Other than several reports of Horned Larks there was very little sign of spring this week. Despite the abundant snow and bitter cold, waterfowl sightings were pretty interesting. On Monday the south shore of Amherst Island was quite productive; lots of Bufflehead, Common Goldeneye, Red-breasted Mergansers, Gadwall and Am. Wigeon as well as 5 Mute Swans, 3 Long-tailed Ducks, 1 Redhead, and 2 Barrow's Goldeneye. Last Sunday there were 2 Tundra Swans on Amherst and 18(12ad 6im) Trumpeter Swans in Wiltse Creek near Lansdowne. There are lots of N. Harriers, Red-tail and Rough-legged Hawks on both islands and 2 Rough-legs were reported from the mainland. Two Cooper's Hawks were seen, one at Lansdowne on Feb. 11th and the second on Wolfe Island yesterday. Seven Bald Eagles; 2 on the Rideau Canal and 5 at Ivy Lea were tallied on an outing last Sunday. An Am. Kestrel was on Wolfe on the 15th and a Peregrine Falcon on Amherst Feb. 12th. There was a single report of a Snowy Owl this week; it was hunting ducks on Amherst Island. There are probably more but the wind and snow has them hunkered down and just about invisible. One observer made it to the Owl Woods last Sunday and reported the usual group of Long-eared Owls. Three Ring-necked Pheasants put in an appearance this week; one at a feeder on the Yarker Rd.at Hwy. 38, one at a feeder near Camden East and another on Wolfe Island. Aside from the aforementioned Horned Larks, passerines are not putting on much of a show.A flock of 100 Snow Buntings on Amherst was the largest group but 7 Rusty Blackbirds at a feeder on the Burbrook Rd. yesterday was certainly unexpected. The flock of Red-wings at Elginburg has dwindled to a single individual and what started to look like an increase in Purple Finches at feeders has not panned out. However a feeder near Bedford Mills north of the city, along with the usual feeder fare, has had a Brown Creeper, a Red-breasted Nuthatch and up to 9 Purple Finches for much of the winter. Cheers, Peter Good Kingston Field Naturalists 613 378-6605
