The Amherst Island Christmas count was held last Thursday and while not producing the numbers of the adjacent Kingston count there were some notable sightings: 6 Bald Eagles, 2 Common Loons, a Belted Kingfisher, Carolina Wren, Red-winged Blackbird, 2 White-throated Sparrows, 6 species of owl and an Am. Woodcock. Other good birds that stayed around until the end of the year were an E. Meadowlark and a Great Blue Heron on Howe Island and another heron on the penitentiary property. January 1 brought out all the birders wanting to get a jump on their year list. There was still about a dozen species of waterfowl in Elevator Bay including Am. Wigeon, Ring-necked Ducks and Canvasbacks. Also reported on New Year's Day were 4 Am. Robins at Battersea, a Common Grackle near Lansdowne and a Red-bellied Woodpecker at Loughborough Lake. The next day produced a Hermit Thrush at the Little Cataraqui Conservation Area, an Evening Grosbeak at the Queen's Biology Station, 2 Killdeer at Bath and 2 Glaucous Gulls at the Violet dump. The open water at the various locks on the Rideau Canal north of Kingston is worth checking. Yesterday the Common Loon was still at Jones Falls and there were 3 Trumpeter Swans at Chaffey's Lock. Large flocks of Bohemian Waxwings are still in the area; 86 near Violet on Monday and another 25 near Inverary yesterday. The two local rarities continue to patronize their feeders; the Tufted Titmouse at Morton and the Varied Thrush at Moscow. 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 [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
