Hi everyone Spent most of the day birding Amherst Island. It was a nice day with lots of activity. Highlights included 3 Northern Saw-whet Owl and 1 Barred Owl in the "Owl Woods" . A walk out to the KFN property at the east end produced 10+ Northern Harrier, 6 Rough-legged Hawk, 5 Tundra swan, 5 Black-bellied Plover, and 1 adult Lesser Black-backed Gull. At dusk we were entertained by a group of 26 Short-eared Owl feeding over a field just south of Stella. Also, there was a good number of finches present on the island including 40+ White-winged Crossbill, 6 Common Redpoll, 30+ Pine Siskin and numerous Purple Finch. One Pine Grosbeak was heard calling as it flew overhead. Overall hawk numbers good with 3 American kestrel, 16 Red-tailed Hawk , 15 Rough-legged Hawk and 25+ Northern Harrier.
Directions: Located 18 km. west of Kingston. Exit off Hwy. 401 at exit 593 (County Rd. 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 $8.00 Canadian round trip. There are no gas stations on the island. There are restrooms on the ferry, and at the island ferry dock. The East End K.F.N. property is at the easternmost part of the island on the east side 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 km along Front Rd. to the (seasonal) Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. Marshall Forty-Foot Rd. is across the road from house #2320. Drive along Marshall Rd. to the mid-way point, where there is an "S" in the road (1.2 km, look for the K.F.N. kiosk which had owl observing ethics). Park in the gravel lane or off the road edge. Because of liability issues, visitors to the Kingston Field Naturalists' property at the east end of Amherst Island MUST be accompanied by a KFN member. For KFN contact information or how to become a member, please visit http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ." Good birding, Bruce Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www3.sympatico.ca/bruce.dilabio/ Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario, K0A1L0 Home (613) 839-4395 Cell (613) 715-2571 _______________________________________________ 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
