Waterfowl seem to be the most abundant and widely reported birds this time of year. There are significant numbers of Tundra Swans on Wolfe and Amherst Islands as well as in Hay and Elevator Bays. About 30 Canvasbacks were among the large number of Redheads on Wolfe and a dozen Ruddy Ducks were on the Cataraqui River last Saturday. A concentration of 2500 Common Mergansers on Lake Opinicon on Wednesday was noteworthy. Raptor sightings are somewhat unchanged; a Barred Owl at Lemoine Point, a single Long-eared and several Short-eared on Amherst along with the usual contingent of N. Harriers, Red-tailed and Rough-legged Hawks. There was a juvenile Golden Eagle in Frontenac P.P. last Sunday. Lingering birds include a Great Blue Heron at Bedford Mills on the 21st, White-throated Sparrows at Lost Lake, in Elginburg and on Collingwood Street in the city and a White-crowned Sparrow at Camden East. There was a Baltimore Oriole on Amherst until at least the 16th. The last shorebirds noted were a Greater Yellowlegs on Wolfe Nov. 13th and a Dunlin at the lagoons on the 15th. Other good birds were a Tufted Titmouse near Collingwood Street and a Red-bellied Woodpecker in the Cataraqui Cemetery. Winter birds seem few and far between. There have been some scattered reports of Northern Shrikes. There were 12 Evening Grosbeaks near Bellrock onthe 19th and 6 Pine Siskins at Camden East yesterday. Bohemian Waxwings are becoming more abundant; 6 at Elginburg on the 11th, 50 in Frontenac P.P. on the 21st and a flock of 30 seen at Bedford Mills on the 23rd and the25th. 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 information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
