The cold weather this week has given us a start on winter birding with an influx of northern species; everything from N. Goshawks to Snow Buntings. Waterfowl numbers, likewise, have increased. Two hundred Common Loons were off Amherst Island last Sunday and another 90 were at Prince Edward Point (PEPt) yesterday. A Red-throated Loon was seen from Lake Ontario Park on Wednesday. Good numbers of Horned and a few Red-necked Grebes were reported. Sixty Brant flew over the Queen's Biological Station (QUBS) on the 22nd and another 20 were nearby at Elbow Lake on the 28th. The 160 White-winged Scoters at PEPt last Sunday had increased to 400 by yesterday. A total of 4 Surf Scoters were seen from Kingston and Amherst Island. There were 9 Am. Coots at Elevator Bay on Tuesday. A Canada Goose banded in northern Quebec last year was shot on Lake Opinicon and turned in at QUBS last weekend. Significant raptor sightings included a Golden Eagle and a Peregrine Falcon at PEPt on Friday and N. Goshawks at Camden East on Wednesday and at Jones Falls on Thursday. Shorebird numbers, as expected, are down. Black-bellied Plover, both yellowlegs, Dunlin and Pectoral Sandpiper were the only species noted. Good numbers of Am. Pipits were on Amherst both Tuesday and Thursday. Fox Sparrows were widespread and numerous. The first local Am. Tree Sparrows were a half dozen on Amherst on Tuesday. Four N. Shrikes were seen this week and large numbers of Rusty Blackbirds are moving through. Purple Finches are appearing all over but in very small numbers. There were 12 Pine Siskins on Amherst on Tuesday along with a pair of Common Redpolls, the first of the season. The Kingston area is contributing to the Northern Gannet influx into Lake Ontario. The first was seen in the Amherst ferry channel last Sunday and then another two flew by on Tuesday. Three of these "spectacular oceanic birds" in a week is unprecedented. 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/
