Local waterfowl populations are starting to change. Numbers in Elevator Bay have increased; besides the widely reported Greater and Lesser Scaup and Ring-necked Ducks there were 3 Ruddy Ducks and 2 Am. Coots there on Wednesday. There were 5 Snow Geese on Wolfe Island on Saturday, then two more and 3 Surf Scoters on Amherst Island on Monday. We have restarted our annual Short-eared Owl/raptor surveys of Amherst and Wolfe Islands; no Short-eared as yet but 2 Rough-legged Hawks were seen on Amherst yesterday. Shorebird numbers are still good with six species on Amherst on Wednesday including a Long-billed Dowitcher. It is difficult to find a warbler that is not a Yellow-rumped but there are still other species to be found ( including 6 Orange-crowned this week) mixed in with the odd vireo and the numerous kinglets. Other notable sightings included a Ruby-throated Hummingbird on Wolfe on Sunday, a Red-bellied Woodpecker at Battersea on Monday and 7 E. Bluebirds near Wilton on Wednesday. This is the first week of significant sparrow and finch movement. White-throated and White-crowned are ubiquitous and the regular appearance of a few Nelson's Sparrows on the KFN property in the first week of October was repeated this week as two were found on Wednesday. Ten Dark-eyed Juncoes at Bedford Mills is the largest group so far locally. Purple Finches were seen at three separate locations but just in one's or two's. Singleton Pine Siskins were seen on Howe and Amherst Islands but two flocks of 9 and 19 were seen along the Opinicon Road. Happy Thansgiving 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/
