The N. Goshawk found on the Queen's campus with an injured wing in mid January was released last Saturday in City Park after a full recovery at the Sandy Pines Wildlife Centre in Napanee. Two Peregrine Falcons continue to be seen in the Queen's and downtown areas and almost all the Sharp-shinned and Cooper's Hawk reports have been within the city. Bald Eagles were reported from Lake Opinicon and Prince Edward Point. The islands have fewer raptors than normal; a single Red-tail and 2 Rough-legged Hawks but 11 Short-eared Owls on Wolfe and 2 Rough-legged, 5 Red-tailed Hawks and 5 Short-eared Owls on Amherst. No Snowy Owls were mentioned this week. There was a Rough-legged Hawk over the penitentiary property on Wednesday. Waterfowl of note included up to 18 Trumpeter Swans at Chaffey's Lock, 4 Mute Swans and a half dozen White-winged Scoters at PEPt, 6 Redheads on Amherst, Wood Ducks in the Napanee River and a Hooded Merganser and 6 Great Black-backed Gulls in the Wolfe Island ferry channel. Four flocks of Bohemian Waxwings were sighted; 50 at the 401 and hwy 38 and another 50 on the Wilmer Road last Sunday, 17 at Bellrock and 14 at the Queen's Biological Station on Wednesday. Flocks of Snow Buntings were on Wolfe, about 50, on Amherst, 250 and near Dorland, 200. There were also 20 Horned Larks and 6 Lapland Longspurs at Dorland and another 12 Horned Larks at Waupoos. There was an Am. Robin at Glenburnie on Tuesday and 5 at Camden East the previous Saturday. Further south there were larger numbers of robins with flocks of 50 at both PEPt and Waupoos. The Owl Woods on Amherst had only a Brown creeper, a Red-bellied Woodpecker and a Ring-necked Pheasant. Other good birds seen at PEPt were another Red-bellied, a N. Flicker, a N. Shrike and 30 Cedar Waxwings. A Pileated Woodpecker was at Bedford Mills yesterday, and the Belted Kingfiser was back at the usual spot on the Bath Road near Collin's Bay. There is a large group of Am. Crows (100+) in the Collingwood Street area. I've had two reports of Song Sparrows this week; 3 were at Waupoos and another started visiting a feeder in the city. Common Redpolls continue to the dominant feeder bird outside the city. Both QUBS and Bedford Mills continue to get the odd Hoary Redpoll. Pine Siskins are around but in small numbers. Talking about dominant feeder birds, I have a neighbour who uses his picnic table as a feeder platform. The only birds I have ever seen at it are a flock of Wild Turkeys that wander out of the adjacent woods most days and have a picnic. I do not envy his birdfeed bills. 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 [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS visit http://www.ofo.ca/
