With no rarities this past week, lingering warm-weather birds, raptors and waterfowl provided most of the excitement. This includes 3 BRANT on Wolfe Island – a species with is almost never found in winter in the Kingston area. Winter finch numbers remain low but at least there are a few around.
City of Kingston The Invista Plant/Cataraqui Bay area continues to host lots of waterfowl including GADWALL, AMERICAN WIGEON, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, REDHEAD, both SCAUP species, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE and all three MERGANSER species. BALD EAGLE and AMERICAN COOT are also present there. One COMMON REDPOLL has been visiting a feeder in the Reddendale neighbourhood. Amherst Island MUTE SWAN, GADWALL, COMMON GOLDENEYE, BALD EAGLE, NORTHER HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, SNOWY OWL, COMMON RAVEN, AMERICAN ROBIN and SNOW BUNTING were among the species reported from Amherst this week. Bedford Mills The FIELD SPARROW and RUSTY BLACKBIRD continue to patronize a feeder just south of Bedford Mills along with 1 PURPLE FINCH and up to 54 AMERICAN GOLDFINCHES. Raptors: 1 SHARP-SHINNED HAWK and 1 BALD EAGLE. Camden East A few interesting feeder sightings include 1 PINE SISKIN, 2 PURPLE FINCHES, AMERICAN GOLDFINCH and 1 female RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD. AMERICAN ROBINS are also hanging around this area. Elginburg GREAT BLUE HERON, YELLOW-BELLIED SAPSUCKER, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, PURPLE FINCH and a few AMERICAN ROBINS were all reported this week. Opinicon Road Half a dozen TRUMPETER SWANS were reported from Chaffey’s Lock were almost no open water remains this winter. Up to 3 BALD EAGLES have been seen visiting Queen’s University Biological Station (QUBS) at one time. A grey EASTERN SCREECH-OWL has moved into a wood duck box at QUBS and can be seen sunning itself in the morning. The only finches reported from the area were AMERICAN GOLDFINCH (common and widespread) and 8 PINES SISKINS (Chaffey’s Lock). At least one BROWN CREEPER remains at Chaffey’s Lock and another at QUBS. A pair of RED-BREASTED NUTHATCH visits the QUBS feeders daily. Wolfe Island 3 BRANT were seen among a large flock of CANADA GEESE. There have been high counts of 105 MUTE SWANS and 88 TUNDRA SWANS this past week. Other waterfowl include GADWALL, AMERICAN BLACK DUCK, MALLARD, GREATER SCAUP, LONG-TAILED DUCK, BUFFLEHEAD, COMMON GOLDENEYE and all three MERGANSERS. Reports from the northwest part of the island include BALD EAGLE, NORTHERN HARRIER, ROUGH-LEGGED HAWK, 1 AMERICAN KESTREL, SNOWY OWL, 12 SHORT-EARED OWLS, 2 LAPLAND LONGSPURS and SNOW BUNTING. Other Sightings A dozen TRUMPETER SWANS were at Lower Brewers Mills. Two GREEN-WINGED TEAL were at Bath. A check of the Violet Dump (between Napanee and Odessa) turned up only HERRING and GREAT BLACK-BACKED GULLS. Birders are encouraged to look there for “white-winged gulls” which frequent the landfill, albeit in low numbers. A COOPER’S HAWK was at Links Mills today. Sightings of SHORT-EARED OWLS away from Amherst and Wolfe Islands are not all that common so the 2 seen near Lansdowne on Jan 15 were notable. BELTED KINGFISHERS were at Kingston Mills and Upper Brewers Mills. An AMERICAN ROBIN was at Charleston Lake Provincial Park and a RED-WINGED BLACKBIRD at Links Mills. Nine PINE SISKINS were at Amhesrtview. If you would like any more information on these sightings please send me an email. Thank you to all those who submitted sightings this week. Mark -- Mark Andrew Conboy Operations & Research Assistant and Outreach Coordinator Queen’s University Biological Station 280 Queen's University Road Elgin, Ontario, Canada K0G 1E0 phone: 613-359-5629 fax: 613-359-6558 email: [email protected] or [email protected] QUBS website: http://www.queensu.ca/qubs/index.html QUBS blog: http://opinicon.wordpress.com/ QUBS flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/qubsoutreach/ _______________________________________________ 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/
