Hi Everyone, After Presqu'ile, I headed to Amherst Island for a few hours of owling. Conditions were excellent in the woods, with little or no snow, making the task of finding whitewash and pellets easy. I found 3 Boreal Owls, one just past the feeder in the white cedar grove to the left and the other two were in the southwest corner of the Jack Pine plantation. All three had lots of fresh whitewash and pellets beneath them. There were 7 Long-eared, one in the white cedars and six in the Jack Pine plantation. At the east end of the island, 2 Snowy Owls were sitting on a large sheet of ice off in the lake and 1 Short-eared Owl was flying over the KFN property, opposite the Pine/Spruce plantation. I only saw 1 Red-tailed and 1 Rough-legged Hawk along the South Shore Road. There were good numbers of Greater Scaup 1000+, Long-tailed Duck 1000+, Common Goldeneye 750+ and Red-breasted Merganser 500+.
Good Birding Bruce Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O.Box 538 Carp,Ontario,K0A 1L0 (613)839-4395 Home (613)715-2571 Cell Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/ Directions: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Road 4, Camden East) and drive south to the very end (Millhaven). Turn right on Hwy. 33 and drive 100 metres until you see the sign for the Amherst Island ferry. The ferry (20 minute trip) leaves the mainland on the half hour and leaves the island on the hour. Cost is $5.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island. Enter through the gate at the south end of the Lower Forty-Foot Road. To reach the Owl Woods, turn left (east) at the four-way stop sign by the general store and drive 3.4 kilometres along Front Road to the (seasonal) Marshall Forty-Foot Road. Marshall Forty-Foot Road is across the road from house #2320. Drive along Marshall Road to the mid-way point, where there is an "S" in the road (1.2 kilometres , look for the K.F.N. kiosk). Park in the gravel lane or off the road edge. If road is closed due to snow drifting you will have to make the 1km or so walk in. Today, both the north and south entrances were open and you could drive to the :Owl Woods". The trails in the "Owl Woods" were very icy.
