There has been an excellent movement of thrushes, warblers and sparrows this week. Highlights included a Mourning Warbler in the city last Thursday and two N. Parula, one on Amherst Island on Friday and another at Dupont on Sunday. A Lincolns Sparrow was found on Amherst on both Friday and Saturday and the first Nelsons Sharp-tailed Sparrow for the area this fall was also on Amherst on Friday. Two more of these skulkers were found on Monday in the same area. The first pair of Lapland Longspurs arrived last Friday. Am. Pipits, White-crowned and White-throated Sparrows are all over the place in very large numbers. Late migrants included an Olive-sided Flycatcher on Amherst on Saturday and a Ruby-throated Hummingbird near Camden East on Monday. Shorebirds are still moving through in good numbers and variety (there were 9 species on Amherst last Saturday). Four Red Knots and a Willet were the most interesting sightings. It has been a good fall for Am. Golden Plover with 5 more reported this week; 3 on Amherst and 2 near Odessa. Owls, usually the mainstay of Kingston winter bird reports, put in two appearances this week; a Barred was calling near Enterprise last Thursday and the first Saw-whet this fall in the Owl Woods was found on Sunday. Hawks, particularly N. Harriers, have been fairly plentiful. Fifteen Harriers on Amherst on Saturday were surpassed by 52 on Wolfe Island on Sunday accompanied by 24 Red-tails, 17 Am. Kestrels and a Peregrine Falcon. Last Friday there was a Merlin on Amherst and a N. Goshawk near Odessa. The rare bird of the week was a second-hand report of a Great Cormorant on the dock at Marysville on Wolfe Island.
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 ONTBIRDS mailing list [email protected] For instructions to join or leave ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdshow.htm ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/ontbirdsguide.htm
