It has been an excellent week for new arrivals. Common Loons, Great Blue Herons
and Wood Ducks are widespread, Killdeer and Wilson's Snipe have been seen by
almost everyone, and Yellow-bellied Sapsuckers, Eastern Phoebes, Tree Swallows,
Winter Wrens, Fox Sparrows and both kinglets are back in good numbers.
Interesting waterfowl include the first Blue-winged Teal at the sewage lagoons
last Friday, 2 Surf Scoters at PEPt on Sunday, and 500 Long-tailed Ducks off
Amherst Island yesterday. Horned Grebes were at PEPt and Amherst and a
Red-necked Grebe was also seen off Amherst Island. Small numbers of Bonaparte's
Gulls first appeared off Amherst last Friday, were seen in the Cataraqui River
on Monday and made a large showing (300) at PEPt on Wednesday. A flock of 10
Common Terns near Garden Island last Sunday was a full month ahead of schedule.
The second wave of the shorebird migration (after snipe, woodcock and Killdeer)
has begun with the appearance of a Pectoral Sandpiper at the Kaiser X-Rd in
Prince Edward County on Sunday and 3 Greater Yellowlegs on Amherst yesterday.
Other birds newly arrived this week include an Am. Bittern at Camden East, 2
Barn Swallows at PEPt, 2 Hermit Thrushes on Amherst, Brown Thrashers at PEPt
and Amherst, Yellow-rumped Warbler at PEPt, Pine Warblers on the RIdeau Trail
and near Ivy Lea, E. Towhee at PEPt, and four new sparrows:Swamp at the Rideau
trail, Field at PEPt, White-throated at Wilstead and Camden East, and Chipping
at Ivy Lea and Battersea.
Cheers,
Peter Good
Kingston Field Naturalists
613 378-6605
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