The rare bird of the week was a grey phase GYRFALCON south of Napanee (details below). The first real movement of spring migrants (aside from HORNED LARKS) into the Kingston area took place during the past week. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD and AMERICAN ROBIN became widespread, but in fairly modest numbers. TURKEY VULTURE, KILLDEER, COMMON GRACKLE and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD were also reported. Winter birds such as BOHEMIAN WAXWING and COMMON REDPOLL continued to be widely seen.
City of Kingston Among the more expected waterbirds on the Cataraqui River was 1 CANVASBACK, 6 RUDDY DUCKS and 2 PIED-BILLED GREBES. Six GREEN-WINGED TEAL were among the ducks seen off Belle Park. There was a GREAT BLUE HERON at Colonel By Lake. Amherst Island The most notable birds from the island this past week included 8 KILLDEER and a GLAUCOUS GULL. Opinicon Road TRUMPETER SWANS continued to frequent Chaffey's Lock. There were 30 CEDAR WAXWINGS on Indian Lake Road. A HOARY REDPOLL was present at the Queen's University Biological Station feeders for the past three days and again this morning. Other Observations The best bird of the week was a GYRFALCON that was seen and photographed along Storey Road off County Road 8, south of Napanee. A COMMON LOON was heard calling as it flew over a yard near Battersea. A ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK was near Morton. The first AMERICAN WOODCOCK of the year was found near Rockport. There was at BARRED OWL near Bedford Mills. A GREAT BLUE HERON was near Crosby. Along Sand Hill Road (east of Highway 15, north of Joyceville) there was a good concentration of waterfowl including 2 TUNDRA SWANS, NORTHERN PINTAIL and AMERICAN BLACK DUCK. A possible blue-phase SNOW GOOSE was also reported from Sand Hill Road. Some interesting birds from Cranberry Lake included COOPER'S HAWK, WINTER WREN, SONG SPARROW and 1 PINE SISKIN. Two more PINE SISKINS were near Odessa. Thanks to all those who submitted observations this past week. Mark -- Mark Andrew Conboy Operations & Research Assistant and Outreach Coordinator Queen’s University Biological Station 280 Queen's University Road Elgin, Ontario, Canada K0G 1E0 phone: 613-359-5629 fax: 613-533-6617 email: [email protected] or [email protected] QUBS website: http://www.queensu.ca/qubs/index.html QUBS blog: http://opinicon.wordpress.com/ QUBS flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qubsoutreach/ _______________________________________________ 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/
