Goldfinches are rapidly
moulting into their summer dress uniforms. There were 2 Short-eared and a Snowy
Owl on Amherst and singleton Pine Siskins and Purple Finches put in an
appearance at an Elginburg feeder on Wednesday.
Cheers,
Peter Good
Kingston Field Naturalists
613 378-6605
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