Kingston Field Naturalists (KFN) maintains records in a 50km radius of MacDonald Park, Kingston. Birders already using eBird are encouraged to share their sightings with 'Kingston FN'. Alternatively, please email, phone or post records directly to me - contact details below.
With the recent departure of our President and sightings recorder, Mark Conboy, to Alberta, I have now taken over the reporting of birds from the Kingston area. Please note the change of contact details and join me in thanking Mark for all his hard work and wishing him all the best out west. Last weekend saw the annual 'Fall Round-up' but despite a good number of teams and individuals participating in the 24-hour event the number of species recorded was somewhat down on previous years. Highlights included CACKLING GOOSE, RED-THROATED LOON, TUFTED TITMOUSE, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER as well as a late PALM WARBLER and AMERICAN BITTERN. In general, things have been fairly quiet with the majority of summer residents now long gone and numbers of winter visitors still quite low. RED-WINGED BLACKBIRDS, with smaller numbers of COMMON GRACKLE, RUSTY BLACKBIRD and BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD are still moving south with AMERICAN TREE SPARROW, SNOW BUNTING and HORNED LARK becoming more widespread. City of Kingston The Inner Harbour is now holding good numbers of LESSER SCAUP with GREATER SCAUP, RING-NECKED DUCK, REDHEAD and RUDDY DUCK also reported. BUFFLEHEAD numbers are also increasing though COMMON GOLDENEYE remains scarce. A single HORNED GREBE was also seen off Doug Fluher Park by several observers and PIED-BILLED GREBES remain present in small numbers. Howe Island The island is still hosting the TUFTED TITMOUSE that was first observed mid-October. RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER can also be located in the same area and, as noted throughout the Kingston region, HOUSE FINCHES are now returning to bird feeders. Wolfe Island Wildfowl numbers are increasing on the island with 46 TUNDRA SWANS reported there on the 3rd. On the same day a late PALM WARBLER was observed as well as movements of Icterids and arriving SNOW BUNTINGS and AMERICAN TREE SPARROWS. Amherst Island ROUGH-LEGGED HAWKS are starting to take up residence on the island, and the first NORTHERN SHRIKE was seen on the 2nd. Shorebirds at KFN's Martin Edwards Reserve were represented by a handful of DUNLIN, up to 18 PECTORAL SANDPIPERS, small numbers of GREATER YELLOWLEGS and a single WILSON'S SNIPE. Six HORNED GREBES were off the south shore and RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER and FOX SPARROW were noted at the Owl Woods. Please note that you must be a KFN member or be accompanied by a member to access the Martin Edwards Reserve. Amherstview Sewage Lagoons BONAPARTE'S GULLS are still present in good numbers but the highlight of the week was 4 CACKLING GEESE reported on the 2nd. Three, of presumably the same birds, were reported later in the week at Bath on 4th and near Lennox Generating Station on the 5th. GREATER YELLOWLEGS, DUNLIN and PECTORAL SANDPIPER were present throughout the week, though waterfowl numbers in general were down compared to the last month or so. Please note that you must be a KFN member or otherwise get permission from the municipality in order to access the sewage lagoons. Other Sightings The RED-HEADED WOODPECKER first found in early October is still present at Gananoque Golf Course as of today. Both LESSER and GREATER YELLOWLEGS, as well as DUNLIN were found on the Thousand Islands Parkway on the 3rd, an unusual though perhaps overlooked location for these species. A RED-THROATED LOON, still sporting a red throat, was located at Lafarge Cement Works near Bath on 3rd and was still present on the 5th. A female BLACK SCOTER and a blue phase SNOW GOOSE were also both seen near the Lennox Generating Station on the 5th. Thanks to all those who submitted sightings over the last week. Good birding! Mark. Mark D. Read 47 Ellerbeck Street, Unit 1, Kingston, Ontario K7L 4H7 Canada Mobile: +1 613 2171246 Email: <mailto:[email protected]> [email protected] Blog: "Confessions of a Global Birder" http://markdread.blogspot.com <http://markdread.blogspot.com/> Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/markdread/ _______________________________________________ ONTBIRDS is presented by the Ontario Field Ornithologists - the provincial birding organization. Send bird reports to [email protected] For information about ONTBIRDS including how to unsubscribe visit http://www.ofo.ca/site/page/view/information.ontbirdssetup
