It has been one of those weeks when an increase in the number of migrants has had a marked effect on the amount of birding activity. Hence the number of reports that I have to condense into some sort of an overview is a bit daunting.
Starting north of the city, there have been several reports from the Chaffey's Lock, Opinicon Road area as well as the Queen's Biological Station. Warblers mentioned included Cerulean, Golden-winged, N. Parula, Blue-winged, Black-throated Blue, Am. Redstart and a Brewster's. Others noted were Yellow-throated and Red-eyed Vireos, Blue-gray Gnatcatcher, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Scarlet Tanager, Great Crested Flycatcher, and Wood Thrush. In the same locale, a Yellow-billed Cuckoo and a Solitary Sandpiper. On the Canoe Lake Road the Louisiana Waterthrush was at its usual spot. Closer to Lake Ontario, Parrott Bay had a good selection of warblers and other colourful passerines; Pine, Blackburnian, Black-and-white, Black-throated Blue, Ovenbird, Yellow and Yellow-rumped Warblers as well as Purple Finch, Baltimore Oriole, and Rose-breasted Grosbeak. The KFN has started their series of spring birdwalks at Little Cat and Lemoine Point. These will run every Wednesday morning and evening for the month of May. The first of these at Little Cat had an excellent selection of warblers (11 Species) as well as Scarlet Tanager, and Least Flycatcher. The adjacent marshlands had both Sora and Virginia Rail. Other sightings in the area made the week even more interesting. There were 2 Great Egrets on Amherst Island last Saturday and another near Ivy Lea on Sunday. The Amherstview sewage lagoon had 18 Black Terns and the first Black-crowned Night Herons of the year were at Collin's Bay on Tuesday. Wednesday produced a Marsh Wren at Elginburg, a Bank Swallow at Sunbury, and a Clay-colored Sparrow at Odessa. Two hundred Brant flew over Camden East on Tuesday and there were 3 Sandhill Cranes near Wilton on Thursday. There also seems to be some Pine Siskin movement; 3 at QUBS on Tuesday, 1 at Elginburg Wednesday and Thursday, and 5 at a Camden East feeder also on Thursday. An activity that might be of interest to local birders is a bird banding demonstration sponsored by the St. Lawrence Islands National Park near Ivy Lea tomorrow Saturday May 10, 2008. It runs from 7:00 AM until noon. For further information call (613) 923-5261. 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/information/ontbirdssetup.php ONTBIRDS Guidelines may be viewed at http://www.ofo.ca/information/ontbirdsguide.php
