Hello Ontbirders Spent yesterday birding both Amherst Island and Presqu'ile Provincial Park. In the "Owl Woods" on Amherst Island I observed 1 Barred Owl and didn't find anything else in the woods. At the east end of the island, K.F.N. property, there were 3 Snowy Owls, two visible from the road and 1 at the gravel bar. Along Front Road, east of Stella there was a small concentration of raptors including 11 Short-eared Owl, 4 Rough-legged Hawk, 3 Red-tailed Hawk, 2 Northern Harrier and 4 American Kestrel. There was also a small concentration along 2nd Con.Rd. with 6 Red-tailed Hawk, 3 Rough-legged Hawk, 4 Northern Harrier and 5 American Kestrel. At Presqu'ile Pr. Pk. I checked Gull Island and Sebastopol Point before dark. At Sebastopol Point there were 3 Purple Sandpiper, 2 Dunlin and 1 Sanderling. Today, I did a quick run into the park during the snow storm and saw the Rose-breasted Grosbeak that has been present at the parking lot feeder opposite the Group Camp Ground entrance for the past couple of weeks. At first it was on the ground hopping around and then flew up into a nearby cedar tree. It has an injured wing but can managed short flights. Good birding, Bruce
Directions:Amherst Island: 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. Please note that the smaller ferry is still in use. 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 contactinformation or how to become a member, please visit http://kingstonfieldnaturalists.org/ ." Directions: (Courtsey F. Helleiner) To reach Presqu'ile Provincial Park, follow the signs from Brighton. Locations within the Park are shown on a map at the back of a tabloid that is available at the Park gate. Visitors to Gull Island not using a boat should be prepared to wade through ankle-deep water that sometimes has waves that reach the shins. With hip waders one can walk to Sebastopol Island from Gull Island, but wading to High Bluff Island is not possible. It should also be noted that, because duck hunting is given priority on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays, Gull Island, High Bluff Island, Owen Point, and part of the calf pasture are not available for bird-watching on those days until December 20. Birders are encouraged to record their observations on the bird sightings board provided near the campground office by The Friends of Presqu'ile Park and to fill out a rare bird report for species not listed there. Di Labio Birding Website Courses and Field Trips http://www.dilabiobirding.ca http://www.brucedilabio.blogspot.com Bruce Di Labio 400 Donald B. Munro Drive P.O. Box 538 Carp, Ontario K0A 1L0 Office 613-839-4395 Mobile 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
