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. Note: some sightings may require review and remain unconfirmed unless stated otherwise.
Highlights: This early edition of the weekly round-up is also shorter than usual due to an unexpected absence over the next couple of days. As elsewhere, the extreme cold and slick ice has kept most of the sensible birders indoors but a few brave souls contributed the following this week. Highlights include; continuing SNOWY OWLS, RED-HEADED WOODPECKER, RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER, TUFTED TITMOUSE, EASTERN BLUEBIRD, HORNED LARK, and LAPLAND LONGSPUR. City of Kingston No reports of the SNOWY OWL at Landings Golf Course this week but a couple were seen near Portsmouth Olympic Harbour on 5th. A female was reported at Amherstview yesterday (8th). A PEREGRINE FALCON was noted at Invista during the week where good numbers of MALLARD, GADWALL and BLACK DUCK continue with up to 63 RING-NECKED DUCKS, a few HOODED MERGANSERS, AMERICAN COOT, GREATER SCAUP and a lone AMERICAN WIGEON. Continuing the waterfowl theme (or lack thereof) a single male NORTHERN PINTAIL was seen consorting with hundreds of MALLARD at Portsmouth Olympic Harbour on 5th but has not been seen since. A few REDHEAD took advantage of a slight break in the ice the next day. Gull watchers picked out an immature ICELAND GULL at the Wolfe Island ferry on 5th but it has, likewise, not been relocated. A BROWN-HEADED COWBIRD was seen at a feeder in the Reddendale area of the city on 7th. Wolfe Island An attempt at the annual waterfowl survey on the 5th was severely hindered by ice on all sides of the island. However, the ice had trapped a deer at Point Metcalfe on the NE corner and an impressive 14 BALD EAGLES, 4 coyotes and 6 COMMON RAVENS were making the most of it. SNOWY OWLS continue on the west side of the island and SNOW BUNTINGS area also usually encountered. Howe Island The TUFTED TITMOUSE continues to be regularly seen on Howe Island, as does the EASTERN SCREECH-OWL. Other Sightings East of the city, the long-staying RED-HEADED WOODPECKER has been seen a few times this week at Gananoque Golf Club, where a RED-BELLIED WOODPECKER can also often be seen. Further east near Lansdowne, a couple of LAPLAND LONGSPUR and approximately 20 HORNED LARK were photographed on freshly spread muck but seem to have moved on. North of the city, at Lower Brewer's Locks, 7 TRUMPETER SWANS were noted yesterday. Also north of the city, several reports of EASTERN BLUEBIRD have surfaced this week with a high of 6 near Elginburg on the 7th. The FOX SPARROW reported last week at a private feeder in Bedford Mills has been seen on a couple more occasions this week but is not reliable. To round off this week's news, a female BELTED KINGFISHER was noted at Chaffey's Locks on 5th and 2 GLAUCOUS GULLS were present at the Amherst Island ferry, Milhaven, also on 5th. Thanks to all those who submitted sightings over the last week. Mark. Mark D. Read 47 Ellerbeck Street, Unit 1, Kingston, Ontario K7L 4H7 Canada Mobile: +1 613 2171246 Email: [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
